F & T Traps

Steamhead (in transit)

By trapping the drips to the wet return, he turned the "A" dimension there into a "B" dimension. So the water no longer has the leftover steam pressure to help it flow back to the boiler, and it backs up into the mains, blocks the steam and of course, bangs.

If the rads toward the ends of the steam mains don't heat well, the solution is properly-sized main vents- not F&T traps.

"Steamhead"



<A HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=367&Step=30">To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"</A>

Dale Martin

F & T Traps

We just had a contractor install F & T traps at the end of our mains because some of the return lines had been converted from wet to dry returns because of piping changes. He also installed them on a number of wet returns and since then we've been getting water hammer on those lines and loss of heating also. I felt we didn't need traps on a wet return and thought that the air trapped between the water in the return lines and the F & T might prevent the trap from draining. The contractor insists we need traps on those lines. Does anyone out there know the correct answer?

Thanks,

Steve Warren

Steamhead (in transit)

Was the \"piping change\"

mainly the addition of a return tank and pump?

If so, everything needs to be trapped. But on a line that was formerly a wet return, you trap the drip connections above the return, not the return itself.

If installing enough traps would be difficult, a False Water Line might be the way to go. See "The Lost Art of Steam Heating" for details.

"Steamhead"

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Dale Martin

No, the return is gravity without a tank. There are traps on the drip connections above the return. A couple of the drip connections from the mains in the boiler room return to a wet return. The contractor installed F & T traps on these as well. Because the drip connection are connected to a wet return, no air can pass through the traps. I can't see what purpose they would serve?

Steve