Steam smell coming from relief valve.

oil-2-4-6-gas

suggestion ---MOVE

Rob_54

Steam smell coming from relief valve.

I purchased a condo in a 60 year old 5 story building in the NYC area. The building is heated by steam. I am on the 5th floor and have a verticle pipe that runs from floor to ceiling in my bathroom. I was told it connects to rest of system above me. It gets so hot I had to put pipe insulation around the bottom portion. It also has a new relief valve that sticks out from the pipe near the ceiling. This hisses slightly when the heat goes out. It also produces an annoying steam type smell, sometimes almost fuel like. How do I reduce this smell? I thought about attaching a dryer softener sheet around the opening but was afraid it would get too hot and start on fire. Does anyone have any suggestions?

nicholas bonham-carter

steam smell

i'm confused--if you are on the 5th floor of a 5 storey bldg. what part of the system is above you?
this is probably an air vent which has been ruined by excessively high steam pressure.it should be replaced and the pressure turned down to ounces--not pounds!
please advise the condo [or coop] management that they are wasting lots of everyone's money by not having having the system properly adjusted.
get a copy of dans books on steam from this site and show it to the maintainance--it's price will be recouped in a couple of days savings after you follow his advice!--nbc

Rob_54

steam smell

Its a reverse, contineous flow or something. There is an attic above me that the pipe goes to and connects to rest of system. The valve which looks like an jet engine turned upside down was replaced last year. It still hisses loudly and produces the smell. I asked if they can remove and plug the hole but they said it will affect the whole system. Is that smell dangerous?

Steamhead (in transit)

That's an overhead or \"Mills\" system

named after John Mills, an early heating genius. Why they put the vent there is a mystery- it should be in the attic at the end of the horizontal run of the main.

Do your radiators have two pipes connected to them, or just one?

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Rob_54

That's an overhead or \"Mills\" system

There are two pipes coming up from the floor to the radiators in the rooms. One big pipe in bathroom from floor into attic.