balancing one-pipe systems in condo buildings

steven E.HEAT

tekmar #269 windoor sensor and danfoss trv.say no more!!

McKern

I’m looking for info from pros regarding balancing single-pipe systems in condominiums. Uneven heating/overheated rooms and the need to control heating costs are perennial issues in my small condo (6 identical units, plus garden unit). I believe that the boiler is inspected every fall, but I doubt that the system has been balanced in years, e.g., in the 6 years I’ve been here, no one has ever checked the equipment in my unit. My questions:

Should our regular service company have recommended balancing the system at some point or is this something that isn’t brought up unless a customer requests it? Is this an indication that our contractor doesn’t really understand one-pipe systems?

I suspect that the process of balancing the system may raise issues with our bylaws, which stipulate that the components of the system that are within individual units are the property of unit owners. Therefore, the Association does not own and has little-to-no control over vents, radiators, valves, etc. I’ve been told that this is typical of condos. As anyone run into problems related to condo bylaws when servicing the building heating system?

Big Ed

Look in to......

...... a Heat Timer control set up and trv thermostats on all the radiator vents........Done!

Steamhead (in transit)

Here's a link

to one we did in a larger building. Our strategy was to deliver the steam evenly to all radiators, and let the owners decide how much heat the rads gave off. They love it.

http://forums.invision.net/Thread.cfm?CFApp=2&&Message_ID=195356&_#Message195356

"Steamhead"



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McKern

I'm surprised by the short answers! Based on Dan Holohan's article (http://www.heatinghelp.com/newsletter.cfm?Id=165), I thought that balancing the system was a multi-step project and that choosing vents was more complicated.

DanHolohan

You would benefit

by this:

Balancing Steam

McKern

Our building is much smaller, of course, but this (i.e., the Baltimore apt building) is more or less what I expected, in terms of the amount of work involved in balancing the system.

I'm confused by the shorter answers.

McKern

Oh, my! Straight from the proverbial mouth! I've been quoting you right and left to the condo board--including both the article you just referenced and "how to balance a one-pipe system."

As I mentioned, the short answers to my question surprised me, as does the fact that our service company has never raised the issue. I've been wondering if I have overstated the need to take a more comprehensive approach to dealing with the heating system and/or over-complicated what actually needs to be done.

Steamhead (in transit)

You do have to look at the whole system

that's what we do, and it works.

Where are you located?

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