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Your opinion on the boiler piping.

Hello everybody
I am planning to re pipe my steam boiler sometime this summer and would like to have an opinion of many great minds on this site. What's your opinion on the piping of this Burnham boiler? The video is attached:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9TS2n67jkc

Comments

  • Paul S_3
    Paul S_3 Member Posts: 1,261
    edited May 2016
    If you would like to re-pipe it....i recommend a drop header using both tappings on the boiler . The tappings on that boiler are 2 inch. I personally use nothing smaller than 3 inch on all steam boilers i install. I do not see the skim port piped on the side of the boiler. That should be installed. How does your system heat though? Evenly? Maybe try to increase your steam main vents....add a few Gorton #2's. did they do an EDR calc? probably not boiler may be oversized and short cycle
    ASM Mechanical Company
    Located in Staten Island NY
    Servicing all 5 boroughs of NYC.
    347-692-4777
    ASMMECHANICALCORP@GMAIL.COM
    ASMHVACNYC.COM
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/asm-mechanical-company
  • RomanGK_26986764589
    RomanGK_26986764589 Member Posts: 229
    Currently I am getting quotes from contractors and that was the video of their install. I should have budget for that by mid summer. My house heats up evenly and 80 foot main heats up in about 4 min. I don't have any water hammer. It just bugs me that currently my Weil MC Lain EG 40 has an undersized 2" header. I'd love to use full tapping and a tall 3 inch riser. Do you think utilizing both tappings and a drop header an overkill for EG 40 Weil McLain? I'm a home owner and not a pro so I don't know much.
  • Paul S_3
    Paul S_3 Member Posts: 1,261
    edited May 2016
    No its not overkill.....like i said i use 3 in at the minimum with both tappings...its not that much harder for a contractor to do that...the contractor in the video didnt install a skim tapping thats standard on a steam install.....where are you located? Where in new england....have you use the find a contractor feature on this website?
    ASM Mechanical Company
    Located in Staten Island NY
    Servicing all 5 boroughs of NYC.
    347-692-4777
    ASMMECHANICALCORP@GMAIL.COM
    ASMHVACNYC.COM
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/asm-mechanical-company
  • GW
    GW Member Posts: 4,691
    "You have no business touching that", he's very direct!
    Gary Wilson
    Wilson Services, Inc
    Northampton, MA
    gary@wilsonph.com
    Paul S_3RomanGK_26986764589
  • RomanGK_26986764589
    RomanGK_26986764589 Member Posts: 229
    I wonder why does the Weil McLain manual say to remove the skim port after skimming and plug the tapping if it is so important?? I am in NJ. I did use the find a contractor feature. There are few pros available in NJ and NY area and I'll give them a call when I have a budget that is.
    EzzyT
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    RomanGK_269867645894Johnpipe
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583

    I wonder why does the Weil McLain manual say to remove the skim port after skimming and plug the tapping if it is so important?? I am in NJ. I did use the find a contractor feature. There are few pros available in NJ and NY area and I'll give them a call when I have a budget that is.

    There's nothing to wonder.
    It's cheaper to do this than install a valve, or even a short nipple and a coupler etc.

    I had a valve, but it failed so I installed a nice brass coupler with a brass plug that I can remove and skim whenever I need to.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
    Paul S_3
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,294
    @RomanGK_26986764589
    Send me a private and we'll talk about the situation you have going on
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
    Dave0176
  • Dave0176
    Dave0176 Member Posts: 1,177
    I'm always late to the party, ohh well
    DL Mechanical LLC Heating, Cooling and Plumbing 732-266-5386
    NJ Master HVACR Lic# 4630
    Specializing in Steam Heating, Serving the residents of New Jersey
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/dl-mechanical-llc

    https://m.facebook.com/DL-Mechanical-LLC-315309995326627/?ref=content_filter

    I cannot force people to spend money, I can only suggest how to spend it wisely.......
  • Jason_13
    Jason_13 Member Posts: 304
    Why do you want to re-pipe it?
  • RomanGK_26986764589
    RomanGK_26986764589 Member Posts: 229
    Jason, I have an abomination instead of a proper piping. A picture is worth a thousand words.
  • Paul S_3
    Paul S_3 Member Posts: 1,261
    @RomanGK_26986764589 ....how long ago was this installed?
    ASM Mechanical Company
    Located in Staten Island NY
    Servicing all 5 boroughs of NYC.
    347-692-4777
    ASMMECHANICALCORP@GMAIL.COM
    ASMHVACNYC.COM
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/asm-mechanical-company
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    All kinds of room to do it right. The installer must have had a boatload of fittings he wanted to use up.

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    BobC said:

    All kinds of room to do it right. The installer must have had a boatload of fittings he wanted to use up.

    Bob

    The installer doesn't look like had knew what he was doing to me.

    It's completely wrong. :(
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
    jonny88
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    You toucha the valve I breaka you face.
  • GreenGene
    GreenGene Member Posts: 290
    My god, outside of the piping being abstract I hate dry base boilers, it's 2016, not 1916.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    GreenGene said:

    My god, outside of the piping being abstract I hate dry base boilers, it's 2016, not 1916.

    Not sure what you mean?
    1916 had plenty of triple pass steamers I believe as well as other quality designs.

    Aren't pin boilers a recent invention, 1950s or 60s?
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • RomanGK_26986764589
    RomanGK_26986764589 Member Posts: 229
    Paul S, It was installed in May of 2007. I bought the house in 2015. I had a plumber redo the wet returns this past fall since it featured a double Hartford loop too. :s
  • Paul S_3
    Paul S_3 Member Posts: 1,261
    edited May 2016
    @RomanGK_26986764589 you mean dry returns?...I do not see any wet returns unless I'm missing something. Did they abandon wet returns and ran new dry returns? piping for dry returns looks kinda old.
    ASM Mechanical Company
    Located in Staten Island NY
    Servicing all 5 boroughs of NYC.
    347-692-4777
    ASMMECHANICALCORP@GMAIL.COM
    ASMHVACNYC.COM
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/asm-mechanical-company
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Completely wrong, as ChrisJ said. The piping diagram is right there in the manual, but that assumes the installers know how to read.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    Paul S_3SWEI
  • RomanGK_26986764589
    RomanGK_26986764589 Member Posts: 229
    Paul S, they removed the second Hartford loop and added a valve so I could flush the mud leg.
  • Paul S_3
    Paul S_3 Member Posts: 1,261
    I believe the mud leg is in the boiler there are no valves there ....they should be installed as well as a king valve to help bring the boiler pressure up easier and faster
    ASM Mechanical Company
    Located in Staten Island NY
    Servicing all 5 boroughs of NYC.
    347-692-4777
    ASMMECHANICALCORP@GMAIL.COM
    ASMHVACNYC.COM
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/asm-mechanical-company
  • RomanGK_26986764589
    RomanGK_26986764589 Member Posts: 229
    I should've probably updated that awhile ago. EzzyT came and re piped my boiler and it looks awesome now! He also returned and did a combustion test after I had my chimney sweep done. Here are the numbers:
    Testo 320
    273.7 F temp stack
    11.1% Oxygen
    4ppm CO
    9ppm CO Air free
    83.9 Eff. Gross
    100.3% Excess air
    5.50% CO2

    What do you guys think of the numbers? I just wanted to compare what others have. Are my numbers acceptable?