Flooded Condensate Lines

Ray Wohlfarth_2

Brad,
Thanks It is a relatively new f&t trap with a strainer. We have pulled the strainer and cleaned it
There is a dirt leg
It happens only sporadically I think it occurs at night because it is colder perhaps
I am ready to call in the exorcist
Thanks
Ray

Ray Wohlfarth

Condensate Line floods what is going on?

I have a job from he** It seems that at night, one area of the building floods the piping before the trap. The system then sounds like it enters a vacuum. You could hear the air being sucked into the piping when the boilers shut off. ( I have a valve in the bottom of the trap and can hear this) I think the condensate line is plugged. We tried using a shop vac and sucking some of the junk out at the boiler feed. We also used a hose at the far end but am afraid it may still be plugged.
Any suggestions?

Brad White_48

Several Thoughts

1) Is the trap an F&T type? If not, you might consider it and one of high capacity (2.0 factor at low PSID)

2) Is there a strainer upstream of the trap? Regardless of trap type this is cheap insurance especially with a full-port blowdown valve. In general is it installed with a proper detail including a dirt leg?

3) Does this occur every night? Or sproradically? Thinking along lines of external causes, actions happening in adjacent lines. Maybe a blocked vacuum breaker?

I agree with you it seems to be a plugged line whether by sludge or mechanical hang-up; the vacuum downstream is as you said, a key indicator.

Is there a spare valve upstream of the purported plug? Thinking hook up a hose top and bottom for a power flush.

Brad White_9

Ray

What does the line serve? If an AHU it may have a vacuum breaker (even if radiation it may).

Is this a central/main trap? Is it necessary? If the equipment upstream is already trapped, no need to do so twice. What happens when (or if) the trap were to be removed/bypassed?

I would not call in an exorcist unless the trap head spins around, spontaneously urinates and spits split pea soup at you. If that happens, call me

Ray Wohlfarth_2

Flooded condensate line

Brad
It is the drip trap for the end of the steam main. It is for one area of the apartment building Now the client told me that the entire steam header was flooded. I will put the priest on hold for now. Thanks for all your help
Ray

Brad White_48

Ray

Keep me posted on this one- very curious what you find. I am suspecting the trap...

Other perhaps random thoughts- might it be a vacuum system? Is the trap vented? What happens if you bypass the trap? And what size is the trap? If a large main and collector and a small drip trap it may not keep up with large slugs... But do keep me posted, please.

Thanks

Brad