HTW heating system having an electrode steam boiler as the direct source of HTW

In an HTW space heating system in which the direct source of HTW is an automatic electrode steam boiler including a pressure vessel having at least one steam generating compartment surrounded by a control compartment, at least one electrode in said vessel and adapted to be connected in an electrical distribution system, said at least one electrode being positioned in a corresponding at least one steam generating compartment surrounded by a control compartment, a corresponding at least one water spout in said vessel for directing water toward the tip of said at least one electrode and said boiler including means for maintaining a predetermined minimum HTW level in said vessel, the improvement in said HTW heating system including:

• a. means providing for limited steam output for the at least one steam generating compartment of said boiler, such limited steam output being utilized for control purposes by control means associated with said boiler;
• b. means, including a boiler water pump, for mixing HTW water taken from the boiler with water from an outside source and pumping the mixed water through said at least one water spout with sufficient velocity for the water to flow up the surface of said at least one electrode to the water level in said at least one steam generating compartment;
• c. a heated spaces circuit having pumping means for continuously circulating HTW through said heated spaces circuit;
• d. an HTW supply circuit connecting said boiler with said heated spaces circuit and providing for unrestricted flow of HTW from said boiler to said heated spaces circuit so that said boiler serves as a pressurized expansion tank for said heating system;
• e. said boiler water pump having an inlet connected to the HTW in said boiler and an outlet connected to said at least one water spout, a diversion circuit connecting said heated spaces circuit with said boiler water pump inlet;
• and
• f. control means responsive to a condition associated with the heated spaces for selectively diverting a controlled amount of HTW from said heated spaces circuit through said diversion circuit to said boiler water pump inlet;
• such diverted HTW constituting water from an outside source, and the HTW diverted from said heated spaces circuit being replaced with HTW from said boiler through said HTW supply circuit.