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Steam boiler repiping (photos)

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JStar
JStar Posts: 2,752
in Strictly Steam
I was initially contacted with complaints of water hammer, spitting vents, and uneven heating. After fixing the near boiler piping by adding a second boiler riser and a 3" drop header, all water hammer noises have been resolved.

The 10-20ft mains get hot within 3 minutes of making steam at the header, and the shorter main doesn't even have a main vent.

At startup, the boiler was producing over 5,000ppm CO, which we adjusted to below 100. No job is complete without a combustion analysis! Test it, or don't run it.

Our next follow up is to address a cold radiator and possibly some additional balancing.

Burnham 406B
Hap_HazzardDouble DChrisJ

Comments

  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Posts: 2,929
    Nice job!
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • Chris_L
    Chris_L Posts: 354
    @JStar Looks great. That boiler caught my eye since I've got a couple of them but smaller.

    Do you know how old that boiler is? I don't know when Burnham stopped making the "4B" but mine are over 30 years old, and I figure they are on their last legs. Did you consider doing a complete replacement?

    I am hoping, of course, they are long-lived. And while I don't have any water hammer, I do get kettling when the boilers start up, which I really don't like since I can feel the popping in the boiler risers before they get hot. (That's largely why I wonder how much time they have left.)
  • Fred
    Fred Posts: 8,542
    @Chris_L , I've got a 4B also, a larger one (411B). It's 36 years old and going like the day it was installed. There are no guarantees but I think I'll likely get 40+ years out of this thing. They are built like tanks. I think they stopped making them around 1990, give or take a year.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Posts: 18,830
    Looks like when that 406B needs replacement, the header configuration won't need more than very slight modification to be used with the replacement boiler. Nice work!

    Co-Founder, All Steamed Up, Inc.

    Baltimore, MD, USA

  • JStar
    JStar Posts: 2,752
    Folks can be hesitant to make repairs to an older boiler, but the fact that the new piping can be used for any new boiler eases those worries. Sometimes replacement isn't possible right away, but we still need to be comfortable today.
    ethicalpaul
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Posts: 20,934
    Keeping the new header "away" from the boiler and having some swing joints and unions makes installing a new boiler a lot easier when the time comes
  • mannidedr
    mannidedr Posts: 1
    I’m the owner of the boiler in the photos. Recently moved in over the summer and found out quick that my boiler was piped wrong. Got a hold of @JStar and he did a wonderful job. Highly recommended to anyone with steam heating.
    ethicalpaul
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Posts: 1,380
    @JStar beautiful Repipe job.
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Posts: 18,830
    JStar, are you going to get back on Find a Contractor?

    Co-Founder, All Steamed Up, Inc.

    Baltimore, MD, USA

  • JStar
    JStar Posts: 2,752
    Maybe at some point. I'm not actively looking for side work, but I'll take it when someone finds me.

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