pressuretrol setting for steam with hot water zone

1928steam

I just read "We Got Steam Heat" ... have a one pipe system from 1928 that had a hot water zone added in an addition sometime mid-century.  There are several things, apparently, I can do, like insulate the pipes and check/clean the main vents and lower the pressure on the pressuretrol.  My first question is can I just adjust the pressuretrol down from its current setting of 5 and 1.5diff or is there any reason, such as the hot water zone, not to try it?  The serviceman evidently set it there for a reason?  My second question is whether just turning off the switch on the front of the boiler is all I need to do to turn it off to then take off the main valves and check them?  And my third question has to do with the low return where it feeds into the hartford loop -- there is a valve:  should I try to open it and see if anything comes out?  Thank you.

BobC

Pressuretrol

Too many steam boilers are operating at a higher pressure than necessary simply because they (or their servicemen) don't know any better. A cynical person might say they appreciate the opportunity to sell more fuel.When in doubt turn it down.



You would save some fuel and probably get quieter operation by adjusting the pressuretrol down to a 1.5PSI cutout and a 0.5PSI cut in. Lower pressure is kinder to the main and radiator vents; if the pressure minimum were much more than 3PSI the vents might not be able to release and that would drive your fuel bill high and not let the steam get back into the radiators.. Adjust the front pointer down to 0.5 and move the internal white dial down to 1.  You can always adjust it from there but I doubt you'll have to.



When insulating the piping use at least 1" thick pipe insulation that is made for steam pipes; the big box stores only carry the 1/2' insulation and it really does not do a good job. You can buy the insulation at a supply house or on the internet. It's not cheap but is a one time expense that will save fuel.



To clean the main vents make sure the boiler is not under any pressure and just turn off the switch so it doesn't start up while you have the vents off. If you can't hear them hissing, you can see if they are working by holding some tissue paper above them as the boiler comes up to steam. I replaced my main vent a couple of years ago and I boiled the clogged one in vinegar for a half hour to clean it out and now i have a working spare on the shelf in case the new one clogs up.



Draining some water from the return as well as the mud leg of the boiler is a good practice to get into so you can monitor the cleanliness of the system. Blowing down the manual LWCO weekly, does nothing to get rid of the crud at the base of the boiler.



Bob

brian_44

"More pressure" Serviceman

LOL. After reading Dan's book on steam heat (which had an entire section dedicated to the "Knucklehead" who insists he knows steam systems but knows little...which is even more dangerous than nothing) and wondered if I'd ever run into one of these guys.



A couple of weeks later, we had a gas leak when I was at work. My wife smelled it and I told her to call the gas co. Long story short, they had to come and replace the gas valve (under the "Worry Free" contract).



After replacing the valve, "Knucklehead" looks over the system. He goes right to the pressuretrol and starts cranking it up with his screwdriver. "This thing is WAY to low", he says. I asked him, "What amount of pressure do I need to run this system?" "AT LEAST 2 PSI..." he says. (Keep in mind, I live in a rather small cape cod home!) With my new knowledge, I said to him, "Do you think we're heating the Empire State Building...which by the way could be heated in a steam system with about 2 pounds of pressure???" He looked at me like I was nuts, and it was at that point I laughed inside realizing that I was standing right in front of the character Dan Holohan referred to. I just had never seen one up close before..."KNUCKLEHEAD"!



As he left my house, I giggled as I turned that pressuretrol all the way back down...

1928steam

insulating pipes

Thank you for your response.  Two more questions:   when we turn the heat on now, there is a sustained tone or whistle -- more of a tone -- which kind of winds down when we turn it off, almost like a saw blade belt would make ... any ideas?  Second, I just ordered some insulation for the pipes ... do I need to do anything to the pipes or just wrap them?  I ordered the corning fiberglass 1 inch thick in 3 foot sections ... thanks.

BobC

Noise

Does that noise only happen when the steam is coming into the pipes?  It might be coming from the main vent - what pressure is the boiler running at (on the gauge) when it's up to steam? See if turning down that pressuretrol makes a difference.



To apply the fiberglass just dust off the pipes and go. Did you get the fittings to handle the T's and elbows? If not you could just wrap them with batt insulation and hold it in place with wide aluminum tape - not pretty but it's cheap and it works. That wide aluminum is great tape for something like that and it will stick to anything.



Bob

1928steam

guage

When you say guage, do you mean the internal syphon guage ... that appears to be the only guage on the boiler and reads 0 psi ... it happens when the boiler is turned on, right away ... when the thermostat turns off the boiler, there are two sounds, the fire stopping and the tone continues for about 10 seconds and then winds down and the boiler is completely off ...

crash2009

Insulation

Applying the 3 foot lengths of 1" fiberglass will give you amazing results.  If you choose to cover the elbows, T's, etc.  There are also some pre-made covers for those area's too.  Here are a couple links to Zeston and Speedline.  I didn't know about speedline when I did mine...they have colors.

http://www.specjm.com/products/pvcpipeaccessories/zeston2000.asp

http://www.speedlinepvc.com/

BobC

Noise pt 2

i do mean the internal siphon gauge and I'll warn you they do die and even when working are not very good at the low end of the scale. You might want to consider adding an auxiliary 0-3PSI gauge so you can tell exactly whats going on.



If this is an oil burner it might be the oil pump or the motor that drives the pump and air impeller. If it's gas I really don't have a clue. Post some pics of the boiler from different angles and try to get some shots of the near boiler piping and the mains.



Bob

1928steam

boiler whistle

thanks I will take some photos and post but it'll be a day or two ...it's oil ... burnham hydronics V8 series ...