2 pipe steam system help

Joe_109

hello all

I have a customer with a 2 pipe steam system i think(1 pipe in,1 pipe out of radiator)is this correct?

If so,iam wondering if i can close one valve on one side of radiator and still get others to heat in house,the trouble iam having is they had their boiler replaced last year and i beleive one of the customers "handymen" and his helpers installed it and it is now causing havoc throughout the house,some radiators are not heating and some heating too much,i tried regulating the heating of the radiators with vent rite #1 adjustable vents yet they still pump out too much heat,is there any other way to adjust this,do they make a different style vent which might be better suited for thsi situation?

This is an old house with all old piping except at the boiler,i also believe some of the radiator valves may not be working correctly because when i close the radiator valves ,radiators are still getting hot,any help is greatly appreciated..I told the customer it might be best to contact someone who knows more about steam heat but they insist its me who takes care of it,so here iam trying to learn what i can,thanks for a great message board!

Chas_2

bad traps

from the sound of it ,it would seem you have some bad traps if you have air vents on some of the rads then you diffently have some promblems ,check the banner and hit systems then hit steam this should help you out a bit more if your really not familar with 2 pipe steam systems then you should maybe contact some one who is you can use the FAP resourch on this web site peace and good luck clammy

Unknown

Joe

If there are no individual air-vents(to the atmosphere), on each rad, it`s likely 2 pipe.

Dave

Steamhead (in transit)

What type of 2-pipe system

is it?

Most 2-pipe steam systems should not have air vents on the radiators at all. Air goes into the dry return lines and is vented from one or more central locations in the basement. Radiators on this system generally, but not always, have traps, water seals or other devices at their return connections.

But there is an exception, appropriately called the 2-pipe air-vent system. It uses air vents on the radiators but NOT on the return lines. Generally, radiators in this system have shutoff valves on the return connections as well as supply connections. But there is at least one exception to this as well (are we having fun yet?): the Moline vapor/vacuum system used shutoff valves on the returns, and did not use vents on the radiators.

Your best bet would be to take some digital pictures of a few radiators and the boiler room piping, as well as the boiler itself, and post them here. With these, we should be able to ID this system and give you some better advice.

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Joe_109

if you have air vents on some of the rads then you diffently have some promblems ?? Can you explain?

Joe_109

ahh i see,steamheads post did not come up before i posted last..thanks guys,i wil take some photographs and get back to you! thank you!

V8toilet_3

Handyman

You said a handyman installed it and ever since you've had problems. You should take pictures of the near boiler piping and put them on the wall for us to see. I suspect that it was done wrong, which definitely will cause the issues you are having.

You should also find out if the boiler is the right size. Go here to learn how to find out. http://www.colonialsupply.com/resources/radiator.htm