\"Find a Professional\" is like a refresher course

Mark Hunt

Within days of re-newing our "F.A.P" listing, we received a few calls. To be honest, I was beginning to think that Dan had a list of people he kept quiet until the renewal.

Everyone of the calls was about steam. Two needed new, the rest needed surgery.

The most recent job we did was a replacement of a Weil-Mclain EGH-105. 1,125 sqft. of steam and 270k worth of rated steam output. Granted this is a big house, but I did the math. Just over 600 sqft. of steam required and about 140k in btu delivery available. We proposed an EG-65, 633 sqft. of steam and 152k of rated steam output.

The customer was adding water "two or three times a day" to this system. His first worry was that he had a leak in an underground return. I asked him if he turned the power to the boiler off in the non-heating months, and he said he did not. I told him that I did not think he had an issue with under ground returns since it would most likely cause the boiler to feed water even during the summer months, which it did not. I suggested that the leak was above the water line and would only be noticed during the heating months. When we disassembled the boiler, our suspicions were proved correct. Two of the intermediate sections had been leaking above the water line. *NOTE*: I did fill the boiler with water and no leaks were obvious**

My guess is that when the boiler was assembled in the basement, the rings on that section were not in line and were pinched. Probably leaked from day one.

The customer also had a problem with an area of CI baseboard that never seemed to heat up. Air vents had been placed in the very top portion of the baseboard from about midway down. In the crawl space underneath, we found that the entire 25 linear feet were fed with one 3/4" pipe and TWO 3/4 return lines were piped in. One of the returns led to a steam trap(directly under the feed) and another return tied directly to the dry return for the system. *NOTE*: The entire system is one pipe** There were no main vents anywhere, so we added them. I reconfigured the piping to the CI baseboard and fired the boiler. After 2 hrs of firing, the baseboard would only heat about half way, right up to where the air vents started.

It was late so we called it a day, but I knew I would be going back to that house for the baseboard (which NEVER worked).

Sure enough, the customer called and said that the baseboard only heated half way. I said I would return and SOLVE the problem. When Darin and I went back, we had more time to assess the situation. I added a battery of vents to the return before the steam trap and we fired the boiler. Once a "good head of steam" (HA HA) was established, I pulled one of the vents out. YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD WHAT I HEARD!!!!!!. I could HEAR the water in the baseboard. Steam would push, then it would collapse and form a vacuum. Blow and suck, like a "Lamaze" class.

Checked the pitch on the CI baseboard and found...........NONE! We pitched it and easily drained 2 gallons of water from it.

Now we had raw, invisible, HOT, steam coursing through the baseboard! I guarantee the baseboard only saw that once. Now we know why those air vents were there. NO STEAM! And once they were put in, steam on the top only! COLD ROOM!? NOT ANYMORE!

Long(er) story shortened, if I had never read "Lost Art of Steam Heating" I would NEVER have been able to figure that out. And if I had NEVER read "L.A.O.S.H", I would NEVER have known Dan Holohan and NEVER have put my company on his fine site, and would never have gotten that job.

I tell my customers, "I don't have all of the answers, but I know where I can find them."

I love what I do, and I love being able to do it!

WET HEAT RULES!!!!!!!!!!

Mark H

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Steamhead

Nice save, Mark

and I'll bet the customer saves a bundle on gas!

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Mark Hunt

Sorry


for the long winded post!

I was actually going to call you Steamhead, to fill you in personally on this one.

I wish I had taken pics of this mess, but wait until you see the pics of the next one.

Surgery on this one. EG-55, piped in copper, NO skim tap.

There is at least 30" from the water line to the bottom of the header. When it steams, it sounds like a washing machine.

The folks at Rhomar water have set me up. Thanks Dwight!!!!

I'll let you all know how it turns out.

I do not enjoy fixing others mistakes, but I do enjoy making a system work.



Mark H

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