Vaporstat versus Pressure-trol

Steve Garson

I have a very sensitive pressure gauge on my new WM SGO-4 steam boiler. As I watch the pressure build, I can see that it takes less than 1 psi to get heat to the entire house.

A Vaporstat costs $180. With oil at $2.30/gallon, is this an investment worth making? Do the boiler manufacturers use the Pressure-trols to save money on the cost of goods?

If I can shut down the boiler at <1psi versus 1.5 psi, will it save me much money?

bigugh_4

A valid question

Your question is valid, and techneical. Heating steam (vapor) above what is needed, is not neccessarily cheap. It is like driving faster than you should to get the job done. In short it wastes fuel. An engineer up to snuff on the steam tables and properites of steam could determine your pay back for the vapor stat installtion. the Pressure trol is being used on the low end of its ability, and that is not all that good. the vaporstat would be used in the middle of its ability and should last longer and perform better over time, which will also save fuel.

Steve Garson_2

Anyone have the engineering knowledge to run the numbers to calculate how many additional BTUs of energy it takes to raise the steam pressure from 0.5lbs to 1.0 lbs to 1.5 lbs? Let's assume a boiler with 12 gallons water content, 1.1 GPM nozzle and 83% effiency.

I'll bet that this is something that everyone who find of interest!