steam system

Steamhead (in transit)

an old Chase Brass & Copper job. In the 1940s they heavily promoted their copper piping for steam and Vapor systems. If the copper system pipes are in good shape I'd leave them, but do NOT use copper in the near-boiler piping. The expansion stress will break the sweat joints. A dielectric union at the transition(s) from black to copper can't hurt.

As to the system itself- Christian is right, it's "Orifice Vapor". Since Vapor was the Cadillac of heating in its day, and this version has very few moving parts, it will be easy to work with. Keep the pressure low- typically 1/2 pound or so- with a Vaporstat. You will want to add proper vents to the ends of the steam mains- measure their length and diameter and we can tell you what you need. This will make sure the steam distributes quickly and evenly.

I wouldn't even consider converting it to hot water. Whoever originally came up with that idea obviously didn't understand steam. And converting could result in a nightmare- go here for more:

http://www.heatinghelp.com/newsletter.cfm?Id=22

Have you found any manufacturer's info on the system components (radiator valves, air vents, etc) that could help us further ID this system? Also, please take some pics and post them- we love this stuff!

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Bill Campbell_2

Steam System Questions

Looked at a steam system for replacement quote today. It's an old ARCO boiler (circa mid 1940s). There is a single 2" COPPER header coming off, one 1" main and one 1 1/4" main. All piping on this system is copper.These mains go around the perimeter of the basement. 1/2" risers come off the mains to the radiators. The radiators are very low profile (maybe 8x8 square--varying lengths). 1/2" return off the opposite end into 1" or 3/4" dry return mains, heading back to boiler. At the end of the supply mains, they drop down to wet return to boiler. There is an air vent at the top of this drop. There are no air vents on the radiators.
Questions:
1. Is this system simply pushing air through the radiators into the return piping to allow the steam in? Seems simplistic, but it's the only thing that makes sense to me.
2. We've kicked around the idea of converting this system to hot water -- using low mass boiler w/ indirect WH.--what challenges should we expect. It seems that it should work OK, similar to cast iron BB is my quess. My concern would be the size of the returns.
3. I've never seen copper piping w/ steam -- can I expect a lot of sludge in the return piping--especially the wet portion?

Bill Campbell
Campbell Comfort Systems
Thorofare, NJ
856-845-2100
fax 856-853-6067

Christian Egli_2

Trapped or trapless?

Your seemingly trapless radiators probably have orifices to control steam flow. This would make the only moving part on your system the simple air vent on the return. Not bad for things that can go wrong. This is a common setup.

Orifices don't work on water, they'll never let the masses of water through to the places you need the heat. Best not turn your back on this steam.

Copper piping is fine in the return lines, it's often found on the supply lines too, just that you have to mind for the extra expansion and the cost. It does not corrode like steel does and there is less or no sludge. Are any returns leaking?

Copper near the boiler is no good, often the sign of a botched header install. Rarely the proper large size. Thermal expansion and movements break either the boiler or the piping.

Go for a new boiler, properly sized to radiation, and an as called for in the instruction header layout and splurge on a new air vent, make sure also that it is big enough.