Best Of

You should find someone that understands that type of burner and make sure it is burning properly. In that type of installation the boiler and vent connector and chimney are all one system that affect how the burner burns. You can clock the meter to diagnose your current problem, I suspect either the regulator or the valve have gone bad and it is underfiring but ultimately you need someone good with combustion to look at it.

Also make sure the boiler is full of water.

You should be able to do this yourself if you have any mechanical ability.

However if you are like my brother-in-law then you should call a Pro.

You need to locate three valves. One on the expansion tank out of site on the photo.. another is the one that adds cold water to the system. The final is the drain valve near the bottom of the boiler. If you can locate them, We can help you. But you should still get the two books mentioned above, That is @DanHolohan retirement fund, since @Erin Holohan Haskell college fund is finished. (inside joke)

Some pictyures from farther back and at different points of view will help.

@Budward , where are you located? We might know someone who can help you with this.

There's a tank in the basement. Shows in his pics.

Drain compression tank?

Bleed radiators?

Boiler clean?

Burner working correctly?

That's pretty much it for a gravity system.

+1 on getting Classic Hydronics.

Purchase the books CLASSIC HYDRONICS and "HOW COME?", From the Heating Help bookstore and read them and read them again before you go anywhere near that boiler with a wrench.

Is there an open to air expansion tank in the attic or are the radiators used to act as the compression tank??

I have installed cove heaters is a room that got little heat from the central system.

The lady could not tell when it was on, but she was comfortable, but would notice it if it was not running because of the tstat being turned down.

Or at an adult height walking near one, you might feel some minor heat on your forehead. Nothing near the tanning bed.

Compared to selecting a proper cast iron radiator and having an experienced steam pipe install it, Electric wires are easy! Operating cost will be somewhat higher. And since you are already paying to heat the steam boiler, that difference can be substantial in the colder months. But this is only one room and therefore affordable. Just don't get the bright idea to do the hole house and scrap the steamer…

And I remember back when my parents were raising me, if I happened to touch a hot radiator and get a burn, out parents would say, "I guess you wont do that again"

So I would consider the parenting style of today and recommend the one that is high on the wall. By the time the toddler is tall enough to reach that hot radiator, hopefully they have learned to keep their fingers away from hot things.

Since it is an "up stairs" room, I would assume that the floor has a warm room below it, and the radiant value of the high on the wall radiator will work perfectly in your case. As far as how one works in comparison to the other, The rules of physics don't change from one radiator to another. One kWh of electricity will make 3412 BTUs. Can't change that.

You have a hand fired coal boiler that has been converted to burn natural gas.

You have huge amount of thermal mass in the boiler and radiators you will never have that in a new boiler unless you add storage on the return header entering the boiler sump.

Have the gas burner serviced and cleaned for now and leave the system as is.