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Dunham steam traps

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Tommi68
Tommi68 Member Posts: 52
edited November 2023 in Strictly Steam
I am getting several end of line steam traps replaced. They are similar vintage but varieties of Burnham Type30, Type30-2 and Type30-3. Should I be concerned if my contractor uses the same Meppco model to replace all of them?  

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  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,879
    Are they all the same pipe size?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
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  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 18,125
    Those are not Burnham traps they are Dunham traps.

    There is a variation in the amount of condensate between different manufacturers of steam traps.

    For instance a 3/4" Hoffman will do 390lb/hr

    3/4" Sarco 279lb/hr

    3/4" Watson McDaniel 340lb/hr

    But traps are supposed to be selected with a "safety factor"

    But in your case I am assuming this is residential or an apartment building then any F & T trap will probably be within the capacity you need if he sticks with the same pipe size of the original traps.
  • Tommi68
    Tommi68 Member Posts: 52
    edited November 2023
    Yes, all 3/4” piping, and yes Dunham. 

    I can’t find a cross reference between the different Dunham traps and their capacity. Anyone know where to find it?
  • ted_p
    ted_p Member Posts: 67
    edited December 2023


    Here are the specs for the old Dunham 30 series F&T traps from page 10 of the Dunham General Products Bulletin of Low-Pressure Steam Heating Appliances, which you can find here:

    Dunham General Products Bulletin of Low-Pressure Steam Heating Appliances

    I don't think you'll go wrong with Mepco traps; when C. A. Dunham ceased operations, Mepco took over the manufacture of all the Dunham steam traps, so in that regard Dunham = Mepco (compare the above with the attached Mepco 30 brochure). That said, unless I'm mistaken, the smallest 30 series trap they currently make is the 30-7, which is an 1-1/2" trap, so your contractor should substitute the Mepco 44-2 (3/4") H-pattern trap instead. Don't let him sell you a 30-7 and bush it down, either. A 30-7 is way OVERSIZE and probably costs more than 4x the price of a 44-2. The 44-2, being an H-pattern trap, is also much easier to service; all of the guts come out attached to the face-plate and you just change it as an assembly, without having to touch any of the pipes. B)
    Tommi68
  • Tommi68
    Tommi68 Member Posts: 52
    Great links! I should be receiving the correct size Mepco traps this week. I really hope to get control of our heating with this next batch of traps replaced. 

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