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No Pressure in Boiler

I purchased an old home with a one pipe steam system. This is the first winter I have spent in it, so I am new to this whole thing. Anyway, I have fired up the boiler, and I do not get any pressure at all reading on the gauge. It is making steam because the radiators get hot over time, but it seems to take a long time for them to get hot. Even when the boiler was on for several hours it still does not register any pressure on the gauge. The boiler is old, it was intstalled in 1980 it looks like. Is this just a symptom of a worn out boiler not making any pressure?

Comments

  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    your selections

    leaking air valves , leaking control valves , leaking condensate return, leaking undergroung condensate return, leaking main vents. leaking radiation . any leaks of any kind .= no pressure . pourous crown of boiler steam going up the chimney. thats it. or busted gauge. lol
  • Jim Pompetti
    Jim Pompetti Member Posts: 552
    Pressure

    Most steam boiler have a 30# gauge and this makes is hard to read when ,you are running at or below 1# on pressure. Ask you servicer to install a 5# gauge along with the 30# er

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  • Supply House Rick
    Supply House Rick Member Posts: 1,404
    looking for a good gauge

    you need 2 things-a good low pressure gauge [gaugestore.com--0-3 psi], and "the lost art of steam heating" from this site. you will find when you have got all the wrinkles out of your system, how nice it can be. most steam systems have been overpressured through ignorance, or by neglect, and therefore are burning too much fuel, or not keeping everybody warm.--nbc
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