Burnham Baseray Cast Iron Baseboard Radiator

MarkinLowell_474

I have a single pipe steam system and am interested in installing the Baseray in my home.
I am trying to find out if it is compatible with a single pipe system.

Eric_32

You have to pipe the baseboard in using two pipes. The supply feeds into the top tapping on one side. The return leaves the opposite bottom tapping. The return line then runs down to the floor of the basement where it then does a 180° turn back up. This return then has to enter back into the main steam line into a tee fitting (you have to add into the main) facing down.

What will happen, the return loop (at least 5' tall) will fill with condensate and prevent steam from entering the baseboard backwards. the condensate will leave the baseboard through this return line and enter the steam main at the bottom facing tee where it joins condensate in the main and returns back to the boiler. There is a write up in the Lost Art of Steam Heating book by Dan regarding it.

You can do it and it will work well. If you only adding in a small section of BB like a 3 or 4 section you can probably get away with only one pipe, but long runs have to be piped two pipe .

MarkinLowell_474

Thank you Eric.
I will be installing a 6' section so it sounds like it should work.

hboogz

Eric - curious which chapter of LAOS covers this install? Do you happen to have a field pic of the install you describe? I have two 10ft baseray's installed on a second floor. No way I can add that much pipe at this point but still curious nonetheless. I do feel I could connect the supply of the steam on the top trappings as opposed to the bottom, which they are connected to currently.

Hap_Hazzard

I keep toying with the idea of installing about 6' myself. I have a 6' wide bay window that currently has a double 2" fin-tube convector that never heats all the way accross (the EDR is way out of line) and doesn't stay warm very long between cycles. What I'd really like is a short, two-column window radiator, but they're really hard to come by. The Baseray looks like it would do the job, but the install isn't going to be easy, so I'm interested in hearing how well this works if you go ahead with it..

JohnNY

I generally try to steer people away from cast iron baseboard with 1-pipe steam and toward cast iron convectors:
http://www.governaleindustries.com/products/convectors/

hboogz

John - I might replace my two 10ft baseray and curious what's your field exp with the convectors? They can be mounted or can be seated on the floor. If exposed I would have to build a nice cabinet with perhaps openings for a grate/mesh. I notice the longest unit they have is 5ft. I'd imagine this is the sweet spot for a 3/4 one-pipe steam application. Curious how big of a room these can serve.

BobC

I looked at that PDF and they don't tell you the EDR of the convectors, is there another pub that covers this?

Bob

EBEBRATT-Ed

You can find the BASERAY inst. manual on line. Burnham recommends 2 pipe steam only or for one pipe use the method @Eric mentioned above from Dan's book. I would not do a one pipe connection , it is sure to hammer loudly

hvacfreak2

JohnNY said:

I generally try to steer people away from cast iron baseboard with 1-pipe steam and toward cast iron convectors:
http://www.governaleindustries.com/products/convectors/

Can these be piped as single pipe ( with no drip ) ?

Dave0176

hvacfreak2 said:

JohnNY said:

I generally try to steer people away from cast iron baseboard with 1-pipe steam and toward cast iron convectors:
http://www.governaleindustries.com/products/convectors/

Can these be piped as single pipe ( with no drip ) ?

@hvacfreak2 You can pipe it single, however you might have problems with spitting air vents and or water hammer.

I just did a job and the owner had it installed in three rooms, the living room had two of them about 10' ea so did the dining room. Also an upstairs bedroom had a 10'er they all have a rigged venting apparatus on the end using 1/4" tube with compression fittings and a 1/8 tee that the air vent is connected to centered between the top and bottom tapping. Unbelievably they work quietly evenly and don't spit.

hboogz

saw a thread in here that mentioned convectors should are configured for a 2 cycle system and I believe most single-pipe systems are recommended to be running on 1 cycle. Any issues with that setup?

hboogz

That's an amazing little setup Dave. Do you think copper was used for flexibility in that space ? I wonder the reasoning that lead to creating this "hack". Seems clever.

Al_Mollitor

I have 1929 single-pipe gas-fired steam heat. I replaced two of my old radiators with 6' cast iron (Baseray?) basaeboard units. They are mounted on the wall to get the proper pitch and the air vents are on little copper pipe extensions so they are high enough not to spit. They work great.