boiler blowdown, vapor orifice, F&T traps

Steamhead (in transit)

may have things hidden inside them. Can you post a few pics? This would help us ID your system.

With ordinary-looking elbows it might be a Tudor, Richardson, O-E, ADSCO, Vapor Regulator Co, Thermal, Trane, Kriebel or even what I call a "vernacular" system, where a local contractor sourced parts from different suppliers and put everything together on the job.

You may or may not have F&T traps. They were used in some Vapor designs, but not all.

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Walt_8

boiler blowdown, vapor orifice, F&T traps

I just read "We Got Steam Heat" and have some questions. It's a two pipe system with what I think are vapor orifices at the end of each radiator (they just look like elbows). There are two loops around the basement near the ceiling, about 1/2 is hidden behind the finished part. The house was built in the 1920s. The boiler, gas, was new last year. The near boiler piping is correct, I believe. We get some water hammer and other pings and noises, but not alot, that I would like to get rid of and have a more efficient system. My questions are:
1) The boiler water was really dirty at the beginning of the heating season. With the help of the heating contractor and 4 flushes it is now very clear. I take off a cup or so from each of the 3 drain valves every couple of weeks with very little sediment. However, the boiler (Utica Boiler) instruction book says "...fill to water line, light, allow 5 pounds of pressure to build up, connect a hose from a drain line to a sewer,shut off gas, open valve and blow down entire contents, let boiler cool and repeat. OWNER SHOULD BLOW DOWN BOILER AT LEAST ONCE EACH MONTH DURING THE HEATING SEASON. My heating contractor thinks this is overkill (and looking for an accident. Should I do this or is what I am doing enough or should I do something else?
2) If there are ends of main and F&T traps they are behind a wall, but could there be a complete steam loop and a complete condensate loop with no F&T trap? Also, there is only one main vent (near the boiler). Would it help to have another vent on the condensate loop on the opposite side of the house? Do I need to find if there are F&T traps and if they are clogged?
3) All radiators heat all the way. I've checked and adjusted all the slopes on pipes and radiators that I could and they are pretty good. Do the vapor orifices need to be cleaned or replaced with traps. How do you clean them? I would do this or have it done after the heating season.