Best Of
Re: Boiler not reaching desired heat levels
good point, it might help to know if this is a specific complaint from unit, and what the temp actually is in that unit. Possibly new tenants? possibly a window not shut tightly that used to be shut? anything at all that changes in the spaces that are not controlled by their own thermostat will change the temperature in that space over similar outdoor conditions from previous years
GGross
Re: Invisible leak, help please!
To find a water leak or a steam leak you need to think like water. If i was water and wanted to leave this system where would I go?
Was the new boiler pressure tested before commissioned? You may have a steam leak between the boiler sections. that is tested by overfilling the boile to about 18 to 24 inches above the water line. If there is a steam leak it will show up as a water leak when the water is that high. You may need to remove some of the covers and insulation from the sections.
Another popular leak is a return pipe that goes below the floor before it comes back up to connect to the boiler. I remember installing a boiler in a church that has a rotted out dry return the went thru a crawlspace before it got the the basement. the pipe was under about 6" of sand and was unable to be seen. After the new boiler was commissioned, the water feeder was one with a water meter. After one month of operation, the feeder registered 999 on the meter and shut off the boiler. By resettingthe 999 to 000 the boiler started right up. now I needed to find where 999 gallons of water went in a month. That is when I found the rotted away return, and it was rotted for some time… more that 5 years at least.
Replace the return pipe and WOW did the fuel bill go down. (the church's board members thought the new boiler was the reason for the savings… I didn't have the heart to tell then is was anything else. New boiler was money well spent.
Re: Invisible leak, help please!
After doing what Ed says, I plug all the vents with 1/8" threaded plugs and pressurize the system to about 15 pounds of air with a pump. Any leaks whistle. I usually find the radiator valve stems leaking, a few unions leaking along with the sight glass unions. Combined together, these can consume a gallon of water on a large system. The work usually takes about an hour and leaves us with a tight system.
Re: pavilion radiant heat
This^^^ plus one other consideration: keep the draught off of floor level. This means the patio or deck is surrounded by solid down to the floor railings. This arrangement works astonishingly well — I know of several outdoor swimming pools at ski resorts (the first one was at Mt. Snow in Vermont) which, while the water is warmed, have no other heat than the sun — and solid railings. And which are wildly popular.
Re: pavilion radiant heat
I don't think what you are describing will work well at all no. and you would really need to get that fire going a few hours before you went out there to feel anything on the floor, and even then I don't think it will get what you want, maybe in mild weather. i would mount an electric infrared heater above the cold area, and turn it on and off as needed. second choice would be a little propane infrared heater. They also make those little electric snowmelting mats that just plug in (various sizes, think welcome mat size pad), one of those right under your feet might be a cheap solution to try out but I'm not sure exactly how hot those get they are just meant to melt a little snow.
GGross
Re: How to best heat an attic with plumbing running through it?...
This option from @EdTheHeaterMan is the best solution in my opinion.
"#2 option is the safest way to do it but not the most efficient. You could get a thermostat that is set for 36° to open a damper on the furnace to let heat in the attic when needed. That will be a little more efficient."
Re: One Pipe Return Check Valves
Yup. Plus enough extra to overcome the check valve.
The hope was to keep water from backing out of the boiler perhaps all the way up into the mains — but the physics of that doesn't work out either (see some of @ethicalpaul 's comments on equalizers!).
Check valves were used in some of the more complicated two pipe systems, though — you can find examples in The Lost Art — in conjunction with some remarkable gadgets to get water back to the boiler if the boiler pressure got too high — but that is a very different situation.
Re: pavilion radiant heat
put a large enough wood stove and heat with just that, the radiation of a 300 degree wood stove will transfer more than an 85 degree floor
hot_rod
Re: pavilion radiant heat
I have some thoughts. first if the tubing is not too expensive, it won't hurt much to have it in there, though it will freeze if you aren't careful. I personally would not sign off on heating a space with canvas walls outside in the winter via a radiant floor. A draft house in a cold environment might require an 85 degree slab temp (thats on the really high side) to make the space warm. Imagine the slab temp required to heat an outdoor space in the winter, the slab will not like this, your feet probably won't like this, and you will need to keep it running pretty much all the time because to raise the temp in the coldest weather would take a long time. Instead, if you already have the wood heat available, and put the tubing in the slab, just run it like a snow melt. It won't make the space feel warm, but a slab that is 50 degrees or so over the outdoor temp might help somewhat, and in the shoulder seasons it might actually work for your needs. I wouldn't do this if I was paying for the fuel personally though!
If the goal is to feel warm while you are in the space, there will be nothing easier or more efficient than a free standing, or overhead style radiant heater. many electric options are available, and I believe gas models as well. If you ever go to a restaurant that has outdoor seating in the cold fall or winter weather you have seen these. You can turn them on and feel warm almost immediately after, then turn them off when you are not in the space. It would be my first choice if the goal is to just not feel cold outside.
GGross
Re: New boiler keeping us up all night!
Paul the reason i always push for insulation is aside from being put on before we where born and it does serve a purpose is .
1 Improve even steam distribution even w perfect main venting a uninsulated steam main will never deliver steam to the run out or rads evenly being it has to heat the main and run to a point where it not turn back to condensate plus it still may be steam but at a lower temp being its losing temp till the main pretty pretty hot
2 pipe grooving and leaks yes a steam main will always have condensate forming and running to a wet return or dry return .The issue is when a steam main is un insulated there is much more condensate being formed on start up till that main is hot . Most leaks i encounter on steam mains are usually on uninsulated mains just about always . And w always comes at the joints the thinnest section of the piping it aint a coincident, i would think . Yeah ya get leaks on piping sags water seating and undervented steam mains but usually the water hammer gets you there first
3 Waste of fuel . Plain and simple and i know this as one of the four noble truths . In a distance past i work for a bit doing oil service and installs and advised more then a few customer's upon there complaints about fuel usage and over bearingly baking basement to insulate the steam mains and take offs . I quoted them a price and did the work all where completely amazed at the total difference the insulated piping made from the basement not being 100 degrees to radiators that would never heat now are working . They also had the benefit of using less fuel and being able to lower there stats and finally have even steam distribution . Everyone of them reported using between 20 to 30 % less fuel . That may not seem like much but if your burning 4 to 5 gph its something .
4 Banging not everyone basement is sealed some are like a open barn door in which case you can except some banging from time to time ,cold pipes heating up vacuum forming and bang and again waste of energy
aside from all that its the right thing to do if you want to do it right as the dead men would have done and yes everyone hates insulation its itchy so what grow up man up and either do it or pay a insulation company to do it .
Here's some thoughts if ya think bout it in nyc every heating/cooling pipe on new work has to be insulated its energy code ,even if its low temp radiant .
drips bangs and leaks just food for thought
peace and good luck clammy
clammy