Swaping pressuretrol for vaporstat

Firedragon_4

Dean_7

swaping pressuretrol for vaporstat

My boiler, a 2 year old Burnham Independence 4PV came with a Honeywell L404 pressuretrol (subtractive differential). I am considering changing this to a vaporstat and letting the system run between 8 and 16 ounces. Is this a fesible alternative for this boiler?

Steamhead

Dean, this would work best

if you have a Vapor system. With a one-pipe system, the L404 works OK if you set the Main to 1 pound and the differential to 1/2 pound (8 ounces).

But if you want to really fine-tune the operating pressure, the Vaporstat is the only way to go!

You might also want to get a gauge that can show these lower pressures. Most gauge companies make them, and a supply house can get them for you. Keep the original gauge and put the low-pressure one on a tee; the original is required by code to read twice the boiler's (not the system's) maximum safe working pressure.

Dean_7

Which vaporstat?

Ok now which vaporstat a Honeywell L408 A or B or another choice?

Firedragon_4

L408A

patrick linhardt

code for pressure gauge

This has bugged me since day one, why the manufacturers all put on a gauge that reads so high? Fifteen pound max cast iron boiler gets a thirty pound gauge when 99% run at two pounds or less. Whose code is it? I'll cut the boiler manufacturers some slack from now on.

Unknown

The point of the gauge

It is to read, at mid-scale on the gauge, the pressure that the relief valve releases at.

If you had a failed (plugged) 15 PSI relief valve on your boiler, and 28 PSI steam within your boiler, a 2 pound gauge wouldn't alert anybody to anything, now would it.

Manufacturers put on REQUIRED SAFETY DEVICES. It is perfectly acceptable to add the gauge that you suggest. Since you haven't paid for a second gauge yet, I appreciate the slack that you cut, for it not being there.

Vaporstats (operating controls), Thermostats (operating controls), 2 PSI gauge (Operating controls) reset controls (operating controls) are all optional.

LWCOs (SAFETY controls), High limit pressuretrol (SAFETY controls), Gauge glass (SAFETY controls), GAUGE (SAFETY controls), are required by code.

Manufacturers do not choose your options for you, you would do that. Add a gauge if you like. Just don't remove any of the required equipment.

Noel

patrick linhardt

thanks

Thanks for the good information, no manufacturer has ever explained it to me so well. The "slack" comment was a poor attempt at humor, sorry.
I'll try to explain this better in the future.
Best regards, Pat