Heating Help

steam heating enthusiasts christmas list.

i am assuming that all here are not on santa's list for a lump of coal [unless you are burning it as fuel]. so to help him out here are some suggestions as to what should be in the stocking on christmas morning!
1.a good low pressure gauge, and snubber [thanks jpf321 ] from gaugestore.com-0-3 psi.
2.3.several gorton #2 main steam vents--you can never be over-vented!
3.a small open wrench sized for the sight glass retaining nuts, and a small bottle  brush to clean the glass with.
4.if the recipient has been a very good boy-a 0-16 oz. vaporstat, with a 0-16 oz. gauge.
5.if the recipient has been a very, very good boy, a siemens  RWF40  controller with usb connection to computer port, and all necessary add-ons to modulate the flame as the pressure rises above 2 oz. etc.
is there anything i forgot?--nbc

Cleaning Sight Glass

I saw number three and want to know how to clean the sight glass. Mine has gotten very dirty. Does the boiler need to be turned off and the water lowered? Or is there a way to clean it that won't spill water from inside the boiler.

close the knobs

Your sight glass should have knobs above and below it. Shut them. There's probably a petcock on the bottom. If you're lucky, you can open it and drain the little bit of water that's in the sight glass. If you're like me, you'll put a bucket underneath to keep the floor dry.

Knobs and Petcock

I have the knobs you describe. Good to know that I can close them to keep water in the boiler. Will have to look for a petcock, whatever that is. Looks like this will be my project for tomorrow. Would like to get my sight glass clean. My water is probably dirtier than I'd like, but I can't b sure. Thanks.

looks like a wing nut

I'm not sure it's worth messing with, but at the bottom on the brass fitting should be what looks like a wing nut. It's hollow in the center, where the water will come out (in theory) if you loosen it.

Be sure to wait until the boiler has cooled. The brass and glass can get surprisingly hot.

No Petcock

No petcock on my sight glass. I looked at the boiler manual and it seems the sight glass came assembled for installation. Not sure if there is a way to disassemble it while the boiler is operating.

At least on mine

You just close the knobs, then loosen the brass nuts at both ends of the glass, and then gently remove the tube. Yours might be different. Maybe someone else can help.

Dear Santa,

I want a vacuum pump for my vapor heating system so that I can make vapor at 160 degrees.  I would have a lot of fun with it.  I have been a good boy, most of the time, this past year and I promise to be an even better boy this year, if only you can bring me a vacuum pump.  System EDR is 2000.  (your elves will need to know that)

And for the Library...

... any of these books that you don't already have:

By Dan:

- A Pocketful of Steam Problems (With Solutions)
- E.D.R - Ratings for Every Darn Radiator
- Greening Steam
- Lost Art of Steam Heating
- Lost Art of Steam Heating Companion (CD)
- We Got Steam Heat!

Not specific to steam heating, but an entertaining read nonetheless:
- Working - Tales of life, love, mechanical mayhem…and getting even!

Books by others:
- Balancing Steam Systems Using a Vent Capacity Chart
- Lindhardt's Field Guide to Steam Heating

Photos

Here are three photos of my sight glass. Maybe this will help. I don't see what to loosen to free the tube for cleaning. Sorry that the first is the wrong way. Is there a way to rotate? Then a view of the top and bottom of the glass.

how's this?

I've circled the two nuts in yellow. With the boiler cool, you would first close the valves, then remove the two vertical rods that protect the glass (just push them up and out). Then loosen the nuts and remove the tube. Be careful as the tube might be hot and the ends might be sharp.

Removing the Glass

OK. So I assume that loosening the two nuts will cause them to slide up and down the glass, and there should be enough space in the area that had been covered up by the nuts to pull the tube out? Because even after the nuts are loosened, I won't be able to slide the tube up out of the holder. At least that is how I see it.

cleanning glass tube

i don't have a petcock on my sight-glass either, so i just allow the water to drain out of  the connection as the nuts are loosened. then the tube can be pushed up a little bit into the upper fitting, so that the bottom can slide out to one side.
when reinstalling, i turn the nuts backwards until i can feel them seat, before then tightening them up. finger tight plus 1 turn with the wrench does it on mine.
it would be a good idea to have some extra washers on hand.--nbc

Thanks

Got it. Now I understand. Thanks.

you do not need to remove glass to clean

shut off both valves and open bottom nut then steam clean

both valves??

shut both valves? how about only the bottom valve .. and the sight-glass drain .. then steam clean downward from the open top valve? 

steam clean

what kind of tool do I need to steam clean?

a few other things ..

a few more temp-data-loggers .. either ambient http://is.gd/isvS4 or thermocouple http://is.gd/i70L8 ..

a few wireless lacrosse ambient "real-time" thermometers .. to predict when my TRV's are going to open ..

some nice shiny Zestron PVC Elbow and T insulation covers.

and more GLASS PIPE!

oh and i forgot ...

Some 24V electronically actuated One-Pipe TRVs (Macon
VMO-24's) connected to a "smart"  ambient temperature monitor linked up
with the burner/pressure system and an old heat-timer, internet connected, room occupancy/motion detected burner firing, real-time event logging (with combustion data), accessible by my android phone.

and the time and ability to make it all work.

HAHA .. and you guys thought I was just making excel charts :-)

ambient data logger

You would use the ambient datalogger to measure room temp?  Or for something else?

yep

room, outdoor, set one on your t-stat, etc

Error Rate

I read the literature for the ambient datalogger and saw that the accuracy rate for it was plus or minus 2F.  That seems like a lot for what we're doing, doesn't it?

i'm happy to send you over....

a sample of several days at 1min sampling .. contact me direct with with your email addy ..

+/-2 might seem like a lot but 1) when you look at trends over time, it doesn't seem to matter 2) i really think that's a CoverYerAft thing for those that may need really accurate data .. they seem to be pretty spot on, if they drift out (+) then they drift back (-) and it's all even as I said over the course of a day or week.

here's a link to a several month chart of ambient in my front hall beginning 4/28/2010 - 12/7/2010 http://screencast.com/t/p69qhbbXz5 (30min sampling)

and a link to an Apt over several days at 1min sampling: http://screencast.com/t/So3ScAeRwg ..

I can send you the raw data for each if you'd like to run stat analysis on it.

jpf

Lascar Logger Accuracy

They are really much better than the + or - 2F spec. That spec is worst case and actually applies over an extended temp range. I have two of them and both are within 0.5F at room temperatures.

My main complaint with them is the one degree resolution. I wish they could resolve tenth of a degree changes. It would certainly make the graphs smoother when recording indoor temperatures.