Need steam professional

William Faust

... for my 1905 Center City, Philadelphia residence. It is 43' x 53' and four stories. Its original heating system's two coal burning furnaces were converted to fuel oil in 1927. They were replaced after 1947 by a two-pipe steam system with a boiler (fuel oil) of unknown make. We presume that it was first a gravity system.

The existing boiler is a 7 yr. old Weil McLain LGB-6 that was installed for our home's prior owner. It uses a Bell & Gossett ITT condensate unit which we believe has too little capacity. The contractor (a plumber) instead should have installed a boiler feeder or tried to go with gravity again. The steam mains have F&T traps. There were originally 43 radiators. All but four of these rads are convectors by Trane and Nesbitt.

Our issues are as follows:

1. Our jet pump died and needs to be replaced unless we can successfully modify the system to go with gravity.

2. We want to move our boiler approx. 4' to 6'. This is related to future renovation.

3. Also pursuant to renovation, we want to reconfigure (the correct way) steam mains so that they are not in the renovated area / not visible. All pipe is easily accessed with lots of room to work.

4. Near boiler plumbing is incorrect. The cast line is in the wrong place, welded steel header, etc.

5. The boiler was set at 4 lbs. cut-in, 4.5 lbs. cut-out. I used Holohan's reverse math to calculate original pressure and it was less than 1/2 lb. So we should have Vaporstats rather than Pressuretrols. The existing Pressuretrols have no pigtails.

6. The glass sight-tube water line bounces up and down during firing.

7. We have two rads that do not heat up, presumably bad steam traps on the same ladder.

Ken_40

Sir,

You must avail yourself of the "Find a Professional" button, located at the very top of the webpage we are on now!

Plug in the zip for your part of Philly, and look for the guys that know steam.

If all else fails, the true wizard of steam isn't THAT far. He's in Baltimore, about an hour ride (the way he drives). Name? Frank "Steamhead" Wilsey.

Steamhead (in transit)

Bill

check your e-mail.

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