Banging in Vapor System

Cold in Rochester

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site and am in need in some serious expert steam advice. I own an 1890s home in Rochester, NY that has a Warren Webster Type R vapor system.  I have the following symptoms: banging when the system calls for water; lots of calls for water; and more banging when the cycle ends.  



I believe the symptoms started when a previous owner replaced the boiler.  It was replaced in 1992 with a gas-fired HB Smith G210B-S-7(225,000 BTU/hr.)  The boiler was piped in with copper and connected to the in-place cast iron system.  I've attached pictures, but thought I should explain them. If I have my understanding correct, my system is piped like this.  A 2 1/2" copper pipe comes out of the top left side of the boiler and and another out of the top right side of the boiler. The two pipes then meet together in a T over the top of the boiler.  (The pipe on the right also has a ball valve on the end after the T that goes up to meet the pipe from the left side.)  The T where the 2 pipes from the sides connect goes up for about a foot and then makes 3 turns (between the 2nd and 3rd turn there is a small copper pipe that attaches to the cast iron piping going to the Webster boiler trap return.) The pipe then goes up for 1/2 foot before it turns again and makes a Bullhead T with the equalizer.



The only things I've done to the system is replace all of the radiator traps and turn the pressure down from 6 pounds to .5 pounds. I also drained the sludge out of the boiler. (The previous only never did it and the glass tube  was filled to its top with crap.)  Those things decreased my heating bills by 30%,increased the amount of heat we got, and decreased some of the banging.



The Hartford loop wasn't changed at all with the change in boiler, so it is higher than my current water level.  And I just read the directions on the Webster boiler trap return (which wasn't moved in the new installation.)  It states that it should be placed 5" higher than the water level. The new boiler is obviously shorter than the old one, as the trap is 1.5-2 feet higher than the water level, so this might be another problem.



Last week, I had a steam guy out to look at the works.  His first recommendation was to move the Hartford loop to the right height. He says that it is causing the boiler to short cycle and also the end of cycle banging.   I'm sure this needs to be fixed, but wonder if we are taking out our tools prematurely, that is, before we understand the whole system. I'm concerned about how to approach this.  I don't want to be taking it apart before we understand what we are doing, as I'm sure there is more than one problem. How would you guys approach this system? I was thinking that we should start at the beginning and make sure I have the right boiler to begin with.  I would hate to pay for re-piping only to find out that I need to replace a too big/small boiler. And if the boiler were the right size, where do we go next?  



I'm just a gal who wants to turn on the thermostat and get heat. I'm overwhelmed. I don't want to read anymore of Dan's books. I don't want to be a steam expert, but if I have to I'll go to  Dead Men's Steam School.



Here's hoping for a warmer home with your help,

Ellen



PS Extra credit for locating in the picture  the backflow preventer that was installed upside down.:-( 

Jamie Hall

Ye gods...

It's a little hard to tell where to start...



Although I will say that the piping for your boiler, as it is currently set up, is... um... unconventional.



First things first.  You mention lots of calls for water.  Calls for water?  Or calls for heat?  I'm hoping it's calls for heat you mean.  This may mean that the system is "short cycling" -- which in turn would mean that the boiler is bigger than it needs to be.  The only way to be sure of that is to determine the amount of radiation (the "EDR") which your house has, and compare that to what the boiler is rated to produce.  It is possible that the boiler is too big; that's not that unusual on replacement boilers.



The banging is almost surely water hammer.  Water hammer will occur any time that significant amounts of condensate can build up in a steam line and has nowhere to go.  That size boiler, in my humble (?) opinion, should have much more header, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if a good bit of the problem couldn't be traced to that near boiler piping.  It is also quite possible that there are sags in the older piping or that, for other reasons, water is getting trapped out in the system -- but we can look at that later.



And the third serious problem is the water level.  Steam, and particularly vapour steam, systems are peculiarly sensitive to water levels.  Since it is probably impractical to raise the boiler, you may find that you need a false water line in the return to the boiler, so that the rest of the system "thinks" the boiler water level is where it should be.  That is explained and diagrammed in Dan's books; I don't really blame you for not wanting to get too involved yourself, but you might try making the suggestion of a false water line to your steam man (I do hope he's good).



So... my first suggestion would be to get the near boiler piping -- all of it -- straightened out properly.  In threaded black iron, please, not copper.  I don't think that that HB Smith is so old that you can't get -- or your steam man can't get -- the manufacturer's installation piping diagrams.  Follow them.  That will probably also include changing the Hartford Loop.  Then have your steam guy build a false water line to bring the system water line up to where it should be -- which will take care of the placement of that Webster boiler return trap, without moving it.



You also ask how I would approach this... very cautiously!



Hope some of the others chime in to help...

Cold in Rochester

Water

Yes, Jamie it calls for water because I guess there isn't enough to make heat.   On cold days, it seems as if every 15 or 20 minutes the boiler stops and the automatic water feeder sends water into the system.  I can hear the water being added and the resulting water hammer.  It is awful.



Looks like I'll be reading up on false water lines.  Thanks for your help, Jamie.



Ellen

Brian_74

Is the water needed?

I'm a little hesitant to respond, Ellen, since it sounds as though you know more about steam heating than I do, but here goes…do you know whether the calls for water are actually needed? As far as I could tell in the photograph, the water level is fine. If the system actually needs more water so often, I would say that you need to first find the leak. If it actually doesn't need the water (as determined by looking at the sight glass), then there's something wrong with the automatic feeder.



Sorry if this is all obvious to you.

JStar

Wow.

That boiler room is like a Where's Waldo book. Where do you even start?



Almost every bit of near boiler piping is wrong. I would take the existing cast iron Tee out of the main to eliminate that bullhead, and start from scratch. You can find generic steam piping diagrams from any manufacturer. Then just match up the pipe/header size for your boiler.



My guess on the cause of water hammer is two points in particular...



1. The "equalizer" is allowing steam to enter the returns, and not letting the condensate back to the boiler.



2. The mess of near boiler piping is causing a lot of unsteady water, and wet steam.



I wouldn't even try to fix a single part of the piping. It all needs to be changed. With a 16 year old boiler, it might be time to change that at the same time, too. And don't let anybody do the installation who can't tell you everything that is wrong with the way your piping is now.



Where the return enters the equalizer is probably the right height for a false water line. Depending on where the closest fittings are, you can flush that line out and keep it up to the highest elbow before the reducing tee.

Jamie Hall

Leak

You shouldn't be having to add water more than a gallon or so a week; if the feeder is adding water every 15 to 20 minutes, something is very wrong somewhere.  Either the feeder is nuts or you have a serious leak somewhere.  As Brian noted (he's got better eyes than I do!) if the water on the gauge glass is standing somewhere in the middle -- so long, in fact, as it is an inch or so above the bottom -- there is enough water in the boiler.



Possibilities: the water level is surging so much when the system is firing that the automatic feeder thinks that water is needed, although it isn't.  This will overfill the boiler, and water will get into the mains and bang like crazy.  Or, the automatic feeder isn't working right at all, and overfilling the boiler.  As above.  Or you have either a steam or a water leak; a steam leak might not be obvious until you look at the chimney -- if you see a lovely cloud of steam going out the chimney, there is a leak from the steam or water side of the boiler into the firebox.  New boiler time.  There could also be a steam or water leak somewhere in the piping...



If the automatic feeder is adding too much water, either from surging or because it's bonkers, the water level will be much too high in the sight glass when the boiler is off.



Don't know just where I'd look first, but I guess I would just watch the sight glass while the system is running and see what it does for starters...

Rod

"Unconventional" Boiler Piping

Hi Ellen-

   Well it sounds like you’re going in the right direction. Lowering your steam pressure helped a lot and getting the traps working makes a big difference. Now it would seem your next program would be getting your steam supply straightened out. As Jamie mentioned politely your near boiler piping is “unconventional” and is probably the source of most of your problems.



You said you have read Dan’s books, which of his books do you have? If we know which ones you have we can reference a page number or a diagram to help you out.



This constantly adding water isn’t normal. It may mean that you have a leak somewhere. Check around the base of the boiler and on the return lines which return the water to the boiler, for signs of pooled water or dampness. Do any of the lines (pipes) go underground? 



I can’t say that I really have much confidence in your steam guy as there are a lot of things that he should have immediately noticed and pointed out to you. One of the many things that stands out is that you have an  “opposed header”. This is a big “NO- NO “ and is discussed on Page 51 of Dan’s book, “The Lost Art of Steam Heating”.  I’ve attached a diagram “Opposed Header”and as you can see the two steam streams coming out of the boiler collide with each other which is inefficient and causes “wet steam”.  I have also attached another diagram of a typical header configuration. Note that the steam streams (red arrows) and condensate streams (blue arrows) go in the same direction and don’t conflict with each other.



As Jamie mentioned it’s a bit hard to tell just where to start. On the good side from what I can see in your photos it shouldn’t be too hard to straighten out.  I think what you need to do is keep looking around for a good steam pro.  A good steam pro could straighten out your system pretty quickly.  Any one know somebody good in the Rochester area?

- Rod

The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

How that boiler should be piped...

This is probably the same model as yours, just a bit smaller.  In my humble opinion, the tall hartford loop rarely is a problem.  The water constantly filling is a very big problem.  I'd look for a steam professional in the find a contractor  section of this site.

I also travel for consulting, if you are interested.

gerry gill

Holy smokin bejeberz

that installation of hers hurts the eyes..i really hope she takes your up on a consulting trip...yikes..nothing like building the problems into the system..

Cold in Rochester

Water issue

Brian, it seems as if the water is needed. It doesn't add a lot each time but during the heating season I do continually drain some water as the water level slowly rises above the water level marking on the boiler side.  I've checked for leaks and don't see any, but that doesn't mean I haven't missed something.  With a dry and wet return and 16 radiators I could have missed something.  Lets just say that there are no obvious leaks.



  

The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

Those kinds of installations.....

will either keep us busy or kill the steam heating industry.  I just was speaking with a very good heating contractor and he told me about a supply house which did what I have thought for years suppliers and manufacturers should be doing...cut off contractors with reputations of bad installs.  Its about time! That supplier will be getting a call from me soon to set up an account.  They have some ethical standards.

Cold in Rochester

New boiler too? Gulp!

JStar, after reading more in Dan's books I had a sinking feeling that most of the piping was wrong.  Yesterday, I drew a line drawing of my system and then sat down with Dan's books to see what should be fixed.  I could see the differences but couldn't tell what problem each wrong pipe would cause.  I'm overwhelmed to think that this problem would need all new piping AND a new boiler. How long do boilers last?    

Cold in Rochester

New boiler Too? Gulp!

 

Cold in Rochester

Opposed header issue

Rod, I have Dan's "Lost Art" book and "We Got Steam Heat" and I can see very clearly the problem of the opposed header.   All my near-boiler piping can be described as a giant NO-NO.  It seems as every copper pipe was located incorrectly.  Ellen

Cold in Rochester

What a beauty!

Boilerpro, that photo is a sight for sore eyes! ( I can't believe I'm lusting over steam piping.)  Is that system a vapor system?  I can't see piping to a boiler return trap. 

Ellen

Cold in Rochester

What do I do now?

Everyone thanks for your expertise...so now what?  I think you are all in agreement that the piping is completely wrong.  Do I take out all of the copper piping and keep the current boiler?  How do I know if I need to replace the boiler?  How long are they supposed to last?  What would you do if you were only going to be in the house for 5 years?

For me, the result I want is quiet heat without spending a fortune.  Is that possible? 



Ellen

Rod

Boiler Sizing

Hi Ellen-

   You're definitely on the right track in drawing out your system and identifying its parts. One, it will give you a better understanding and two, that knowledge will give you an idea of what needs to be done and  will help you qualify whether the the "pro" you are talking to really has a clue as to what they are doing.

You might want to also figure out the total EDR of your system as this helps you figure out the size of the boiler that your system should have. I've attached a worksheet that should help you with this. 

- Rod

Cold in Rochester

Heat loss calculations & boiler sizing

Rod,

First of all, thanks for the behind the scenes work.  Patrick McGrath forwarded your email with your request for a Rochester contractor for me.  Two weeks ago, I found Patrick on this site and sent him the same request.  (We've since become steam heat buddies...group therapy works!)  He did recommend  a pro and that guy did come out to see my system. He initially recommended fixing the Hartford loop.   I just got off the phone with him and we both agreed that we should begin with heat loss calculations and boiler sizing, so your response is timely.  I understand that in this business the customer wants to see you repair something.  It doesn't make sense to the layman to pay a pro to measure square footage and the sizes of the your radiators, that likes paying for a car repair estimate.  My pro seems very happy to know that I want to start looking at the system from the beginning. It is the path he prefers but can't always get the customer to go along. 

Additionally, thanks so much  for the boiler sizing chart, it will definitely come in handy.

Ellen

Rod

Boiler Replacement

Hi Ellen-  I am glad to hear you are in contact with Patrick as he has gone through a similar situation and I thought he probably would have some info on the local scene that would be beneficial to you.

I think the first thing to do would be to find out where the added water is going and if in fact it is a leak in the boiler and/or in the return line.  To test out the boiler you fill it completely with water when it is cold and then watch for leaks, This is usually best done by a pro that has experience doing this type of test, While boilers can last a long time if properly maintained, your boiler is 18 years old and from what you say hasn't been properly maintained so if it were me I'd consider a new boiler as there is no sense fixing the piping to this boiler and then in another 6 months the boiler fails. From the neglect of previous owners it is in fact rather surprising that your boiler has lasted this long.



Fresh water is hazardous to boilers as it contains excess dissolved oxygen which can be very corrosive to the boiler, When adding fresh water to a boiler, always bring the boiler to a boil as this drives off the excess oxygen. The Hydrolevel VXT is mentioned in "We Got Steam Heat"  and is good keeping track of water consumption so you may want to consider installing one if you put in a new boiler, http://www.hydrolevel.com/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=



Replacement Boiler- I don't know if you run across this yet but here is a good article by Dan on boiler replacement.   http://www.heatinghelp.com/article/236/Homeowners/1490/How-to-have-a-boiler-replaced-without-getting-steamed

Generally heat loss doesn't have anything to do with it. Basically you have so many steam radiators in your house which have the capacity for a certain total amount (volume) of steam and you size the boiler to provide that amount of steam (plus the "pickup factor Page 73-75 -"The Lost Art..."...  While you're at it you might want to read the whole of Chapter 6 )     Choosing the right size boiler and manufacturer is something you want to do carefully. 

- Rod

The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

No,......

just a simple one pipe steam system.

Cold in Rochester

Lots of reading to do

Rod, thanks for the continuing advice.  I've printed Dan's boiler replacement article and marked Chapter 6 in his book and I'm off to do some reading.  I see I still have a lot to learn and that's why I searched out the expertise on this site.  

I understand that the added water is an issue that needs to be addressed.  You make some good suggestions that I will have to talk to the contractor about.  I am concerned about the possibility of correcting the pipes only to have the boiler fail shortly thereafter.  That would probably be the most costly solution.



Ellen

clammy

Water level ,hartford loop

I would say lower the hartford loop to the correct height for the boiler and check the height of your end of the main drips to ensure that they have a water seal if not then install a false water line ,i would gather the false water line would have to be a litttle higher then that existing hartford loop ,are all your wet returns exposed or are they buried in the concrete.if they are buried i would get a hydrolevel svt feeder and record water use ,on another note if you see your return drips tie together above your existing  boilers water line then this would explain why you take on water while the boiler is running and also when the system cycles off do you end up with a much higher water level in the boilers site glass or the boiler flooded if so you need a false water line or if the returns are in concrete have them repiped above the floor and the drips tied together at a lower height then no false water level would need to be installed.As the boiler is 16  years old or so and probalby been running like this for quite  a while it would be better to bite the bullet have it all done new returns ,venting,cross over trap if you have them   and a nice oversized drop header and have that bull head tee removed from the steam main and a properly sized steam boiler , a nice svt auto feeder ,vaporstat and some 1 wall fiberglass pipe insulation for all that new near boiler piping ,it's a big meatball but then it's done   mint  and chose your steam guru wisely he should be able to explain every thing and should not miss any thing that might be a promblem and please remenber it has a gravity return it does not need a condensate pump if they suggest that please show them the door they might be to lazy to repipe the returns .i know i have seen it before and will see it again wishing you the best of luck and keep making your steam brain bigger it is your best defensive against steam wanna be gurus peace and good luck clammy

Cold in Rochester

Yet another problem I hadn't considered...

Well, Clammy, you brought up an issue I hadn't even thought about, my return lines.  I just took a tour of my basement and saw that almost all of my wet returns are at or above my boiler water line.  I took a picture of some of the returns that are joined together in a doorway.  The 2 returns (the higher one is 29" high) join and then drop to cross the bottom of the doorway and on the other side they go back up to  25" and continue around my basement at that height until they drop to the ground to meet up with the boiler.  So, not only are my returns high, they drop and then rise again. 



As for your recommendation to bite the bullet....I started with what I thought was a small (read: inexpensive & easy to fix) complaint.  Let's just say we are a long way from there.



Thanks for your help,



Ellen

Jamie Hall

I love it!

I have a couple of those go along, drop and go back up returns too!  But the bottom line on them -- they must be wet or repiped.  I see two choices: repipe all the returns and drops so that the returns are all below the current boiler water level, and all the drops join the returns below the current water level, or...



install a false water line to bring the water level back up to where it was when the system was originally piped.



I'm not sure which would be easier in your setting -- but I'd kind of be inclined to pick the false water line.



What is that old saying about a can of worms?  If you open the can...  but keep at it -- you're doing fine!

Rod

Wet Returns

Hi Ellen- I'm not quite sure what to tell you and I don't want to confuse the issue. Jamie makes a good point about just doing a false water line. Perhaps the best thing is to present the options to you and then you can find out what the cost would be to do them and then you can select your best option from there.

 First of all replacing the wet returns is fairly quick and easy and can be done in copper of a smaller diameter than the pipe that is now there. In fact a lot of the pros prefer to use copper for wet returns as it is less likely to clog up and easier to work with.



 I have added some numbers and letters to your pictures to help clarify the following remarks. In the first picture, the pipe in the down loop across the door at "P" would collect dirt so I would suspect it is pretty well clogged.  In the second picture I outlined a possible new wet return in red. It should run, preferably with a very slight pitch towards the boiler, all the way along the floor to the base of the Hartford Loop.

Depending on how high the original water line ran, pipes "2" and "3" may also be clogged up. (You'll be able to tell their condition when they are opened up)  It maybe that you want to eliminate the horizontal "3" and instead continue at ground level "4" till you reach where "3" goes vertical. Then you can drop vertically directly into the new pipe "4".  You may want to make the same consideration for pipe "2" that is, eliminate the mid level horizontals. 

I imagine at this point it's all a bit overwhelming but look at it this way you've come a long way knowledge wise and will be able to make knowledgeable decisions on the path you want to take. 

- Rod

Steamhead

I'd say that system

is pretty well knuckleheaded. You've gotten a lot of good advice here, and if you can't find someone up your way I do consulting too. Boilerpro would also be a good choice. It's important to have someone look at this system who knows how it ought to be.



I also have a book of Webster diagrams that I haven't had a chance to scan yet, if you need anything just yell and I'll see if I have what you need.



That Type R will purr once it's straightened out. You can't beat a Vapor system!

Cold in Rochester

Some expensive education!

Well, Jamie, what I am learning here is that ignorance really is bliss!  I came home last night to your post and it all finally hit me.  I just sat in front of my computer and cried.  (Now, it didn't help that I just came from a college financial aid seminar for parents of 12th graders.  Perhaps, that is what I was really crying about.)  All I know is that every time I post something on this site the price of my repair increases.  I have yet to find one thing on my boiler replacement that was installed correctly, and I'm guessing eventually  I will find out that the boiler isn't even the correct size!



Ellen

Cold in Rochester

Can you say "money pit?"

Hi Rod,

I assume that the pipe at "P" is clogged.  There is a clean out attached to the pipe. In the original picture, it is the dark spot to the left of your arrow for "P."  I've attached a new photo of the valve looking directly at it from above.  I can't imagine anyone has used it.  It was installed in the concrete floor by chipping out a big enough spot to attach the valve but not big enough to attach anything to the valve.  So, unless it is designed to flood my basement, I assume no one has used it. (Also, I see that the clean out is filled with dirt.)



Like you, I also thought that the proper repair would be to lower the returns.  Since all of the returns are high maybe I would benefit from lowering all of them. (There is more than the ones you see in the photo.)   I did a quick measurement of the returns and I have about 72 feet of returns at the wrong height.  Just typing that figure has raised my blood pressure. 



By the way, thanks for your thoughts.  Way back in my first post, I naively thought I could fix this system for a reasonable amount of money.  There is no going back now...I am no longer a newbie.

 

I'll sign off with the words that the house inspector wrote about my system when I purchased this house: "The steam boiler was tested briefly and if maintained properly the boiler should provide many years of serviceable life."  These are his only words concerning my heating system.  I want my $300 back.



Ellen

Jamie Hall

Keep your chin up!

I can easily see why all this might be -- to put it mildly -- dismaying, especially on top of that dread 12th grade how do I pay for college seminar! 



I hope you didn't really sign off -- as I have two thoughts.



First, getting a vapour system like yours running well, while not cheap, should not be an overwhelming expense -- and while I can't offer a guarantee, I would be inclined to say that it is one of the very few things one can do which really will pay for itself in a reasonable length of time (though maybe not quite before your high school senior is a proud college senior!).



Second, if you can, take Steamhead up on his offer, or maybe Boilerpro.  I know Steamhead would come and take a look.  No, he's not free, but he's one of the very best in the business, and could help you and a local man come up with the best way to get the old girl really singing.

Cold in Rochester

Missing service bulletin

Hi Steamhead,



I was wondering if you have a Warren Webster service bulletin that I'm looking for.  All of the pdfs posted on this site concerning my Type R system look like marketing materials.  In small print on each one they state: "Service Bulletin S-650 giving complete mechanical details of the Webster Type "R" System is available to supplement the brief description on this page. Popular 'Don Graf' data sheets are also available for those desiring information in that form."  Would you have Warren Webster Service Bulletin S-650? 



Thanks,



Ellen

Rod

Configuration Idea

Hi Ellen-

    I was going over your posts and trying to think on some solution to your situation. You mentioned your boiler is using water and this is a big concern. Have you determined yet where the water is going?  The Boiler and the Wet Returns  have high probability. There is no sense in doing anything until you determined whether the boiler is still serviceable! Your pro should know how to do this. The boiler is filled completely with water (to the top) and then one checks for leaks both on the outside of the boiler and inside the firebox.



As for the wet returns, from what I could see in your pictures, I would replace them in any case. If they haven’t failed already they soon will. Buried returns (doorway loop) are highly suspect! To replace them probably isn’t as costly as you may think. These would be fine done in 1 inch Type L copper.



I’ve attached several drawing that I put together as possible general direction you could take. The idea is to try and come up with a universal configuration incorporating the existing boiler that will solve your present boiler piping problems and also so be easily reconfigured for a future boiler if necessary. This is just a rough idea as I’m working from just a couple of your photographs so I may have misjudged clearances etc.  



In the first picture - (Universal Header with copper risers)   What is done in black is black pipe and is the universal new header . Note- The copper risers from the boiler (green and yellow) are both the same height. I drew the yellow one lower so you could see where it leads. The idea is to use copper for these risers and splice on with a coupling to the existing copper risers coming out of the boiler. I know they are copper and copper is very frowned upon but I was thinking of the most economic way to fix the present situation especially as the boiler longevity is unknown and might be short. I’ve placed unions in the drawings  at the points where they would be helpful in reconfiguring for a further boiler and for going with black pipe on the new risers.  Anyone who has comments or suggestions please speak up as any input is very  appreciated.



In the second picture (Universal Header with Copper Risers 02 ) I’ve tried to show the setup from another angle. The old equalizer would need to be removed as it is necessary to extend out the header/equalizer so the riser from the header to the steam main is located  properly. This is probably better seen in the Piping Schematic drawing.  The new configurational also adjusts the required height of the Hartford Loop.



There maybe other piping  (You mentioned a pipe to a trap) that needs to be addressed.  Again the idea of the drawings is just to give you something to work with and give you a possible direction. They definitely would need to be checked and further engineered. You might want to run them by your pro and see what he suggests and hopefully others on the wall will contribute their input.   You’ve already done a lot of work overhauling your traps so it shouldn’t be that hard to get you system up and purring.  

- Rod

Cold in Rochester

Just a bad day...

Hey, I'm back and rejuvenated.  I think I was just having a really bad day.  Too many demands on my money that day, including a hard drive failure and a need to replace my '94 Honda. :-(



Yesterday, I spent part of my morning doing a boiler replacement calculation.  The bottom line is that it looks as if my boiler is undersized! I estimated my total load at 222 MBH with a 1.3 pickup factor and my current boiler heating capacity is 183 MBH  (225 MBH input..) 



So before I make any changes here is what I'm going to do:



Next week, my steam guy is coming out and we're doing a heat loss calculation and a more accurate boiler sizing.  Just from my simple data calculation of my radiators I can see why some of the house is colder than others.  For example, my tiny bathroom has a radiator with 7 MBH while my large living room with a high ceiling has only 7.5 MBH.  My foyer has the largest radiator throwing out 20 MBH, yet it definitely isn't the largest room.  Also, while he is out here we will be looking at the radiators to see if there are orifices plates in the valves, even though there are traps on all of the radiators.



Additionally, I need my system cleaned out.  My returns are probably clogged and my burner has only been serviced once since I lived here. (I didn't know to do it annually.) 



Only after all of that is done will I start making decisions about what to actually fix or replace. I've done enough reading and research to want to fix this system.  You've all convinced me that in the end I will be happy with my vapor system.  I guess, I am now a member of the steam heating cult.  Did I say "cult?"  I meant "club."  :-)



Ellen