Checking out an old gravity boiler

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fizban
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Post by fizban » Sat. Mar. 07, 2020 6:05 pm

Hey everybody, I am in the process of purchasing a small older commercial building for work. The building has an old gravity boiler in the basement for heating. It looks like it has been many years since it has been used, maybe 10 or more. It last was oil fired but I found the coal stoker (bit coal) and some manual grates in the basement also.

I mostly want to figure out how to check out the boiler to make sure it is sound. Not sure if I should just fill it with water and make sure it doesn’t leak or if there is a better way to check it out. There are four large (10’ long) radiators hooked up to the boiler, with an expansion tank above one of them. Looks like one of the pipes was unhooked. I assume I can just hook it up again and then start filling the expansion tank.

I guess I also need to figure out if the grates are usable or if the Stoker is usable for long-term use. Thanks for any help. Figured I would put this in the anthracite forum as it is a little more popular.

Also, I know there are the heating books by Holahan, looks like the hydronic one may be good. I didn’t see that there was any specific to gravity, but they may go over it.
Thanks, Ross

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sat. Mar. 07, 2020 6:56 pm

Come on F--you know better--we need PIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Sat. Mar. 07, 2020 7:38 pm

Is this a steam or hot water boiler? Need pics, lots and lots of pics!

 
fizban
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Combustioneer 77B
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Post by fizban » Sat. Mar. 07, 2020 9:37 pm

Haha, yeah figured I would probably get that as a first response. Should have been more clear on the type, it is gravity hot water.

I forgot to get photos during inspections. Hopefully we'll close on Monday or Tuesday and then I'll get some decent light down there and get some photos of the boiler and the radiators. Also some photos of the stoker and see if we can figure if it's usable.


 
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CoalHeat
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Post by CoalHeat » Sat. Mar. 07, 2020 10:06 pm

Yes, photos please! We love photos here!

 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Sat. Mar. 07, 2020 11:48 pm

fizban wrote:
Sat. Mar. 07, 2020 9:37 pm
Haha, yeah figured I would probably get that as a first response. Should have been more clear on the type, it is gravity hot water.

I forgot to get photos during inspections. Hopefully we'll close on Monday or Tuesday and then I'll get some decent light down there and get some photos of the boiler and the radiators. Also some photos of the stoker and see if we can figure if it's usable.
==========================================================================

Hello fizban,

If you know that you have a steel compression tank above a radiator you do not have a top fed or bottom fed gravity hot water heating system hooked up to the old heating system.

IF you had a gravity hot water system you would see a large diameter hot water riser coming out of the top of the steam chest that would reach the attic of the building and then be connected to an open to air expansion tank that would have a vent pipe rising out of the tank and pass through the roof to act as a vent pipe.

In a bottom fed system the feed pipe to the radiators would be connected to pipe crosses that would let horizontal runs of pipe that would feed the hot water radiators.
The radiators in the lower floors would have restrictor plates in them to prevent the hot water from reaching these radiators first and the hot water would travel to the top floors and then return to the boiler sump with the cold water return riser.

Each radiator would have to be bled of air to prevent them from being air locked and as result not being able to heat the rooms.

In a top fed hot water heating system the water simply rises to the top and then falls by gravity to each radiator and then back to the boiler sump via the return piping run from each of the bottom tapping's of each radiator which are connected to the return riser.

 
fizban
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Combustioneer 77B
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Coal Size/Type: Bit various sizes
Other Heating: Oil furnace

Post by fizban » Sun. Mar. 08, 2020 12:00 am

If you can zoom in enough in the middle of the photo above the window and the radiator is the tank. Not sure if expansion tank is the proper term for a atmospheric system. Being that the building used to be a single floor it looks like it just vents inside of the building. Looks to be an up-fed system for me, but I really haven't looked at the piping that hard.

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lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Sun. Mar. 08, 2020 12:01 pm

Whoever did that plumbing was crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will never pass, your insurer will not give you coverage and the heating system is going to get tagged if the
plumbing inspector values his or her license.

I want to help you with this; please post more detailed pictures of the plumbing runs and the everything around the boilers no matter how small.


 
lzaharis
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Location: Ithaca, New York
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Hand Fed Coal Boiler: former switzer CWW100-sold
Coal Size/Type: rice
Other Heating: kerosene for dual fuel Keystoker/unused

Post by lzaharis » Sun. Mar. 08, 2020 12:06 pm

fizban wrote:
Sun. Mar. 08, 2020 12:00 am
If you can zoom in enough in the middle of the photo above the window and the radiator is the tank. Not sure if expansion tank is the proper term for a atmospheric system. Being that the building used to be a single floor it looks like it just vents inside of the building. Looks to be an up-fed system for me, but I really haven't looked at the piping that hard.
The "open to atmosphere expansion tank" is the simplest and easiest tank to plumb and use and "it can be hung horizontally above the highest point in the heating system while using a circulator" as well.

Lets hope we can keep your heating system simple without using circulators.

I look forward to seeing pictures showing your coal stoker.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Tue. Mar. 10, 2020 10:43 am

Fizban, If it worked before it can certainly work again just the same.

 
fizban
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Location: SW Virginia
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Combustioneer 77B
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 400B
Coal Size/Type: Bit various sizes
Other Heating: Oil furnace

Post by fizban » Wed. Mar. 11, 2020 12:15 am

Yeah, that’s what I would figure. Just need to check it out and make sure no major issues. We had a small deed issue so sounds like probably won’t close on it until maybe the middle of next week.

I will get some photos and report back of the whole system when I can.

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