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counterflow question

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mikel0211
mikel0211 Member Posts: 13
in Strictly Steam
If you pipe a new boiler to a one pipe counterflow system how crucial is it to pipe into the top of the steam main to feed system with steam and have condensate return properly in same pipe.

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  • crash2009
    crash2009 Member Posts: 1,484
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    The only counterflows

     I have seen, have been here at heatinghelp.  They usually drip them down to return in the other end of the boiler. 
  • Brad White
    Brad White Member Posts: 2,398
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    Think like steam

    The vapor wants the easy way out and water always takes the low road. See the photo that Crash posted. The 45's are an ideal way to allow the vapor out and the condensate back.



    Were the branches 90 degree elbows, they would still work but there would be a tendency to have the condensate rim around the elbow and fight the steam a bit as it tries to enter.   By contrast, the 45 eases the steam out and lays the condensate gently into the bottom of the main.
    "If you do not know the answer, say, "I do not know the answer", and you will be correct!"



    -Ernie White, my Dad
  • Paul Fredricks_3
    Paul Fredricks_3 Member Posts: 1,557
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    .

    In the picture the steam raiser doesn't go in the top of the main. This will work. We did one in a similar way last year and it worked fine. Just make sure to have the same size TEE pointing down, as in the pic, to get that condensate to drop to the bottom of the boiler and not skip over it and down the riser. Better yet, oversize the tee!
  • mikel0211
    mikel0211 Member Posts: 13
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    counterflow

    thanks for the help guys. had trouble with autofeeder over filling. disconected it and no troubles over filling or adding water much either. new boiler and tried skimming.my piping is like drawing. is condensate coming back to slow.i dont know why but runs good with auto feeder off.seems to me that it takes it sweet time to come back to boiler. no banging pipes or surging.
  • mikel0211
    mikel0211 Member Posts: 13
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    counterflow

    thanks for the help guys. had trouble with autofeeder over filling. disconected it and no troubles over filling or adding water much either. new boiler and tried skimming.my piping is like drawing. is condensate coming back to slow.i dont know why but runs good with auto feeder off.seems to me that it takes it sweet time to come back to boiler. no banging pipes or surging.
  • Paul Fredricks_3
    Paul Fredricks_3 Member Posts: 1,557
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    Counterflow

    These systems can be very tricky. we had one a couple of years ago that was doing all kinds of strange things. Finally figured out that it was over sized. We dropped the firing rate way down and slowed the venting on the radiators which helped to stabilize the water line, helped the condensate to come back, and helped the heating in general.
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