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one tapping drop header question

DougP
DougP Member Posts: 13
Original installer (2008) didn't place the header high enough, cannot get them to now. Unsure as to why they went for a single tapping (17 radiators 5 floors single pipe). Would like to to have a drop header retrofitted, with 26 inches from the top of the jacket to the ceiling is this possible ? If so will this header ( brought up to 3 " from 2" ) be able to reattach to the existing 2 mains and equalizer ? or will all "near piping" need to get re piped ?

Comments

  • leonz
    leonz Member Posts: 1,096
    edited September 2018
    Since its been ten years I would just hire another steam plumber from the find a plumber section here on the forum.

    If you could would you mind posting more pictures of the basement steam runs for everyone to look at? Please strip the insulation away and take more pictures of that insulation as it would give the expert steam plumbers here a much better look at the piping.

    As lay person I want to know why they did not use both steam chest tapping's to make two drop headers to allow faster dry steam delivery to the five floors at a lower more stable rate of dry steam production and allow any condensate to return to the water line with little to no resistance.

    As a novice homeowner and scratching my head asks why they would not and did not use use both steam chest tapping's to make more dry steam more quickly for you.

    They probably do not want to come back as they would not want to admit they made a mistake in fitting the boiler.

    If they do not want to come back I would not depend on them for a service call either if they have that attitude.

    Please check the find a plumber section here on the forum to find a steam plumber/wizard that can help you locally with this as they can tell you right away if your desired piping for the drop header or headers can work properly.









  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    Leonz, the reason for the single short riser was the profit line for the low ball bidder. They just don't know. They haven't been sued for this install within 10 years so figure they did things correctly.

    DougP , it might be challenging to get the other plug out.
    If you go for this be sure to get a skimming tap/port installed.
    DougP
  • leonz
    leonz Member Posts: 1,096
    JUGHNE said:

    Leonz, the reason for the single short riser was the profit line for the low ball bidder. They just don't know. They haven't been sued for this install within 10 years so figure they did things correctly.

    (I agree with you on the above JUGNE).

    ======================================================

    DougP , it might be challenging to get the other plug out.
    If you go for this be sure to get a skimming tap/port installed.

    ======================================================
    (I bet that if he pulls the top covers and the insulation off the steam chest and lays a block of dry ice on the unused steam chest plug covering it with a thick towel to hold the chill in and it will not put up much of a fight-this works on stuck flail mower rotor bearings very well by shrinking the flail mower rotor shaft stub that passes through the flange bearing).
    The one worry I would have is if the pipe wrench ends up breaking the plug off and then you could use a large easy out or flat cold chisel to remove the chilled portion that remains.

    I would do the above before I used a rosebud torch and oxygen acetylene gas mix to heat the top of the steam chest to get it to expand and loosen the rusts grip on the female threads in the steam chest and the male threads on the pipe plug in the steam chest. It would make the disassembly of the piping much faster though.



    DougP
  • DougP
    DougP Member Posts: 13
    thanks for your knowledgeable advice, Ive worked my way down the "find a contractor" list on the site for boston and am still waiting to hear back, however this seems like a tough sell, will try to expand the search radius H

    ere ive taken back some of that insulation, looks like the single taping is 2.5 inch, that same diameter becomes the supply to the front and back legs.
  • DougP
    DougP Member Posts: 13
    one run goes to the back of the bldg, 5 floors bed & bath rooms you can see the condensate return

    here to bedroom, bath (out of view)
    the other run goes to the street side rooms w a couple radiators in the hall, and another few in small kitchens

    4th pic is uninsulated pipe, should be,
    I am in the basement have no front room radiator

  • Canucker
    Canucker Member Posts: 722
    Is that A Burnham Independence model? If it is, it's piped awfully close to the required minimum as per their instructions. That might be why they're not coming back to "fix" it. It seems a little sketchy on the proper height above the water line, hard to tell. Burnham requires 24", I believe
    You can have it good, fast or cheap. Pick two
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    edited September 2018
    It seems to me that the easiest fix would be if you could take the mains loose, at those couplings and the gas line loose and slide the entire boiler to the right about a foot to 18 inches, you could go up higher and then drop back down (Drop Header) to the current level That way you can use both risers out of the boiler and then reconnect to the mains without having to modify the mains. Add an extension to the gas line and to the Flue to compensate for moving the boiler. If it were me, and I had it all loose, I would take the reducing bushing out of that right main and connect with a Tee in the new header that matches the size of that main. I would also use a header that is at least one size larger than the risers, out of the boiler.
    DougP
  • gfrbrookline
    gfrbrookline Member Posts: 753
    I have had great luck with New England Steam Works and am in Brookline. Ryan really knows his stuff.
    DougP