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Home » Authors » Ray Wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth

Ray Wohlfarth

Ray Wohlfarth is president of Fire and Ice in Pittsburgh, PA. He is currently a columnist for Plumbing and Mechanical and PM Engineer Magazine, and the author of “Lessons Learned in a Boiler Room.” Wohlfarth also taught a course for the Green Building Research Institute on green boilers. He is the RP chair for WV ASHRAE, membership chair for WV APPA, and member of the Radiant Professionals Association.

Articles

ARTICLES

Common Boiler Mistakes

Common Boiler Mistakes

Another great troubleshooting and tips collection looks at how to solve a wide assortment of problems and, maybe more importantly, how to avoid a range of others in the first place.
Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
March 7, 2018
No Comments

The following are some common mistakes and tips to avoid problems on commercial boiler projects.


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Hybrid Hydronic Systems

Hybrid Hydronic Systems

Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
February 9, 2018
No Comments

Understand the thinking behind a system that blends condensing and non-condensing boilers, from the attack on oversizing to a controls strategy that shifts with the weather.


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The Butterfly Effect: Common Steam System Mistakes

The Butterfly Effect: Common Steam Boiler System Mistakes

From a missing pipe hanger three floors down to steam traps past their prime, these boiler replacement tales show that real system problems can originate inside the boiler room or far beyond it.
Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
February 10, 2017
No Comments

Famous mathematician Edward Lorenz coined the phrase “The Butterfly Effect,” which is the belief that some small occurrence could create devastating results in another location far away.


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Boiler Maintenance: The Effect On Lifecycle Costs

Boiler Maintenance: The Effect On Lifecycle Costs

Well, that’s not really the whole story. “Lifecycle costs” could even include having to buy the same equipment all over again because it’s been ruined. It’s also about how adequate maintenance can steer a facility clear of avoidable and sometimes terrible boiler accidents that happen each year.
Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
January 7, 2017
No Comments

Does maintenance save money? Many numbers get thrown around when it comes to estimating the savings achieved by performing certain maintenance activities.


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Replacing A Steam Boiler

Replacing A Steam Boiler

So many areas where a little forethought and awareness can avoid larger problems — sizing, velocity, piping and connections, double trapping, condensate return, proper pressure, blowdown tanks, and more. Read on for some good habits and why they’re worth having.
Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
June 2, 2016
3 Comments

When designing or replacing a low pressure steam boiler, throw out everything you know about hydronic boilers. A steam system is closer in operation to an air conditioning unit than it is to a hydronic boiler. If you design a steam system using hydronic design methods, it will not operate properly. 


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Designing A Steam Systems For A Brewery

Designing A Steam System For A Brewery

Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
February 1, 2016
One Comment

The public’s taste for regional and local beer has flourished in recent years, but crafting a proper steam boiler system for its production can be sobering task. Pull up a bar stool and contemplate at least 23 design and maintenance facets to ensure that what’s brewing is all beer and no trouble.


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Wohlfarth Lead

Replacing The "Engine" On Your Boiler System

Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
September 1, 2015
No Comments

Pumps, flues, valves, sizing, maintenance ... there’s a lot more to consider than just the boiler. Keep the car metaphor in mind, and your next replacement might not drive you to despair.


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slide

Question Everything When Replacing Commercial Boilers

Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
January 1, 2015
No Comments
Seven questions to always ask the existing boiler’s operator round up this article, written to save you time and save your client grief (and possibly money) before, during, and after the project. Pumps, pipes, asbestos, and budget are just a few areas where opportunity (or problems) await.
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boiler diagram

Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Old Boilers

O&M and upgrade tactics can provide savings when purchasing a new unit is not an option.
Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
June 1, 2014
One Comment
When I was young, I used to love watching magicians and was amazed how they would pull something out of what appeared to be an empty hat.
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boiler gauge, boiler pipes

Connecting New Boilers To Old Pipes

Combustion air, ventilation, piping, expansion tanks … with these and other factors affecting performance and safety, the boiler swap is not exactly a plug-and-play situation.
Ray-wohlfarth
Ray Wohlfarth
January 2, 2014
3 Comments
Designing a commercial boiler replacement where you were not the original designer or installer might have some hidden dangers that could haunt you for years.
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Operating multiple generators in parallel is a cost-effective and reliable means of providing high-capacity standby power systems for large facilities, such as data centers, hospitals, and water/wastewater treatment plants. This webinar will review the principles of parallel operation and describe how generators and their controls must be specified for successful application.

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Learn from our experts how to evaluate job opportunities, market your services, sell a Walk-through Survey, target areas for an Energy Audit, calculate energy savings, do retrofit work, and win continuing contracts for retrofit work.

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Engineered Systems magazine’s February 2019 issue features a behind-the-scenes look at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will host Super Bowl LIII; explores the feasibility of VRF systems in K-12 school districts; shares some of the updates planned for ASME’s BPV code; and much more.

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