source for rare steam trap

jhansen

I AM REPLACING AN 80 PLUS YEAR OLD STEAM BOILER. THERE IS A HOFFMAN DIFFERENTIAL LOOP THAT APPEARS TO BE IN SOMEWHAT POOR CONDITION. WHAT IS A GOOD PRACTICE IN REGARDS TO REPLACING OR FLUSHING THE LOOP I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE STILL AVAILABLE.

JHANSEN

Benjamin Brandt

source for rare steam trap

Does anyone have advice on where to find a rare steam trap?

I am looking for a radiator trap, 3/4 inch, corner trap, with minimum drop between the condensate inlet and return.

The closest I have found is the model 17c Swivel 1/2 NPT, which will not work because the condensate return is too low relative to the inlet, and it is only 1/2 inch.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Ben

Benjamin Brandt

source for rare steam trap

Does anyone have advice on where to find a rare steam trap?

I am looking for a radiator trap, 3/4 inch, corner trap, with minimum drop between the condensate inlet and return.

The closest I have found is the Hoffman model 17c Swivel 1/2 NPT, which will not work because the condensate return is too low relative to the inlet, and it is only 1/2 inch.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Steamhead (in transit)

If you are trying to replace an existing trap

and the old one just needs new innards, try a replacement cartridge from Tunstall or Barnes & Jones.

If you need a new trap body, that may be more difficult. Try Barnes & Jones, they still make different types of traps.

Robert O'Connor_3

new trap body

Thank you for the reply. Barnes and Jones has angle and straight-through traps, but no corner traps. There is no existing trap, just an empty elbow. This is an old vapor system that used to run on steam from a local plant that serviced the whole neighborhood. The steam plant has been closed for many years, and the system now runs on a Weil-Mclain bioler from 1983. The original valves were calibrated to allow the correct amount of steam to pass, but most of these were repaced over the years with regular valves. So, for this system, we either need a valve with orifices (which I don't know where to buy or how to size) or a few 3/4" right hand corner traps, which seem like the logical solution. Any and all advice welcome.

tls_9

You might ,

> Does anyone have advice on where to find a rare

> steam trap?

>

> I am looking for a radiator trap,

> 3/4 inch, corner trap, with minimum drop between

> the condensate inlet and return.

>

> The closest I

> have found is the Hoffman model 17c Swivel 1/2

> NPT, which will not work because the condensate

> return is too low relative to the inlet, and it

> is only 1/2 inch.

>

> Any advice would be greatly

> appreciated.

tls_9

You might ,

Try Here:

http://www.statesupply.com/

c.t.kay

valves

www.tunstall-inc.com,they have all the materials you need.

Steamhead (in transit)

The Differential Loop

was a device that made sure there was always a certain difference in pressure between the steam side of the system and the return side. In some versions, the main air vent for the system was screwed into the top of the Loop.

If there is just some rust on the surface of the Loop from a leaking main vent, I'd just replace the vent and leave the Loop in place. You need a real big vent here- I'd use a Gorton #2. Hoffman no longer makes vents big enough to use here. Then sand down the Loop and paint with Rustoleum.

If the Loop itself is leaking, it will have to be removed. Cap off the steam line and overflow line if used, and vent the heck out of the dry returns as before.

Steamhead (in transit)

Get some disk orifices from Tunstall

that will fit in the unions on your valves. Drill them out to allow 80% of the steam needed to fill each rad at about 10 ounces pressure. Use a Vaporstat on the boiler set to cut out at 10 ounces and it will once again work the way the Dead Men intended.

Robert O'Connor_3

This is most likely the right thing to do; thank you for spelling it out for me, Steamhead; I've been a little reluctant, since I don't completely understand the 80% calculation, but I expect Tunstall will be able to help with that.

I just have one more question, regarding the philosophy of steam heat. If the dead men had it all worked out with orifices, then why is there any market for steam traps at all? The orifice has no moving parts, and is sure to last longer than 3-5 years. Wouldn't it be cheaper as well to buy one Vaporstat than to buy a dozen steam traps?

Steamhead (in transit)

Before the late 1920s or so

it was very difficult to closely control the steam pressure in a boiler. Without this capability, orifices really wouldn't work that well. So traps, water seals and other methods were used to keep steam out of the dry return.

The advent of better boiler pressure regulation made orifice systems feasible.

The 80% rule means that the rads were ordered slightly larger than needed. This meant that all the entering steam would be fully condensed by the time it got to the return connection. Therefore, no steam would enter the dry return.