# Boilers and chillers



## Scrum half (Nov 30, 2012)

Hey guys, I'm a licensed plumber who is new to this forum and wondered if I could maybe get some info. I come from a residential service background with some business and restaurant work in there also, but now I am installing a lot of large diameter piping for a factory that is being converted to testing Diesel engines. We've got 2 large boilers, and are installing new chillers, cooling towers and a rather large system for processing water for the engines. This includes softening and RO processing. As I'm coming from a residential background, I'm not real knowledgable on the chiller and boiler side of things, and I wondered what resources you guys might use to get some more info on some of this stuff. There's not a lot of experienced help at this company for me to turn to. I am going to leave the serious work to the pros in the industry, but there will be other things I have to troubleshoot along the way, and I would like to have a working knowledge of what's going on? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks,ScottA


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

You will get the help you need pal, just mosey on over to the intro section and start a thread telling us a little more about yourself. Location, licenses held, years experience etc.

Lots of knowledgeable mechanics here, We just ask for a proper hello and proverbial handshake. 

:thumbup:


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Follow the blueprints to a tee and you should be OK. If there aren't blueprints, run like hell. Sounds like you are gonna get broke in right.:laughing:


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## Scrum half (Nov 30, 2012)

Already posted an intro a couple of days ago. 6 years plumbing. 10 yrs. wastewater operator.15 years lawn and golf course irrigation. Indiana contractor's license, class 1 wastewater operator's license, and well drillers/ pump installers license.


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## Scrum half (Nov 30, 2012)

No prints.maybe sketches on a piece of cardboard in sharpie.I'm being broke in alright. Good thing is that I never bull****ted about what I know. So I've got a little slack. Can't run though, they are treating me pretty good, and I like not having "customers" to deal with.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

My apologies, carry on.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Scrum half said:


> No prints.maybe sketches on a piece of cardboard in sharpie.I'm being broke in alright. Good thing is that I never bull****ted about what I know. So I've got a little slack. Can't run though, they are treating me pretty good, and I like not having "customers" to deal with.


Man I wish you the best of luck. There is not much chance in hell of you getting it done right without blueprints. You are wolf kibble.


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## UA22PLumber (Sep 17, 2012)

There have to be drawings for what your installing...you can't just go to Home depot and buy a cooling tower,the vendors would never know what to sell you ,without drawings....at the very least a P&ID.

Chillers,boilers,CT's all require pumps...Taco,B&G,Armstrong all have lots of good info on thier websites,with regard to ancillaries,like air separators,check valves,expansion tanks,relief valves,various piping schematics....lots of good info.The equipment manuals should provide some information too.


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## Scrum half (Nov 30, 2012)

I should have been more clear. The chiller install is not a problem. This company already has 4 at their other facilities. I'm more worried about the 40 year old boilers in the building that I am rehabbing. And maybe the general operation of the chillers. An example of what I'm wondering about is that yesterday,I had to shut the boilers down, drain the lines and move some water lines to a heat exchanger. Everything went fine, but I'm a little concerned about shutting the heat down in December, and not being aware of possible problems like air in the lines, etc..This building is seriously short on isolation valves.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

So I take it you have a hot water boiler and not a steam boiler. I would look at replacing the auto vents the next shut down to help ensure it helps you bleed out the system and it doesn't leak after filling it back. I go overboard so I would likely replace the PRV and backflow preventer if its more than 10 years old. You cannot plan for everything but if it looks suspect before a shutdown at least make sure, if you had to, you can get a hold of that part. 

I like to do all of my plumbing and tie in one time. If you could shut the gas off early you could make a call for heat so the pumps kick on to dissipate the heat and also lock the burner while in prepurge. While in prepurge the fan will also help to cool the system down. All of this would be done if there was a way to freeze the line where you are going to tie into.


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