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Steam boiler without condensate return pump?

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  • Steam boiler without condensate return pump?

    We're putting together our brewery and have located our steam boiler about 10-12 feet from our brewhouse. My engineering partner suggested we could do without the condensate return and pump as the condensate can just drain downslope back to the boiler. Anyone have experience with this or is anyone a closet boiler expert and can comment? Seems logical to me, if the run is short and downslope, that the condensate will naturally drain back to the boiler but what do I know? Thanks.
    _______________________
    Chris Burcher, Wolf Hills
    Abingdon, VA

  • #2
    Wouldn't your condensate line have to be higher then the water level in the boiler for that to work? So you would eliminate the tank and the pump, or just the pump?
    Joel Halbleib
    Partner / Zymurgist
    Hive and Barrel Meadery
    6302 Old La Grange Rd
    Crestwood, KY
    www.hiveandbarrel.com

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    • #3
      he wants to remove the whole thing, pump and box. Seems like you're right, though, about the water level, which is slightly higher than the condensate-out ports on the brewhouse.
      _______________________
      Chris Burcher, Wolf Hills
      Abingdon, VA

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      • #4
        That seems pretty reasonable to me as long as you can get enough slope to have it drain into the cond tank quickly enough.

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        • #5
          It is very possible (with the right steam traps and non-returns) to run without a condensate return pump.

          However, you must still have a condensate return tank (vented to atmosphere) next to the boiler with a feedwater pump to supply the boiler (and a float/make-up city/filtered/treated water supply to the condensate tank).

          Without this differential pressure setup, your feed (steam) line will be exactly the same pressure as your return line. Your jackets/coils will fill with condensate and the system won't work at all.

          Pax.

          Liam
          Liam McKenna
          www.yellowbellybrewery.com

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          • #6
            Unless your boiler is below the level of your steam traps. Then the water could gravity feed back to the boiler. That's how a radiator system in a home works.
            Linus Hall
            Yazoo Brewing
            Nashville, TN
            www.yazoobrew.com

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            • #7
              For this to work correctly you would need a Hartford loop assembly. I have attached a link that shows the basics of it.

              BJ Knoke
              Hub City Brewing Company
              "The Largest Microbrewery In Stanley, Iowa"

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              • #8
                Reading that link reminds me to leave boiler work to the experts.
                Linus Hall
                Yazoo Brewing
                Nashville, TN
                www.yazoobrew.com

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                • #9
                  Liam's right. I had a boiler set up this way and it worked fine, but it had a condensate return tank that was open to the atmosphere and a pump that fed condensate into the boiler chamber. There was no need to gravity feed the condensate tank because the pressure from the steam was enough to push the condensate back to the tank (I actually had it piped so that it went up 7 feet and then went over to the tank and dropped into it, and no problems). Personally, I wouldn't attempt the Hartford loop without some close professional supervision.

                  --Gabe

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                  • #10
                    thanks all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? I have the condensate return and pump so . . . . . .
                    _______________________
                    Chris Burcher, Wolf Hills
                    Abingdon, VA

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