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Boiler condensate return

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samn1
samn1 Member Posts: 3
in Strictly Steam
Why would they put a condensate return pump instead of just piping it in with a hartford loop?


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  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,544
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    It's a two-pipe system. Most commercial two pipe systems don't have enough return line pressure after the traps to put the water in the boiler for the pressure the boiler runs at. That looks like a boiler feed tank not a condensate tank
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,324
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    More fun that way and gives you more things to go wrong and maintain?

    What overall kind of system is this? How big?
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • pedmec
    pedmec Member Posts: 975
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    If you didn't have a receiving tank to hold the returning condensate you would flood the boiler. In larger buildings it takes time for steam to reach the last radiators and condensate to return. That means that you will need to feed water to the boiler to replace what you have sent out into the building. Now when the system shuts down and all that condensate is taking a slow walk back to the boiler room it would flood the boiler if piped directly into the boiler. With a boiler feed tank it acts as a reservoir for the returning condensate. You have the water level control (m&m #150 or equivalent) help maintain the water level in the boiler by calling the condensate pump on when water is needed in the boiler.
    Hap_Hazzard
  • samn1
    samn1 Member Posts: 3
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    pedmec said:

    If you didn't have a receiving tank to hold the returning condensate you would flood the boiler. In larger buildings it takes time for steam to reach the last radiators and condensate to return. That means that you will need to feed water to the boiler to replace what you have sent out into the building. Now when the system shuts down and all that condensate is taking a slow walk back to the boiler room it would flood the boiler if piped directly into the boiler. With a boiler feed tank it acts as a reservoir for the returning condensate. You have the water level control (m&m #150 or equivalent) help maintain the water level in the boiler by calling the condensate pump on when water is needed in the boiler.

    Makes alot of sense - this is a warehouse with steam fan coils and there are more condensate return pumps that are located at the fan coils that are further away
  • samn1
    samn1 Member Posts: 3
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    EBEBRATT-Ed said:

    It's a two-pipe system. Most commercial two pipe systems don't have enough return line pressure after the traps to put the water in the boiler for the pressure the boiler runs at. That looks like a boiler feed tank not a condensate tank

    its a two pipe system-- not a steam guy but there is a pressure reducing valve feeding water into the tank.

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