2 radiators fighting for steam

steam83

i have a one pipe steam system i have 2 radiators that seem to be giving me most of the problems my large bedroom radiator will get  hot and the bathroom radiator will not and some times its the opposite they seem to be competing for heat the pipes seem to be next to each other on the main line coming from the basement any suggestion 

Unknown

Competing for Steam

You mentioned they are piped off the main close to one another`. Are they the last radiators on that main or are there other radiators further along the main? If there are radiators further along the main, do they heat properly? What I'm wondering is whether there is plenty of steam available and they are just competing locally or whether they are at the end of the steam supply and are competing for what ever steam is left. It probably means you need to slow some of the radiator venting a bit though which ones, depends on what the situation is. If it is lack of steam then you need to slow all the radiators on the main. If it's local competition then just the two competing with each other. "Vent your mains fast and your radiators slowly" Fixing this sort of thing is just educated guessing and trial and error.

- Rod

steam83

response

they are in the middle of the main one has a dole vari vent no.1a the other is a small radioator in the bathroom and does not have an adjustable vent also my pipes are not insulated due to the previous owner removing the old insulation to try to heat a semi finished basement which is cold and not insulated itself 

Unknown

Insulation a must!

Removing  the insulation was a big mistake. When the boiler in my house was renewed the knuckleheads that did it used the same excuse as to why the boiler piping didn't need insulation. I was told, "It will keep the basement warm and the heat will rise up into the house"  As this was contrary to what I learned in high school physics, I insulated the piping and it made a huge difference, far more than I thought it would. Insulate your piping and you will probably find your competing radiator problems go away and you fuel bill will improve.  With insulation, the idea is "the more, the merrier" however 1 inch seems the most practical from a heat /economic standpoint.

Here's a good article of Dan's on insulation: http://www.heatinghelp.com/article/11/Hot-Tech-Tips/300/Why-you-should-insulate-steam-pipes



If you need heating in the basement think about running a HW zone and radiator(s) off the boiler. Here's a couple of links on it : http://www.heatinghelp.com/article/11/Hot-Tech-Tips/201/Hot-water-zone-off-a-steam-boiler

- Rod

steam83

good source

any good sources besides the home depot to buy the insulation and were is a good place to start the insulation right from the boiler?

Unknown

Pipe Insulation Sources

Let us know where you're located and perhaps someone can suggest a source local to you.

You need fiberglass pipe insulation (for steam) which I'm not sure Home Depot has - at least my local one doesn't.

- Rod

Brian_74

Ferguson sells insulation

I got mine at my local Ferguson Enterprises. http://www.ferguson.com/index.shtml



Maybe you've got a better stocked HD than I do. My Home Depot/Lowe's only has the foam insulation for hot water pipes, which isn't what you want for the mains (and wouldn't fit anyway).

movin2gas

I'm not the original poster...

...but I could also use a source for pipe insulation, near Boston.



Thanks!

steam83

location

I live in Hawthorne Nj in passaic county 

jpf321

some HDs

some HD stores have "pipe-cover" insulation ... HOWEVER, they only have 1/2" and 1" is recommended .. don't spend your money on 1/2" at HD as it's not really worth the effort .. get 1" fiberglass pipe cover (insulation). 

Brian_74

Ferguson is nearby

I put both of your cities in the location finder using the link I posted, and there seem to be stores near each of you. I'm sure there are other choices. They were just convenient for me.

Unknown

Insulation

Usually by sniffing around a bit you can find a local insulation supplier. You need to measure up what you need and then go from there. In New England /NY area FW Webb is a major supplier in the P& H  field   http://www.fwwebb.com/



You also might want to take a look at Mc Master Carr  http://www.mcmaster.com

In the FIND window type the following page numbers (Numbers only - no brackets)

(3459)  "Rigid Fiberglass Insulation for Pipe and Tube"  - be sure to look at the sizing tables at the top of this page.

(3460) "PVC Insulation Jacketing for Pipe, Tube, and Fittings" - This is insulation for fittings.



I mention Mc Master Carr as their prices are usually quite reasonable and you can use their pricing to get an estimate of how well you are doing when pricing insulation from other sources. You shoudl be able to beat their prices in most cases espacially if you buy a reasonable volume and not piece by piece.

As I believe I mentioned earlier with insulation "the more the merrier" but generally the most insualtionhttp://www.fwwebb.com/ for the least money is 1 inch thick,. You don't want to go less than 1 inch as the benefit drops off FAST !   I've also attached a table with shows the circumference of pipe. Wrap a strip of paper around the pipe.mark it and then measure it and then check the table for the right pipe size. Double check this as you don't want to order the wrong size insulation!

- Rod

jpf321

expressinsulation

not too long ago someone posted www.expressinsulation.comas a source .. here is a link directly to their 1" Fiberglass page .. $4.95 for a 3ft length for 2in pipe blows the socks off the crap I bought at HD (1/2" crap for $7ea (3ft x 2in pipe)) I'd be curious to see if anyone finds a lower price.



Thanks for the link to the mcmaster site .. interesting to compare pricing .. they seem about the same on the fitting jackets but are much more expensive on the straight pipe .. note that the mcmaster site is showing pricing for RIGID pipe insulation which is probably why there is a price difference onthe straight pipe.

arches

shipping

check out the shipping price on the insulation. The local place I mentioned in another thread (Allstate Insulation) ended up being cheaper than expressinsulation after shipping.

Unknown

Shipping Costs

Good point! Shipping costs should  definitely be considered!

steam83

starting point?

where is a good place to start insulating and how close to the boiler can i get 

clammy

Hawthorne ,nj

Couple of places to go there's Henry's plumbing and heating supply it's located right on goffle rd .iwould recommend a miniun of 1 inch wall thickness ,no credit cards .Then there's  white and shauger  and they are located in paterson and they will take credit cards. Both of these places are real supply houses and they stock what is really used in the field ,white and shauger usually has a pretty good stock and i can usually get the plastic ell and tee covers also .Hope this helps peace and good luck clammy