Tear out the whole riser or just the vertical riser ?

Steamhead (in transit)

is using a shorter nipple just below the angle valve. This may correct the pitch of that short horizontal portion enough to get the water to drain.

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Daniel_3

What to do?

So here are some pics of the situation. Cold to the touch about 3 feet from the main onto the riser during the heat cycle, asbestos on the vertical riser, water in the elbow to the angle valve, and who knows how many turns and twists till a straight shot in the pic that shows it coming out of the floor to the basement. I will obviously not do this myself but I'm wondering what would have to be done to correct the issue of stuck water above the possible corrosion clogging the elbow at the lowest point. I'm thinking that the whole thing from the top to the bottom should be replaced. I also gave a pic of the boiler install as well for kicks. Steam one-pipe system . . .Thanks, I'm just curious is all. This is a home that my friend owns. I tried to snake from the top but only got about 6-9 feet in. I really don't feel good about getting a regular "Joe" plumber for the job.

bob young

trapped line

> So here are some pics of the situation. Cold to

> the touch about 3 feet from the main onto the

> riser during the heat cycle, asbestos on the

> vertical riser, water in the elbow to the angle

> valve, and who knows how many turns and twists

> till a straight shot in the pic that shows it

> coming out of the floor to the basement. I will

> obviously not do this myself but I'm wondering

> what would have to be done to correct the issue

> of stuck water above the possible corrosion

> clogging the elbow at the lowest point. I'm

> thinking that the whole thing from the top to the

> bottom should be replaced. I also gave a pic of

> the boiler install as well for kicks. Steam

> one-pipe system . . .Thanks, I'm just curious is

> all. This is a home that my friend owns. I tried

> to snake from the top but only got about 6-9 feet

> in. I really don't feel good about getting a

> regular "Joe" plumber for the job.



the branch piping off main looks like it has proper pitch. you must locate where line is trapped & creating a physical water pocket & correct that. no sense changing anything that is unnecessary unless it helps make the pipe work easier. The boiler piping is a mess. ----header piping all wrong. check installation diagram, installing plumber definitely did not !!

Daniel_3

I knew that much, just looking at the piping gives me vertigo. How would one isolate where the water begins or stops? I know it begins at the angle valve. It could stop somewhere in the wall.

bob young

condensate trap

very simple. the condensate is draining up to the point it is pooling. cut the line in that spot & rework piping back to main ,maintaining proper grade at all times. utilize swing joints to insure pitch. but i am sure you knew that too. looks like about a two or three hour task. no biggie.

Daniel_3

Actually I work in a hospital and know only very little. I just knew that after seeing much work here I knew the near-boiler piping was very off. I figured the pitch like Steamhead stated could be the issue at the last horizontal pipe keeping the condensate back towards the angle like you said as well. I'll have to remove the floor boards to do this I think and luckily they run parallel to the piping. Maybe I could raise the angle valve and it's ten inch vertical up higher and then raise the rad up higher and this might correct the pooling? Maybe that sounds too sloppy of a job though.

Daniel_3

I'll try the nipple change and then I'll have to resort to pulling the floorboards if that doesn't work. You guys are the best of the best . . . hands down.

bob young

trap

did it ever work correctly ? when radiator was disconnected ,line may have dropped.screw piece of pipe in elbow & see if you can lift line up to restore grade.next open floor to examine horizontal piping connected to elbow.

Daniel_3

When the house was purchased the angle valve was just there staring back at us, no radiator attached and this was before I knew anything about steam systems. It seems the PO's took the radiator when they left or they never got that line working so they left it as is. I found a rad for that branch and it's clean through and through. It's gotten hot before but only on long heat cycles or cold nights. My friend says he hears banging beneath the floor. I haven't heard it myself but I suspect according to the evidence that it's water hammer in that short horizontal.