No main vents - how to deal with

Prentice

I bought a house last spring built in 1929. It has one-pipe steam heat. There are no main vents in the basement. I looked at the piping very closely last night, and I don't see any evidence of where there could have ever been any main vents. The pipes down there are all very well insulated with asbestos (or so I was told by the home inspector) wrapped in foam foil-lined tape, so, I'm not eager to lift any of the insulation to look for plugged taps where main vents may have previously existed. I've already read "We've Got Steam Heat" and the Valve-sizing e-book. I hope to read "The Lost Art..." in the future. I have several questions:

1. How costly is it for a pro to come in and add main vents. Is this something I can do myself? (I'm very handy, and mechanically-oriented, and I'm trained as an engineer, but don't have the tools I'd probably need to do this.)

2. Being a bit cash-strapped due to my recent home purchase, I may not be able to afford (1). To compensate for that, I was thinking of adding Heat-Timer Varivalves since they vent the quickest (according to the vent sizing e-book), and I can also adjust them to help balance the heating throughout the house, too. Is this a good strategy? Are these valves much more expensive than simpler ones like Gorton?

3. How do I find a truly expert steam heating professiona to help with (1), and future need? I live in central NJ (near New Brunswick, NJ), if anyone can recommend someone.

I look forward to your responses.

Pb

nicholas bonham-carter

vent installation

a hole could be drilled and tapped for vents where the return comes back to the boiler. it's not too impossible a job, but i would wait until summer; then there will be no problem going without heat! or there may be a convenient union close to the end of the dry return which will allow their installation.

so you are for the moment forced to use the rads for venting. check with pex supply, or patriot supply, or state supply for vent pricing. when the piggy bank has recovered you will greatly benefit from having proper main vents in the future.--nbc

Michael Wilson

I'm not tooooooo far from ya...

Pb,
I'm about an hour from you, down by Fort Dix...

I would not mind traveling to work on a steam system, and estimates are ALWAYS free!

Mike