Best Of
Re: Radiator slow drip at the union of the shutoff valve
That drip is enough to account for most, if not all, of your water loss. Surprising how they add up.
Now. A quick review of how a union works. The actual seal is on a pair of mating surfaces behind that big nut. The two surfaces — one on the valve and one on the pipe (called a spud) coming out of the radiator — must mate very exactly to prevent a leak.
So. What you need to do is first turn off the valve. You don't want to get steam all over the place! Then loosen that big nut. If you imagine yourself sitting on the radiator, it will unscrew counterclockwise. If possible, use a big crescent wrench, not a pipe wrench, to avoid scarring it. It should unscrew completely and be caught on the spud. Now the fun part. You need to separate the spud from the valve, so you can clean the two mating surfaces. Whatever works. Clean the surfaces with something like the rough side of a dish sponge — never ever use sandpaper or anything abrasive! When you're happy and the surfaces are bright and shiny, push the radiator over so they are firmly seated. A union will not take up lateral or angular alignment problems, so make sure that the final alignment is perfect. Then hand tighten the unit nut and give it no more than a half turn more.
Good luck!
Re: Mod/con boiler - is exhaust vent noisy?
As stated in my original post, I am replacing both with a boiler and indirect water tank. :)
Re: It's freezing upstairs
I can vouch that Ed is definitely a friendly, helpful, dare I say lovable guy! He has given excellent free advice and is just wondering why you aren't taking it. It's OK to be cautious. But if you or someone else doesn't open that orange valve, your problem is not going to get fixed.
jesmed1
Efficiency of an indirect water heater
Probably isn't anywhere near what many assume. AI seems to way off with their prediction of 99% :)
A coil in a tank of still water is not such a great heat transfer mechanism. Certainly not 90% boiler efficiency even if you have a massive or duals coil indirect for the boiler to feed.
I'd guess not much better than a boiler with a tankless coil, when there is no circulation.
The heat transfer number is not so easy to pin down with so many variables.
EK has it right using a separate flat plate, leveraging two moving, turbulent flows with a lot of surface area.
With close approach sizing of a plate HX you could generate 120 DHW with 125° SWT to the plate HX. So now you could leverage the mod con 90% efficiency. But still the crappy heat exchange inside the tank. A dhw recirc pump would change the transfer efficiency.
Condensing tankless WH would be a higher transfer efficiency moving turbulent flow again.
And of course the near 100% efficient electric tank water heater. Better yet a properly applied HPWH.
Nothing against indirect tanks, but the hype may be overlooking the thermodynamics.
Then there is the pie in the sky standby loss numbers. An indirect tank at 120F in a room at 80F skews those numbers. Put the indirect next to the combustion air grill and see how that less than 1° per hour works out. Ive been in boiler rooms with snow drifts below the combustion air grills.
hot_rod
Re: Mod/con boiler - is exhaust vent noisy?
Duravent sells flexible venting that can be dropped down the chimney, and a kit that comes with a chimney cap, and the transition pieces to get to and from rigid polypropylene vent pipe. I would go that route, the poly vent pipe is a bit more expensive than PVC, but it is actually rated for the flue gas, and the flexible stuff is much easier to drop down a chimney in one solid piece, you can just use PVC for the intake.
GGross
Re: Need help balancing a single pipe steam system in Queens, NY
You don’t want leaking vents that don’t close under low pressure or you waste $, radiator won’t get fully hot and cold water makeup will affect boiler with minerals and lower efficiency. If you tap a leaving vent when under pressure , and it stops or doesn’t , replace it immediately . Try a bucket of Vinegar to soak and de lime it , usually won’t work as well. Main boiler vents need to seal fast, leakers go. I could write a book on balancing . IR thermometers are good but have an accepted temp inaccuracy of usually 2 or more degrees . Accuracy is not digital unless you spend for a commercial quality set up. Coldest radiator now, be sure radiator has a pitch to valve . Double Gorton D vents , one top one middle. A piece of foil faced 1-1.5” foam board screwed to wall, foil facing in, stops heating exterior walls and in my test can raise a room 1f. The foil reflects to the room radiator Radiant Heat, Radiant Heat might be 40% of heat output. Stop heating exterior walls with no insulation! Are basement pipes insulated ? Insulate. The list goes on and on .
leaking
Re: Need help balancing a single pipe steam system in Queens, NY
I own a 12 unit one pipe Chicago . Best is you lean what’s going on and DIY. What I needed to do took years since I don’t live there and I had some apartments gutted and walls brick foam insulated . If I hired a pro it would have cost many many thousands and I would not be happy. Old buildings systems were not always designed right as Coal was cheap. So you just heated it. Gorton D only belong on a few coldest radiators . Hottest get 4 , some I can cool get aluminum tape and a pin hole making it a 3. Average normal is a 5 to start. First get a one or two certified glass thermometers from Grainger for about 30$ , then I got Taylor glass thermometers that I can loosen the glass and calibrate all to the main known thermometer and glue down. A multi room wireless thermometer can help also. So you know what you have . All radiators need a Pitch not level . Old buildings settle and mains need a pitch - not level. Then figure most old vents are clogged and not good. If they don’t completely seal when hot you loose heat and waste energy and boiler water. Do valves leak? Repack them, then start with Gorton 5 . Coldest I sometimes double vent D, one top one middle. Top vent gives of less heat change . Hottest radiator gets 4 on top or foil tape and pin hole making it a 3. Coldest a Double vent one top one middle remember, a middle vent gives more heat than top vent. Write down temperature before you start , keep track of it. There is alot to do and this explanation is way to short at 3am but I’m taking the dog for a walk it’s 15f out, zero wind chill Chicago. It Will never be 100% at all temperatures outside . But it can be real close.
leaking
Re: Mod/con boiler - is exhaust vent noisy?
The exhausts are generally quiet in my opinion, and that would not be my primary concern here. I would not want the exhaust near somewhere I actively use, even smallish boilers can put out a ton of exhaust and it is not good to breathe in. Remember code is the MINIMUM, and in the case of these exhausts it truly is minimum, figure the exhaust at high fire can come out at least three feet from the vent pipe and then it gets blown around wherever the wind takes it. If the boiler manufacturer allows it I would want the flue out the chimney, and the intake pulling from a clean area on a wall, as much as you don't want to breathe in the exhaust, your boiler also does not want to pull in its own exhaust, or paint fumes etc.
GGross
Re: Mod/con boiler - is exhaust vent noisy?
there are kits for using an existing chimney that may work. I would not exhaust it near that door
hot_rod