Steamhead
Joined on March 11, 2004
Last Post on February 6, 2012
Recent Posts
Is there
@ February 6, 2012 4:24 PM in the mystery of the disappearing water
a pipe leading from the steam main to this thing?The leaking valve is a "Try-cock"
@ February 6, 2012 1:05 AM in the mystery of the disappearing water
it was a backup to the sight glass. If you open the top one and get steam, and get water from the bottom one, you know the water level is between the two.The DRT is different from the ones I run into. This one has the dry return vent mounted on top, instead of separately. Can't make out the lettering from the pic, is it really a DRT or just an air trap?
Some knuckleheads do use steel pipe
@ February 5, 2012 10:48 PM in Ridiculous header of the week
this looks like a Dunkirk. Not only is the header too low, but too small.What does the pipe do after it goes off to the right?
Also, looks like there is a loop seal underneath that main vent that is too high for the present waterline.
It's an early adjustable vent
@ February 5, 2012 10:38 PM in Warco dialon number 81
roughly equivalent to a Hoffman #1A and works the same way. You turn the dial on top to adjust it- looks like the numbers are worn off.Refresh our menory
@ February 5, 2012 10:36 PM in Modulating Pressuretrol - how should it work and be optimized
what is this thing used with- what burner, boiler, type of system?Au Contraire, gentlemen
@ February 4, 2012 11:07 AM in Supply & Return Both Very Hot, Minimal Heat from Baseboard
it is definitely possible to over-circulate baseboard. I've seen it happen- sure, the books say it doesn't matter, but still it does happen.A quick way to see if this is a problem is to partially close a valve on that loop. If that cures the problem- not the ΔT problem, but the lack of heat output in the room- then we know for sure.
Also, something more basic- are the baseboard's fins plugged with dust?
It's a 100CRD
@ February 3, 2012 4:53 PM in mounting Beckett AFG on old boiler
which is a good choice for that boiler. Your Beckett would not work any better. The "cover" is actually the ignitor- Beckett does make an ignitor to fit that Carlin, and vice-versa.Check to see if the flue passages have baffles or bricks in them. If not, have that done and it will run much more efficiently.This should be done by a knowledgeable pro as part of a proper servicing.
Fitzgibbons just made the boiler
@ February 2, 2012 8:01 PM in the mystery of the disappearing water
the "vertical pipe" is probably a Trane Direct Return Trap. You probably have a Trane Vapor System. Your radiators will have two pipes connected to them, rather than just one, and Trane valves and traps.The water probably came from one or more vents at the ends of the dry (overhead) return lines.
It's possible that the DRT has failed, allowing steam pressure into the returns, which would keep the water from returning. If you control the boiler pressure with a Vaporstat, the DRT really isn't needed anymore.
If you're gonna keep that boiler
@ February 1, 2012 6:31 PM in Crane LIne pump-motor shaft coupling
you need to upgrade the burner. In 1956 fuel was cheap so if the burner produced soot or smoke it didn't matter. With a new flame-retention burner, you can run with a firing rate 10% smaller, minimum. 20-25% smaller is common.Is this the small steel-tube unit, or a cast-iron model? What is the boiler's model number?
Typical government mentality
@ February 1, 2012 1:35 PM in Steam Heat Not Reaching certain areas in old building
you can't fix stupid!You mean the Intrepid
@ January 31, 2012 8:42 AM in Steam indirect piping - will this work?
the diagram with the single riser is for the 3- and 4-section units.We use QuickBooks too
@ January 31, 2012 12:04 AM in Computer Programs
once everything is set up, it's pretty easy.The boiler
@ January 30, 2012 11:58 PM in Steam indirect piping - will this work?
is a Slant/Fin Intrepid. The I&O manual showing the piping requirements is here:http://www.slantfin.com/images/stories/Technical-Literature/installmanual_intrepid_tr_40.pdf
The second 2-inch riser to the header is required on Intrepid steamers 5 sections and larger. The diagram clearly shows an offset header as the minimum standard. A drop header would be the ideal solution here.
He needs to re-do it.
Is the regulator
@ January 29, 2012 9:33 PM in Do you know what this steam contol is?
placed on the steam main at the boiler?If so, that control adjusts the regulator to maintain a specified vacuum. With this setup, there is vacuum in the steam mains as well as the returns. This might be a Dunham Vari-Vac or similar system.
Well, here are a couple things
@ January 28, 2012 9:04 PM in Just saying Hell0 - Mad Dog
http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/139545/A-Special-Intrepid-EZ-Gas-Steamerhttp://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/139406/Peerless-63-3L-Install-by-All-Steamed-Up-Inc
http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/138701/In-the-Land-of-Pleasant-Living
Bet they never had this problam
@ January 28, 2012 9:02 PM in Re-occurring air problem
with the steam system....................DAWGGGGGG!!!!
@ January 28, 2012 9:00 PM in Just saying Hell0 - Mad Dog
Good to hear from you!The oil firing rate of an SGO-4
@ January 28, 2012 9:10 AM in System load vs Burner output
is 1.2 GPH, which translates to 168,000 BTU per hour. If you're currently firing 114,000 BTU/hour, that's definitely low. But if the system is working properly and the combustion numbers are OK, there's no need to increase the firing rate to the rated maximum, so I'd go in steps and see what works best.Do you have a printout of the combustion test results? if so, we'd be interested to see them.
The trap that was just replaced
@ January 27, 2012 11:49 PM in Steam Heat Not Reaching certain areas in old building
appears to be on the condensate line going into the tank. It does not belong there.Not sure how the system was originally configured, but if it originally had a tank there (and it probably didn't), the Dead Men would have installed traps or water seals out in the system to keep the steam out of that line. A single trap at the tank inlet allows the returns to fill with steam, which wastes steam and kills the pressure differential between the steam side and the return side. I'll bet that's why you're having trouble getting certain rads hot.
This "master trap" is a sure sign that knuckleheads have touched that system. And you can't fix stupid! If you have a copy of "The Lost Art of Steam Heating" (and you should), you'll find Dan addressing this on pages 31, 163, 174,181 and 187.
We'll have to establish that these return lines were "wet", i.e. they had water standing in them all the time. If so, the proper solution is a "False Water Line", shown on page 31. We've built these and they work extremely well- and they have no moving parts!
That's correct
@ January 27, 2012 11:32 PM in Should this pipe be hot?
one of those takeoffs goes to the other side of the wall, to feed more rads- there's probably a crawl space back there- then comes out and vents thru the crossover trap.I'd stay with monoflow
@ January 25, 2012 5:48 PM in how to heat 2nd floor?
this way you won't have to change the risers to accommodate all the flow in the loop. Be sure to run pipe between the flow and return connections for each set of risers on the original loop that will be decommissioned. This "jumper" must be the same size as the old riser connections- do not reduce it. Otherwise you'll mess up the flow.Then Pump Away on both monoflow loops, using a good air separator, and watch how well it works.
Yes it does
@ January 25, 2012 5:39 PM in Header too small?
though a gas-fired setup won't need to be opened as much as an oil-fired one, you still need to be able to get in there.Route the indirect pipe so the door won't hit it, and put a union after the manual gas shutoff valve so you can uncouple the pipe. The 120-volt burner wiring harness should already have a disconnect plug, so the only other thing would be to disconnect the thermostat wires at the burner. Then you can open the door.
