Steam Boiler Install Pics

Gordo

Here is a picture of a small steam boiler that we installed this week (IN-5). This is on a two pipe radiator valve oriface system. The second picture is of an interesting tee on the dry return. The third picture is of the boiler (IN-7) that we replaced. It only lasted 10 years. The customer is very pleased with the new intallation. It's easy to do good work for good people.

kevin coppinger_4

with piping....

like that, I can see why it only lasted 10 yrs...what a botch job. Is that a 1 1/4" copper steam header? kpc

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Gordo

copper \"header\"

It was 1 1/2" copper

Steamhead

Looks good!

What a difference from the "before" pics- that IN5 will last a long time and you'll have a nice warm customer.

For those who've never seen one, the special tee on the dry return is there to separate air from condensate. The Bi-Loop orifice system I worked on some years ago had one too.

Gordo, did you get any pics of the radiator valves or see who made them?

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LIBOB

Teflon tape

I never used teflon tape on a steam job. How does it hold up?

Gordo

Thanks

for the kind words. Yes, I got a picture of the valve, but it's a bit blurry. The logo on the valve is shaped like a football with the letter "B".

Gordo

Thanks

> What a difference from the "before" pics- that

> IN5 will last a long time and you'll have a nice

> warm customer.

>

> For those who've never seen

> one, the special tee on the dry return is there

> to separate air from condensate. The Bi-Loop

> orifice system I worked on some years ago had one

> too.

>

> Gordo, did you get any pics of the

> radiator valves or see who made them?

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 157&Step=30"_To Learn More About This

> Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in

> "Find A Professional"_/A_

Gordo

Thanks

for the kind words. The picture I took was a bit blurry. The logo on the valve was shaped like a football with the letter "L" inside.

Gordo

It seems

to hold up quite well, with the added advantage that the joint can be un-threaded even years afterward. At least, that's what I've experienced.

Kyle Kubs - Benchmark Home Inspections

Gordo - Just wondering what the cause of failure was on the old boiler after only 10 years... Seeing that header, I would assume the heat exchanger cracked due to the unit running almost continuously or something.... Nice work on the new one and good point about being able to unthread the joints years later with teflon tape... I always try to plan on easy maint. years down the road...

Kal Row

copper on steam ok, but only, if

"K" thickness, silver brazed, and refigeration grade fitings, and lots of insulation

Gordo

Thank you for your comments! The old boiler failed

sometime last year and I believe the cause was too much make-up water. Most of the two pipe radiators had Hoffman #40 steam vents on them and one radiator had an open hole (since plugged). That radiator is also piped so that the cut-off valve is on the outlet side. This is to be corrected. The main vent on the separator tee was from the coal era (vacuum) and the check was found to be shut. I think it was shut because steam from the main was piped directly over to the dry return drip (see "before" picture), and hence that's why the Hoffmans were "needed" to get the radiators hot.

Steamhead

I've seen that logo

but can't remember the name it stands for. I know I have it in one of my old books, if I find it I'll post it here.

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Unknown

Kal

Due to things we see out in the field that seem to be related to the use of copper on the steam carrying pipes, we have addressed the use of it in the I&O manual for our steam boilers. It is OK if used on the wet returns only. Thanks.

Glenn Stanton

Manager of Training

Burnham Hydronics

www.burnham.com

Gordo

Oh, and the customer said

that the copper "header" leaked a bit, too.

Unknown

Another one joins the Drop Header Club

Great work Gordo . I like the full sized equalizer piping . And we use Teflon also , for the same reason . Holds up very well over a long time .

Gordo

Thanks! I'd been dying to try

> Great work Gordo . I like the full sized

> equalizer piping . And we use Teflon also , for

> the same reason . Holds up very well over a long

> time .

Gordo

Thanks! I'd been dying to try

a drop header ever since I saw it on this site. Then I got a copy of Alt's Domestic Heating Plans (a DeadMan book) and saw it there, too. And with the low headroom in this particular installation, I couldn't resist. The drop header and the full sized equalizer makes for a steady water line, even with dirty water (even so, this boiler was cleaned, of course ).