one pipe steam problems!!!!!

Mark_89

not offended at all, frustrated.... thank you for the help

jim_110

steam

Mark you stated that new floors were installed . Was this done on the first floor? If so , were the radiators removed to install the floor.If they were and the shutoff valves were not sealed during construction, crap from the floor installation may have entered and blocked the radiator shutoffs valves causing steam restriction.Just a thought Keep us posted.

ANDREW_12

> I can't get steam to all my radiators at once.

> Throughout the process of trying to fix problem,

> all of the radiators have gotten hot, so i'm

> guessing that there is nothing blocked. If I

> close the rads on the second floor, I can force

> the steam to the first floor, but not enough to

> heat the first floor to allow the thermostat to

> reach temp. to shut off. When i turn on the 2nd

> floor radiators, they heat up great, but the 1st

> floor stays cold....MY BOILER HAS BEEN RUNNING

> NON STOP FOR 2 WEEKS!!! Ive owned my home for 10

> yrs., and it has always, in the past, heated

> evenly. Here's what I've tried so far....

> I've checked all of the radiator vents, and they

> seem to be working properly. I've adjusted the

> vents to be more opened, more closed, every way!

> The slope of each radiator is ok, even

> exaggerated on a few, the slope of the pipes in

> the basement seem ok,... but still can't get the

> 1st floor hot. The pressuretrol is set at 1 cut

> in, and 2.5 at cut out. I have tried changing the

> settings to a higher cut in, lower cut in. I

> removed several radiators to see if there was a

> clog somewhere. I tipped them, and a minimal

> amount of dirty water was there(less than a

> quarter cup), I turned on the valve while i had

> the radiator off, and steam came out. All the

> pipes are insulated. I've had 3 techs here, 2

> were gas company techs, one of which is the tech

> that wired the burner after I replaced the spark

> controller and burner blower fan. When i first

> started the boiler in November it wasn't making

> the jet engine like sound when it was running

> like it used to. I didn't pay it any mind because

> everything seemed to be working...until it

> started getting colder, and the boiler wasn't

> keeping up. I think the tech reversed the hook up

> on the blower fan, because it just didn't seem to

> sound right, so after exhausting every option, I

> reversed the direction of the blower, and it's

> definately more of the jet engine sound now, but

> the heating problem persists! I called the gas

> co., and the tech had no idea what the heating

> problem is, but suggested raising the

> pressure...(knuckleheads!!), the 3rd, is a

> heating company tech, $82.00 per hour!!! ouch!!

> He seemed to know a little, he measured all the

> rads., and determined that my system is

> appropriately sized, and there are enough

> radiators to heat my home, which is 2100 square

> foot two story colonial. He suggested a new

> burner, $1500. I'm a little nervous about going

> that route because it seems to be getting steam,

> so I'm guessing it's hot enough, just not

> circulating properly. IS THAT A BURNER PROBLEM? I

> called him to tell him about the reversed blower,

> and he said it could have been the problem all

> along......but it's still cold on the 1st floor,

> 58*F, second floor is at least 70*F The

> heating system is a Weil-Mclain more than 15

> years old, and the burner is a Oertli gas

> conversion (45000-200000btu). All the main

> steam lines off the boiler are hot. I need to

> know what is the correct direction of the blower,

> clockwise, counter clockwise? Does the roar of

> the blower tell me the correct direction? It's

> easy to switch back and forth. Pressuretrol

> settings? PLEASE HELP!!!...IT'S COSTING ME A

> FORTUNE TRYING TO KEEP MY HOME WARM!!!



just a thought, i dont know this conversion unit but you say it is a unit that goes from 45,000 btus to 200,000.
if this is ajustible i wonder if it was changed to a lower setting. This sounds like it is not producing enough btus.
if any thing was cloged the boiler would at least shut off on pressure. cosmo had the right idea. clean the boiler, and pig tail and clock the meter for btus.

ANDREW_12

just a thought, i dont know this conversion unit but you say it is a unit that goes from 45,000 btus to 200,000.
if this is ajustible i wonder if it was changed to a lower setting. This sounds like it is not producing enough btus.
if any thing was cloged the boiler would at least shut off on pressure. cosmo had the right idea. clean the boiler, and pig tail and clock the meter for btus.

Mark_89

Does anyone know of a ONE PIPE STEAM HEAT SYSTEM EXPERT in the Springfield,MA area.. I need the Master of steam......have had 5 people look so far, no luck

ANDREW_12

I HEAR DAN HOLOAHAN IS PRETTY GOOD!!!

SORRY DONT KNOW ANY BODY IN THE AREA

Brad White

Call David Sutton in Southwick

David is in Southwick and is a Steam Wizard.

Brad White

David Sutton in Southwick

Posted above, just covering the bases. Have you tried David?