Best Of
Re: Do I replace my 75 year old in-floor radiant, or do in wall radiant?
And you have a basement under this concrete slab? That is very unusual.
In my area there are many homes that were built in the 1950's and 1960's with copper tubing embedded in a concrete slab. Of the roughly one thousand homes with this type of system, I would guess about ninety percent are still in operation. Boilers have been replaced in all of the ones I have seen. The replacement boilers appear to last about twenty five years on average, really depends on maintenance and of course how much make up water is added.
Re: New House, New Problems- Introduction and seeking help on new to me steam
There is a picture of it above. It isn't great. The problem really is that there is no place for any carryover to go other than back in to the outlet of the boiler to give they exiting steam another chance at throwing it up in to the main. there is no header but there is a fairly tall riser so it will separate there but the lack of a header means it goes back in to the outlet of the boiler instead of in to the equalizer and in to the return. That actually is probably why it was ok with terrible venting, the pressure was slowing the steam down but now that it is open it can pull water with it.
mattmia2
Re: Does metal radiator cover affect performance? Absorbs heat or passes it along?
So the metal casing will absorb but then pass along the heat to the room?
Re: Corroded return pipe
if it never bangs I wouldn't bother with the close nipple. it is supposed to be a close nipple but that makes it a much bigger project. If it is 1 pipe steam the supply and return are connected out in the system and it should never need to equalize so steam should never get down the equalizer in the first place.
mattmia2
Re: Adding manifold help needed
Note to any contractors tuned in.
On unknown or DIY systems always get a signed disclosure indicating what the potential outcomes are, or are not.
If a competent load calc and design ( pex manufacturer, wholesaler, rep, design software print-out) cannot be provided, assume the worse.
This is a classic case of you don't know until you go.
hot_rod
Re: Steam Boiler Help
oversized boiler or not, the Ptrol should be controlling the pressure, fix the ptrol and pigtail,
neilc
Re: Adding manifold help needed
If you do end up adding supplemental heat, consider panel radiators. The behave more like a radiant system, and generally use lower water temperature.
With a condensing boiler you want to avoid high temperature fin tube type. Although there are high output versions.
Panel radiators are radiant and some convection heat transfer.
hot_rod
Re: Do I replace my 75 year old in-floor radiant, or do in wall radiant?
Almost certainly there is no insulation under that concrete. Unless you're prepared to take it all up and retrofit insulation I'd say abandon it and go with wall radiators or baseboards.
Re: How to Remove Sweat Unions
I think that the new AM 101 valves use fiber seals which is why I wet them before installation. As stated the surfaces of the fittings must be cleaned because the old fiber seals sticks to the surfaces. I use a fine file to remove the debris (the old gasket still stuck to the fittings) and wet & dry sandpaper to finish the cleaning of the surfaces. I don't replace the nuts, just the valve body + gaskets and have never had a leak.
You have hard water which gums up the valve and interferes with its regulation. I don't spend the time cleaning valves as it is uneconomical. I just replace them.
