Saw a boiler install in a Chicago brewpub that made me shake my head

I was at a place on Division Street last week and they had the boiler room door propped open (which, okay, maybe for air). But the relief valve discharge pipe was just aimed at a cinder block wall about two feet away, no drip pan, nothing. The whole setup looked like someone's weekend project, not a pro job. Who thinks that's a safe way to handle 150 psi of steam? Has anyone else run into a hack job like this in a public space?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah1982mo agoMost Upvoted

That relief pipe is just pointing at a cinder block wall?

wilson.diana2mo ago

Yeah, pointing right at the wall is a problem. It can splash back and cause erosion or even freeze up in cold weather. That discharge needs a clear path away from the foundation.

andrewt411mo ago

Is that really the biggest issue here? A two-foot gap gives plenty of room for the discharge to spread out and cool before it hits the wall. The real worry would be if it was inches away.