\"Steam system with eveything, please !\" photos

RonWHC

That looks like a Weil 72. A tall boiler w/ what is probably a higher water line than what it replaced. Then it was probably raised even higher to accommodate the Everhot Heater.

The header is too low & the system takeoff is in the wrong place. Bet wet steam is a constant problem.

The 3" switch box for the pump dates the pump to the approx time of boiler replacement. The tee on the equalizer is interesting. Wonder if someone tried to bring some returns thru a Hartford Loop & the pump discharge thru the other tee port? Or tried to eliminate the pump & it didn't work?

The modifications suggested may work. However wet steam will remain a problem, unless you can increase the distance between the boiler water line & header, keeping in mind the return heights. New boiler?

P.S. If you get a vaporstat, buy several. MH discontinues the mercury switch 408 & 608 controls 3/31/06.

ScottMP

huh ?

I looked at this job and am offering options as to what can be done. I went down the see the system and got confused. We do steam and every one in awhile you really have to stop and scratch your head to figure out what the deadman did. I think this guy worked for the dept. of redundancy, redundancy Dept.

After e-mailing Dan I brought in George Carey from FIA. He confirmed I wasn't crazy ( well on this job ) and that there were a few extra vents here. There are small main vents, crossover traps and F&T traps for a dry return since there is a condesate pump.

We also think there might have been a Hartford loop at one point, maybe ?

Any ideas from Steamhead, Noel or any others.

Scott

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ScottMP

The radiators

Have return traps AND vari-vents.

??



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ScottMP

And the boiler

Might have been a hartford loop off the back, maybe not. Might have had the condensate trap from the begining. Some nice old valves.

This is a beautifull old home and needs to TLC for the system. Maybe even .....

Scott

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Unknown

Hoffman \"Controlled Heat\" equipment

See page 93 in Lost Art Companion (page 231 in Lost Art)

Then look at the middle picture on page 97. I'll bet that "late model" coal boiler had a Hoffman Differential loop on it.

You don't need a new loop, but you do need a vaporstat to run the thing below the pressure the loop was designed to dump at.

Then all of those air vents, F&T traps, tank and pump can go. There's no need for them.

I'll bet the pump & tank, burner, F&T traps, and air vents all went in the same time the pressuretrol was installed.

Noel

ScottMP

I wish I knew how to re-size them

My older computer would let me size them before I saved them.
Now I save them and they are huge.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Scott

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ScottMP

Noel

E-mail directly, would you please !

I don't have oyur home address.

Thanks Pal

Scott

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Steamhead (in transit)

One problem I see right away

is the dry returns appear to have F&T traps on them. Look at the photo where the four pipes all drop into the formerly wet return, and you'll see what I mean.

Don't forget, the radiator traps have the job of keeping the steam out of the dry return, so there is no need for an F&T to keep steam from reaching the pump receiver. So that kind of "series trapping" will hold up condensate in the dry return- the same as it would if a master trap was installed at the receiver inlet. This would screw up the air venting also if water had trouble leaving the dry return.

Since the dry returns pitch down toward the end of the system, and drip right next to the steam mains, I think Noel is right- this system had a Differential Loop at one time. In most installations the Loop was placed at the high point of the dry return, so the dry return would pitch down from the boiler to the end of the system. I've never seen any other Vapor system installed this way.

Get rid of the pump, radiator vents and F&T traps, drip everything into a wet return, vent the heck out of the steam mains and dry returns. If, after doing all this, steam enters the dry return, you have radiator traps that have failed open. Fix the traps to solve this problem. If radiators don't heat, their traps have failed closed. Fix them. Then watch how well it works.

If you're replacing the boiler, try to duplicate the water line. If you can't do this, lower the wet return so all drips come together below the water line. This will keep steam from jumping from the steam mains thru the drips into the dry return.

George Carey

Rockport

Scott,

Any of this sound familiar???

ScottMP

Yes

Yes it does You had mentioned the differential loop.

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