Steam Mains

John S.

a parallel flow one-pipe system. This is a good setup if that's the case.

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stevenyc_2

Should STEAM MAINS pitch up or down from the boiler?

The longest steam main run that I have on my system, about 46 ft., appears to pitch downward as it moves away from the boiler. This seems counterintuitive to me if steam rises. Just a guess.

Which way should a steam main pitch as it moves away from the boiler? Thanks!

thfurnitureguy_4

Steven, I 'm going to assume that you have a 1 pipe system. The steam mains perform 2 functions. They have steam at the top and condensation water at the bottom of the same pipe. So they act like a steam duct and a condensate drain pipe. A parallel system the steam and the water move in the same direction (away from the boiler) In a counter flow system the steam moves away from the boiler and the condensate flow back toward the boiler. In this case the pipes would pitch back toward the boiler.