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New Boiler install (edit) passed inspection :)

24

Comments

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    Yep you answered my question @JohnNY, thank you again.

    The reason it might get interesting is at my house the town water goes to zero or negative pressure occasionally. 

    I’ll have to see how much vents out in practice 
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,168
    The joker in the deck, @ethicalpaul , is that "if the city water pressure is holding it closed" bit. It may not ever happen in your neighbourhood, and I hope it doesn't, but either a water main break or a fire much bigger than a barbecue can pull the mains water pressure to well below atmospheric. This is why the BFP (or, in some applications, an air gap) is required.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    Thanks @Jamie Hall

    No one seems to hear me say this but at my house in fact, the city pressure DOES drop to zero and below all too often. There’s some issue with the pumps is all I can imagine.

    But I still don’t see how having a valve on each side would let anything go into the water supply. When I open the valves the city pressure is applied to the BFP just like how I have it now with only a downstream valve :shrug:
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    There are some that feel it's unsafe to have a valve on the outlet of a water heater.

    And yet, guess what's at the end of the pipe at each fixture and machine that uses hot water? 


    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
    JohnNYethicalpaulMaxMercyCanucker
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226
    ChrisJ said:

    There are some that feel it's unsafe to have a valve on the outlet of a water heater.

    And yet, guess what's at the end of the pipe at each fixture and machine that uses hot water? 


    It's illegal to double trap a fixture (drain passing through 2 traps) in New York. Yet we have traps on the building drains before exiting the foundation effectively double trapping every single fixture in the building.
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
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    ChrisJethicalpaulIntplm.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    JohnNY said:

    ChrisJ said:

    There are some that feel it's unsafe to have a valve on the outlet of a water heater.

    And yet, guess what's at the end of the pipe at each fixture and machine that uses hot water? 


    It's illegal to double trap a fixture (drain passing through 2 traps) in New York. Yet we have traps on the building drains before exiting the foundation effectively double trapping every single fixture in the building.

    What was the reason behind double trapping being illegal?
    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
  • jumper
    jumper Member Posts: 2,228
    Building traps were supposed to keep sewer rats out? Nowadays they're frowned upon because they clog? How many building traps are/were vented?
  • Gsmith
    Gsmith Member Posts: 431
    Isn’t the building side of a building trap vented through the main building stack vent? And, the sewer side is sort of vented by the sewer system itself which in most cases, especially in older cities, was not a particularly tight piping system, often with vented manhole covers. I know they have been tightened up to prevent infiltration into the sewer system in recent years but when the building traps were installed I believe the sewer systems were pretty leaky from a gas standpoint
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,273
    Well then... What's going to be needed to make your boiler install pass inspection? o:)

    Yours, Larry
    ethicalpaul
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    edited December 2020
    So far I'm not getting a lot of cooperation from Peerless. I was advised by them to find a contractor to contact them about this topic. They don't like to talk to homeowners and I knew that going in.

    Any volunteers, especially from New Jersey, who would like to see if they can get a statement from Peerless that drop header designs are acceptable for low headroom situations, or to deliver very dry steam? It could be useful to you if you run across this issue on any of your installs.

    The person who emailed me from Peerless did mention those two reasons for using a drop header, so they are definitely aware of the topic. But they said Peerless has no documents stating such currently.

    I have their support phone number and email address if anyone needs it.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    So far I'm not getting a lot of cooperation from Peerless. I was advised by them to find a contractor to contact them about this topic. They don't like to talk to homeowners and I knew that going in. Any volunteers, especially from New Jersey, who would like to see if they can get a statement from Peerless that drop header designs are acceptable for low headroom situations, or to deliver very dry steam? It could be useful to you if you run across this issue on any of your installs. The person who emailed me from Peerless did mention those two reasons for using a drop header, so they are definitely aware of the topic. But they said Peerless has no documents stating such currently. I have their support phone number and email address if anyone needs it.

    So, you have an email from Peerless saying the reasons for using a drop header?  Is there a company signature on it?


    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
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226


    Any volunteers, especially from New Jersey,

    I can make a call to their reps at Advanced Hydronics tomorrow and see if they'll send me something.
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
    ratioethicalpaulPrecaudIntplm.
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    I would be further in your debt, @JohnNY. Thank you for the offer to help.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    edited December 2020
    So, you have an email from Peerless saying the reasons for using a drop header? Is there a company signature on it?


    It's not really worded in a helpful way. I'll quote it here, I don't think I'm violating any expectation of privacy on their part. I had explained to their support form that the inspector didn't like my water seal nor my drop header. Note that I have since taken off my water seal and put the pigtail back.

    Hello -
    A pig tail is a water seal; they are one in the same. A Drop Header is typically used because of lack of head room or to create a drier steam delivery to the system.

    If the inspector is questioning it :

    A ) He is seeing something wrong.
    B ) He doesn’t understand what he is looking at.
    In both cases you will need to discus with the inspector what the problem is.

    We cannot provide written clarification as these are system designs initiated by a heating contractor.

    Thank you,
    PB Heat
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    It is rather amazing that we see so many hacked up NBP schemes on the wall here, that the local inspector signed off on, (if inspected at all) and then the drop headers are questioned.
    MaxMercyethicalpaulSuperTechIntplm.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    @JUGHNE

    That's payback for doing things right :):):):)
    ethicalpaulmattmia2Intplm.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,168
    To go back to the slight derailment up there... on the hot water, it is indeed bad practice to have a shut off valve on the outlet of a water heater -- unless there is either an expansion tank on either that line of the heater or somewhere on the system, or there is free access (no check valve, no BFP) on the house main.

    Right. Actually, so long as the relief valve on the water heater functions properly, no problem.

    The house trap was, I believe, an effort to keep sewer gas out of the house, on the not insane theory that there may be traps in the house which are dry -- particularly floor drains. Some years ago I did some smoke testing on a city sewer, and it was surprising how many of those we found (no house traps in that town!). If done properly, the house side was vented through the stack, but sometimes there was a vent through the outside wall right at the trap -- a small grille in the foundation or just above it.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    I will throw this out there just for fun.

    Does this plumbing inspector have jurisdiction over the heating side of things?

    In MA. with a gas fired boiler the plumbing inspector only has jurisdiction over 3 things:

    Gas piping
    City water make up (only up to the BFP)
    Chimney and or venting

    They have no jurisdiction over heating piping weather hot water or steam. He stops at the BFP

    As far as I am aware the definition of plumbing is drain, waste, vents and city (or well) water piping

    Most inspector I have delt with are pretty good but some go in with an attitude that there going to find something wrong......especially if it's a homeowner permit
    ethicalpaulIntplm.
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    That’s a great question @EBEBRATT-Ed. I may have to find that out. It makes sense.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
    Intplm.
  • Dave0176
    Dave0176 Member Posts: 1,177
    Unfortunately in New Jersey, township inspectors tend to be on the hard side to homeowners doing their own work especially those doing plumbing HVAC and electrical. Remember these individuals inspect a lot of jobs and when they see a homeowner did the work they automatically enter with a different mindset with the notion you probably did something wrong, not to say you did Paul but mostly it’s the nature of the beast.
    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.......
    ethicalpaulCanuckerIntplm.
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,575

    I will throw this out there just for fun.

    Does this plumbing inspector have jurisdiction over the heating side of things?

    In MA. with a gas fired boiler the plumbing inspector only has jurisdiction over 3 things:

    Gas piping
    City water make up (only up to the BFP)
    Chimney and or venting

    They have no jurisdiction over heating piping weather hot water or steam. He stops at the BFP

    As far as I am aware the definition of plumbing is drain, waste, vents and city (or well) water piping

    Most inspector I have delt with are pretty good but some go in with an attitude that there going to find something wrong......especially if it's a homeowner permit

    I'm not sure this would help, this is kind of in the poking the bear category.

    Did you look in the commercial boiler code to see if they have a drop header diagram in there?
    ethicalpaul
  • ttekushan_3
    ttekushan_3 Member Posts: 958
    If I recall correctly @gerry gill got special dispensation -in writing- from Peerless for this drop header installation. From Gerry’s website:

    https://www.gwgillplumbingandheating.com/webapp/p/654/lakewood-steam-boiler-replacement

    the photos may be used in evidence I suppose. 
    terry
    ethicalpaul
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    edited December 2020
    Thanks, Dave, I think that is playing a role here. If only I had that piece of paper on me with the flue reducer. I feel like when he saw that reducer he thought he was dealing with a liar

    @mattmia2 I agree with you about the bear—that will be one of my last ditch efforts. Basically the point where I say “I guess I’ll have to be given the violation because I think I’ve installed it beyond manufacture recommendations”. 

    I haven’t looked in the commercial code, no.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
    Intplm.
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226
    I sent an email to Advanced Hydronics, the rep in our area, about this. Let's see what they come up. They're good steam guys.
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
    ethicalpaulmattmia2Intplm.
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226
    Are you ready for this?

    The rep referred me to Peerless technical directly.
    I just got off the phone with Peerless and the official word from Tech Support is that they "Do not recommend drop headers", therefore, no such documentation showing their approval exists nor will any be forthcoming.

    Sorry, Paul.
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
    ethicalpaulIntplm.
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    JohnNY said:

    Are you ready for this?

    The rep referred me to Peerless technical directly.
    I just got off the phone with Peerless and the official word from Tech Support is that they "Do not recommend drop headers", therefore, no such documentation showing their approval exists nor will any be forthcoming.

    Sorry, Paul.

    I so appreciate your effort here, @JohnNY, it means a lot.

    I'd love to know why they don't recommend them, but it will remain a mystery I think.

    I did get their tech support to tell me in an email that drop headers will NOT void their warranty so I'm hoping I can show that to the inspector and he will allow it.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
    CLamb
  • STEAM DOCTOR
    STEAM DOCTOR Member Posts: 1,953
    JohnNY said:
    Are you ready for this? The rep referred me to Peerless technical directly. I just got off the phone with Peerless and the official word from Tech Support is that they "Do not recommend drop headers", therefore, no such documentation showing their approval exists nor will any be forthcoming. Sorry, Paul.
    They do not recomend drop headers or they recomend not using drop headers??? Big difference. 
    ethicalpaulCLamb
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    JohnNY said:
    Are you ready for this? The rep referred me to Peerless technical directly. I just got off the phone with Peerless and the official word from Tech Support is that they "Do not recommend drop headers", therefore, no such documentation showing their approval exists nor will any be forthcoming. Sorry, Paul.
    They do not recomend drop headers or they recomend not using drop headers??? Big difference. 
    As of right now it means Paul has to waste time repiping his boiler for absolutely no reason either way which really sucks.  

    Not much of a difference in my eyes.  
    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
    ethicalpaulSuperTech
  • STEAM DOCTOR
    STEAM DOCTOR Member Posts: 1,953
    There are other ways to satisfy inspectors. Tiz the season....... (for the sake of accuracy,  this is meant in jest). 
    ethicalpaul
  • MaxMercy
    MaxMercy Member Posts: 507
    I'm assuming the inspector didn't red tag the boiler. Is there a certain window into which the boiler must be brought into "compliance"?

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    No, he didn't put a red tag on it, but my understanding is that he should have. I think I have a year that the permit can remain open.

    I will have him come back with the other issues all addressed and ask him to agree that the boiler is safe and operating. Then if he refuses I will ask for the actual red tag with the violations listed. Then I will see what the appeal process is like.

    If I get fed up on a warm saturday I might repipe it.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
    MaxMercyIntplm.
  • STEAM DOCTOR
    STEAM DOCTOR Member Posts: 1,953
    Maybe one riser dropped and one riser standard. 
    ethicalpaul
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    edited December 2020
    That was suggested some time ago so that I could test one against the other with my valves but at this point, I'll just do whatever I think will get it approved.

    I could even tear down my 2nd steam supply, the manual only wants one. I wouldn't want to go against Peerless' recommendations! They have lost some of my good will I must say.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226


    JohnNY said:

    Are you ready for this?

    The rep referred me to Peerless technical directly.
    I just got off the phone with Peerless and the official word from Tech Support is that they "Do not recommend drop headers", therefore, no such documentation showing their approval exists nor will any be forthcoming.

    Sorry, Paul.

    They do not recomend drop headers or they recomend not using drop headers??? Big difference. 

    If it is not in the manual as a listed piping configuration then it is neither approved nor recommended.

    Don't shoot the messenger.

    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
    ethicalpaulCanucker
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,570
    Their engineers and lawyers approved the manual. Tech support probably had it drilled into their heads not to stray from it.

    Burnham Independence I&O manual illustrates a drop header as an alternate piping method. Kinda makes you think it isn't the preferred method but at least they provided the illustration for inspectors to use and one less letter for them to write or phone call to field.
    ethicalpaul
  • Canucker
    Canucker Member Posts: 722
    What's the reason for it not being an approved method? Uses too much ink in the manual?
    You can have it good, fast or cheap. Pick two
    JohnNYethicalpaul
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Peerless does recommend a drop header but that doesn't mean that there isn't value and purpose to them. You might be better off getting a technical document or white paper from an industry expert that explains the purpose and value and showing it to the inspector. Better yet, if you can get it to him before he comes back, he may read it and consult with others of his peers and come with a different mindset. It's worth a try.
    ethicalpaul
  • nde
    nde Member Posts: 86
    Man tough break, I am with Fred collect some examples with reasons why and have a little presentation! Worth a try and better than repiping.

    Having looked at their manuals a fair bit over the last year when researching new boilers I am not sure if this disclaimer was always there or they just added it!?!?!

    any installation or maintenance techniques described in any of this literature should not be attempted by homeowners.
    ethicalpaul
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    A lot of their documents have warnings like that. Their warranty is void if you DIY. They won't accept any communication to speak of from homeowners. I used to work in manufacturing so I understand some of this from a liability and business standpoint.

    I knew there were risks when I started this. So I'm not mad at them, just a little disappointed. I will gather my information and have it ready. Everything will work out one way or another. I like working on my steam system, and I have already proven that the manufacturer's recommended installation works, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IymyZB4wlI
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el