Hartford Loop?

D. Barto

I have a steam system, two boilers, pumped condensate return, and I am having some hammer. I know the location of hammer can be decieving, but I am convinced it is in between the condensate pump discharge and the boilers.

The suspicious culprit is the pumped condensate piping route. It pumps up, overhead horizontally for about 8 feet (above the waterline of the boiler) and then down into the equalizer. The condensate connects to the equalizer with a close couple about 10 inches below the waterline of the boiler. The equalizer and condensate return tightly parallel each other for about 55 inches. To visualize this, the condensate is flowing down towards the floor when it connects to the equalizer. It never really creates a Hartford Loop and does not turn back up towards the ceiling before connecting to the equalizer.

The hammer occurs when the condensate pump is not running. I believe the condensate piping is sitting full of water (even inthe vertical) because of the boiler pressure and checks on the condensate pumps.

Is this the reason for the hammer and can anybody explain why?

gerry gill

is the steam

pushing down the equalizer then shooting across the nipple and up the downfeed pipe? hold onto the pipe and see if you have to let go..if it gets hot, that may be whats going on..