Best Of
Re: Steam-one boiler or two, and, Atmospheric vs Gun
Gary....you're assuming the last guy did any math. Mad Dog
Re: Steam pressure question
I prefer a full ball valve but that’s up to you.
skim until clear. Check again after a few days of operating.
pecmsg
Re: Old-School Solutions
RayW, the orifice "trick" does work. I have used it a lot in my very small service area.
There is a chart for sizing based on the pressure applied. You can install such that will deliver 80% of rad EDR. You seldom need even 80% for most rooms.
These do what an adjustable controlling inlet valve do, if never tampered with, so you know what happens to those control valves. Constantly messed with or just drift their adjustment over time.
So open all the way and only get 80% EDR or have the ability to shut off completely.
I have often removed rad trap elements and not have a problem……..as long as the pressure is left set reasonably low.
JUGHNE
Re: Old house heating: Steam radiators or forced air?
@montysir Do everything you can to keep the steam. I grew up with it. As a kid, I remember how comfortable I was. When I moved out of my parents' house I have not been as comfortable. Having steam heat is terribly missed.
With an open mind and some imagination, those radiators can be made to look beautiful and can be a conversation piece for years to come.
You can even have each radiator heat each room on its own, adding to the comfort of your home.
And as for the so-called noises. Those noises can be eliminated, too.
Am I biased? No. It's just that I have lived through New England winters with hot water, warm air, electric heat, and steam.
Do everything you can to keep it.
Intplm.
Re: Steam-one boiler or two, and, Atmospheric vs Gun
The history of oversizing boilers is described in the LAOSH pretty well.
Starting with coal, which being not an exact science, had a lot of variables in btu quantity.
And then the next people never wanting to be under sized.
JUGHNE
Re: Is this a house trap?
Yeah Matt, why did they make the Homeowner do all the investigating & digging? Mad Dog
Re: would you replace these controls immediately or wait and see?
being immersed in water is quite different than a zone control being sprayed with fresh water.
mattmia2
Re: Steam-one boiler or two, and, Atmospheric vs Gun
back in the day no one measured the radiation. they sizzed it off the old boiler because bigger is always better.
Re: Steam-one boiler or two, and, Atmospheric vs Gun
One thing to consider if switching to atmospheric instead of power burners is the smoke pie size. This can be problematic in some situations. Typically the atmospheric boiler vents are approximately one third larger than the power burner boilers.
Re: Is this a house trap?
None of us expected there to be a house trap there.
Anyone with a little experience with drain cleaning should have been able to tell you that it was right there once they put a cable in there.
Someone probably added that y and pipe to the outside to make it easier to clean so they could clean it from the outside, possibly before the basement floor was poured, dirt floors in basements were pretty common until the mid 20th century or so.
mattmia2