Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Sweating for our Money

Steamhead
Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
It's been close to 100° in Baltimore this week, and of course we had a steam boiler to replace.



This was a small late-1960s or early 1970s Bryant in a 2-story rowhouse, with very narrow sections and the usual lousy near-boiler piping we always find on these units. It had rotted out above the waterline. We found all the radiator valve packing nuts loose- a now-familiar situation.
All Steamed Up, Inc.
Towson, MD, USA
Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
Oil & Gas Burner Service
Consulting

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Had to pace ourselves due to the hot weather

    We ended up installing a Weil-McLain atmospheric, but with proper near-boiler piping and new main vents, this system will run much better.



    It got HOT in this house when we fired the boiler up to test it! When the Dead Men installed one of these systems in the summer, they had to keep the house hot for 8 hours to prove system operation. We have it a bit easier now.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,785
    A thing of Beauty

    Steamhead, as always, your installations are a thing of beauty.  Thank you for posting!
    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
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Don't forget Gordo

    wouldn't have happened without him.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • A tip

    you may already know.  The eg/egh boilers tend to develop cracks at the top of the legs due to legs flexing as the boilers expand and contract.  A few metal shims under the legs to allow the legs to move will probably improve the rather short life of these boilers.  Of course the little unit you've got there probably won't see much of this stress.
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

    Chicago's Steam Heating Expert





    Noisy Radiators are a Cry for Help
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    I think you mean

    A couple of thin sheet metal shims which permit horizontal movement of the feet?



    Would this apply to all sectional boilers?



    thanks...
  • Charlie from wmass
    Charlie from wmass Member Posts: 4,318
    Looks MUCH better

    I am sure they will be thrilled come January. It is nice to have the luxury of not needing to rush to get the heat back on once in a while.
    Cost is what you spend , value is what you get.

    cell # 413-841-6726
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/charles-garrity-plumbing-and-heating
  • All the ones with cast in legs on teh end sections

    The models that sit on a combustion chamber box can move around a little easier.  This is probably why I see the cheap little Weil McLain CG boilers greatly outlast the EG units.  I haven't seen this problem with the Peerless 61, 62, 63, 64 series, though there are not as many out there.
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

    Chicago's Steam Heating Expert





    Noisy Radiators are a Cry for Help
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Thanks, Dave

    Good to know.
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    Thank You All For Your Comments

    As with all of our installlations, a proper sightglass blowdown valve is added for testing and cleaning.

    Also, the brass-coated steel sightglass gasket washers are replaced with proper brass washers.

    The return piping into the boiler is a cast iron tee and the nipple is sch. 80/extra heavy to tolerate the corrosion in that area.

    The "boiler drain" as supplied is scrapped and replaced with a full-port valve.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,785
    edited July 2013
    Another example

    Dave, you bring up a very interesting point.  I noticed that Weil-McLain's images of their 80 series boilers all show that the sections are resting on a piece of angle iron, one piece under the toes on each side of the boiler.  However, we could find no requirement for this, or even a suggestion in the Installation Manual.  I went and bought some angle iron anyway and handed them to the installer.  They greatly appreciated the way that it made sliding the sections together much easier as they were assembling the block.  If it made that process easier one can only assume that it will benefit the section's ability to move as the block expands and contracts.

    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
  • That's interesting

    There seem to be some other things missing from their manuals....like the requirement for threaded fittings on the header.  It is shown in the diagrams, but never called out.
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

    Chicago's Steam Heating Expert





    Noisy Radiators are a Cry for Help
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    edited July 2013
    I Think Very Few Boiler Manufacturers

    Spell out IN WRITING threaded sch. 40 pipe for their steam boilers.

    They are very coy about it, at the very least.  

     
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Peerless makes it quite clear

    but I know what you mean.   It's the race to the bottom installers.
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

    Chicago's Steam Heating Expert





    Noisy Radiators are a Cry for Help
  • jonny88
    jonny88 Member Posts: 1,139
    return piping

    did you have to make any allowances for the height of t he return piping.
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    Height of Return Piping

    We didn't have to make any major allowances for the height the return piping.  It was coming in below the min. water level so we could keep it a wet return, slope it and drain it properly and have few issues returning through the Hartford loop.

    Thank you for your question and happy steaming!
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    edited August 2013
    Peerless

    Makes a considerable effort to enlighten their installer customers as to proper boiler near boiler piping.  They have no reps or stocking distributors in Maryland, unfortunately.



    Their excellent "The Color of Steam" books come to mind. 



    Weil-McClain and their boiler-on-wheels piped in glass is another example which must be mentioned.



    Burnham and their little (free) heating booklet does a reasonable job of getting info to their installers.



    By contrast, Smith doesn't appear to give a hoot.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    Burnham

    ON their V9 series boilers offers pre-cut channel steel riders (as an extra) for making installation easier.  And it's in their manual.

    It most certainly does work.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
This discussion has been closed.