steam radiators and thermostats

bb77

We've just moved into a house that is ~140 years old in the Midwest. The house has steam radiators (2 pipe system). The thermostat is a simple temperature controlled system. I am curious to know if we can install a more sophisticated temperature and time controlled system so the heating automatically lowers during the day when we are at work/school and in the night when we are asleep. Also, the boiler for the radiators is ~70 years old and per the company that has serviced it for 15+ years, it's in great condition.

Is temperature and time setting on a thermostat a good idea for this system? Our maintenance person doesn't think it's going to make the system more efficient and we are skittish about messing too much with the boiler.

Thanks for your responses and suggestions!

ChrisJ

We need pictures of the boiler, radiators, the piping around the boiler and the thermostat.

Chances are, you're not going to want to do any setbacks with the system though.

Also, this belongs in the Strictly Steam seciond.

Jamie Hall

As a general rule, folks have found that setbacks of more than two or three degrees with steam systems use more energy than they save -- particularly short ones, such as going away to work and coming back. A two to three degree setback at night, though, works pretty well -- and has the delightful advantage that if the times are set right the radiators are nice and toasty when you get up on a cold morning!

Any of the better programmable thermostats will work well, provided they are set up properly for steam (one cycle per hour setting). They don't come that way out of the box... and the boiler doesn't care what thermostat you are using.

I sorry to say that a 70 year old boiler is probably doing you no favours in terms of fuel consumption, even if it is working as well as it can be. Things have changed. However, if it ain't broke you may want to wait before you decide to fix it!

ChrisJ

@Jamie Hall If it's a decent 3 pass boiler setup well it likely isn't bad.

But that's why we need pictures. If it's a snowman, forget it.

bb77

Since the boiler ain't broke....
How do I attach pix? Don't seen an icon

bb77

Found it!

bb77

I don't know if the boiler pic is clear... I had taken it when we moved in to see if I could get more info from the company. The radiator is one of 8 in the house. It's a smaller size than some of the others.

Enlighten me!

Fred

Are you sure you have steam heat? It looks like that radiator has a bleeder valve on the top right side which would lead one to believe it is a hot water system. More pics of the boiler and piping above and around it would help.

bb77

Well, it uses hot water to make steam... so doesn't that make it a steam heater?

bb77

i.e. a steam radiator

Fred

Nope, two totally different animals. One actually makes steam, in the boiler that then feeds that steam through all the pipes to the radiators. In the case of a steam system, virtually all of the water stays in the boiler, except for the condensate out in the system, that occurs when the steam gives up its heat. A hot water system heats water, well below what it takes to make steam and then circulates that actual water throughout the system. The operating parameters are totally different.

Jamie Hall

Not only do I see a bleeder there on the radiator, but unless my eyes are sadly mistaken I see a valve at the bottom on the section with the bleeder, and a plain elbow at the bottom of the other end. Need some shots of the boiler piping, but at the moment the odds favour hot water...

nicholas bonham-carter

The boiler rating plate is blank for the steam rating, so it is a hot water system.--NBC

pecmsg

210K output?

Thats a lot of BTU's!

bb77

Sorry for being gone, but I have info about all this:

1. We have a hot water system.
2. The boiler is working at about 65-75 % efficiency... not great but right now we are keeping it.
3. Given this system, we are being advised that it's probably better to invest in keeping windows/doors better insulated than puttering around with the thermostat.

You folks of the same mind? Is there anything we can do -- not major n terms of expense -- to be more energy efficient and smart on our utility bill?

Thanks again for your suggestions.

BobC

I think your guy was right, do everything you can to find and fix any and all air leaks. Then make sure any penetrations from the living space to the attic are sealed and beef up the insulation up there.

Bob

Fred

Agreed. Anything you can do to seal up places where air can infiltrate and any additional insulation you can add will be money better spent.