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A boiler location question, and Thanksgiving greetings

TRob
TRob Member Posts: 20
I inspected a 100 yr old residence and am giving advice on replacing the very old "snowman" oil fired boiler.I am an engineer not an installer.

For some reason it was located near the center of the basement with a long, at least 10 ft long, smoke pipe. I assume that a more efficient atmospheric gas boiler will be questioinable with that long flue pipe.  Would it be possible to extenend the two main supply steam lines for a better location near the chimney? It is probable that the extended main lines would need to be pitched down to drain back to the new boiler.  Also, the ceilings are reasonably high so a dropped header should be possible for dryer steam. Is this a working plan?

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    edited November 2012
    That depends

    on how the radiator takeoffs are arranged. If they're all toward the ends of the main, you should be OK as long as you vent the heck out of the longer main. If there are some takeoffs in the middle of the house, you'll have to repipe them into the new main configuration, making sure the newly configured long main can handle the added radiation.



    Oh, and an atmospheric gas boiler would be more efficient than a snowman, but a wet-base power-burner boiler would be even better.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • TRob
    TRob Member Posts: 20
    Photo of this snowman

    An old timer, for sure.
  • TomM
    TomM Posts: 233
    holy cow.

    awesome!
    beautiful Conshohocken PA
  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,785
    My choice would be

    I'd leave the boiler in its present location.  Piping for steam is probably more sensative and difficult than smoke pipe.  Even an atmospheric could probably be vented 10' away as long as the slope of the vent pipe was adequate.  Better yet, Much Better, follow Steamhead's advice and go for a power burner gas model, then no problem at all, and also the best efficiencies that you can get too.
    Dave in Quad Cities, America
    Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
    System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
    Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
    http://grandviewdavenport.com
  • Henry
    Henry Member Posts: 998
    Asbestos?

    Is that asbestos? Here, it will cost around $20K to remove it!
  • Enreynolds
    Enreynolds Member Posts: 119
    I believe

    that is an "Asbestos-Like" material, unless definitively tested to be asbestos.  Please do be careful not to do anything that will raise dust from the insulation.

    Eric
This discussion has been closed.