Not all buildings are designed so that condensate can flow back to the boiler by gravity, that's why a lot of boiler rooms are built so far below grade and also why a lot of old boilers are installed in pits. Alot of buildings have remote condensate pumps that pump water back to a feed tank in the boiler room.
You are right. Mostly. This building, however, was built in 1915, so the Dead Men had no other choice but to design it so that the condensate was returned by gravity. That is true for all buildings that had boilers installed during the coal heating era. If such a building was added to after WWII, that's when pumps started to be used. I do everything I can to remove these tanks whenever possible, as they are often unnecessary. I have other videos on this building, which I've been working on for twenty heating seasons, where I show the false water line I built to restore the original water lines, which then allowed the returns to operate as wet returns.
These tank/pump setups seem to me to be a solution in search of a problem. Was it that hard to pipe the return directly to the boiler? I think some guys just liked to install extra stuff
Having said that, I do like your idea. The condensate definitely starts out crystal clean and doesn’t cause much corrosion-it’s the added water that’s the problem
There are two boilers. That boiler feed tank was "baked" into the system years before I arrived nearly 20 years ago. It was a mess. Both boilers were run at the same time and pumping in at 7 psi. Long story short, they now run one boiler at a time (the other is in reserve in case of breakage), and cycles at about 4oz/in2. When the previous tank rotted out a few years ago, I tried to get them to go to gravity return, but it was a bit too far for the co-op board to go with me.
@@gordonschweizer5154 Well thank you for trying to make it simpler and better!! And thanks for the kind reply! Please check out my recent video which is related! ua-cam.com/video/Bx8NryCUkng/v-deo.html
Not all buildings are designed so that condensate can flow back to the boiler by gravity, that's why a lot of boiler rooms are built so far below grade and also why a lot of old boilers are installed in pits. Alot of buildings have remote condensate pumps that pump water back to a feed tank in the boiler room.
You are right.
Mostly.
This building, however, was built in 1915, so the Dead Men had no other choice but to design it so that the condensate was returned by gravity.
That is true for all buildings that had boilers installed during the coal heating era.
If such a building was added to after WWII, that's when pumps started to be used.
I do everything I can to remove these tanks whenever possible, as they are often unnecessary.
I have other videos on this building, which I've been working on for twenty heating seasons, where I show the false water line I built to restore the original water lines, which then allowed the returns to operate as wet returns.
I wonder why the tanks are not made of stainless steel, built in redundancy perhaps?
@@dannywilkins887 Yes, it appears they are made with chinesium steel & designed to fail.
These tank/pump setups seem to me to be a solution in search of a problem. Was it that hard to pipe the return directly to the boiler? I think some guys just liked to install extra stuff
Having said that, I do like your idea. The condensate definitely starts out crystal clean and doesn’t cause much corrosion-it’s the added water that’s the problem
There are two boilers.
That boiler feed tank was "baked" into the system years before I arrived nearly 20 years ago.
It was a mess.
Both boilers were run at the same time and pumping in at 7 psi.
Long story short, they now run one boiler at a time (the other is in reserve in case of breakage), and cycles at about 4oz/in2.
When the previous tank rotted out a few years ago, I tried to get them to go to gravity return, but it was a bit too far for the co-op board to go with me.
@@gordonschweizer5154good on you for trying!! And thanks for the kind reply!
@@gordonschweizer5154 Well thank you for trying to make it simpler and better!! And thanks for the kind reply! Please check out my recent video which is related! ua-cam.com/video/Bx8NryCUkng/v-deo.html
I saw your excellent video prior to making this one and that is why I mentioned the clear condensate I was experiencing on this system!