2 pipe steam system

Steamhead (in transit)

and that's what's pressurizing the dry return. Also, the vent on the dry return could be bad.

This is likely a Vapor system- the Cadillac of heating in its day and still one of the best out there. You may need a pro to troubleshoot this- where are you located? Try the Find a Professional page of this site, under Resources at the top of the page. If you're in the Baltimore area, contact us!

"Steamhead"

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Kris_4

2 pipe steam system

I have a house built in 1917 with a 2 pipe steam system. The incoming supply to the radiator is at the top, rather than the bottom of the radiator. For the most part, all the rooms get heat, except one. Replacing the trap has not helped, and upon removing the trap, took quite a while for the steam to run across the radiator even with the boiler on. Also, water went down the return line, but air bubbles were coming up from the return line. It seems to be pitched properly. Could this be a pressure problem?(but supply pipe is hot and no problems with adjoinging rooms) Or is there a problem with the venting on the return line. (But again, why just this room? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This is our third year in the house with no heat in that room.

Jamie Hall

As Steamhead notes

you most likely have a bad trap -- somewhere else. One can always try the ooh... AHH! test on the other radiators. Goes like this. When the system has been running for a while, go to each radiator and feel the return line -- the outlet. They will most likely be warm -- (ooh) -- but they shouldn't be as hot as the feed line (AHH!). If one of them is, that may be a bad trap.

If you can find a really good pro, that's wonderful. If you can't (for instance, in my neck of the woods), but you are handy, we may be able to help you more... they aren't that hard to fix, once you figure out what you need.

Do check the vents on the mains, too...