New House! Tons of questions.

SteamRookie

I'm the proud new owner of a 1910 Colonial in northeast Ohio. The house has a single-pipe steam system with a Crown boiler, installed in 2000, with 11 radiators over three floors. It's my first house with steam, and I have many questions.



I'm probably going to mess up some terminology-- but when I say "valve" I mean the bulbous looking thing with a round handle where the steam comes in, and when I say "vent" I mean the chrome thing on the opposite side of that valve where the air goes out.



OK, here goes:



1) <strong>What's the correct pitch for each radiator?</strong> I know they're supposed to be pitched toward the valve, but how much?



2) <strong>How do you measure the pitch?</strong> Each radiator vane is a slightly different height, so I can get about any pitch I want depending on where I set the level.



3) A few of the radiators were knocking badly at first, so I used a 2x4 to gently pry up the far end and shim it with pennies. The knocking stopped; wife thinks I'm a genius. <strong>Am I?</strong>



4) It seems to me that each air vent should be wide open until the steam hits it, so each radiator heats up as fast as it can. Or, is it more efficient to choke off the faster radiators so they all close at the same time? <strong>Which is the most efficient method?</strong>



5) I'm pretty sure most of the air vents are broken. Two of them close completely and reliably when hot, three hiss loudly and shoot steam, four close partially so there's a slight hiss, and two close and then re-open all the time (making a "CLANG-HISSSSssss-CLANG" sound every minute). <strong>Which of these symptoms suggest replacement?</strong>



6) The main pipes in the basement, coming from the boiler, do not have air vents. I've heard this is important. Why? <strong>Should I get a valve installed down there?</strong> Why would the system have been installed without one?-- is there some theoretical benefit, or was it just done cheaply or incorrectly?



7) <strong>Is it OK to close off the radiators in certain rooms by capping the air vent?</strong> What are the consequences of this, besides one cold room and a potential system imbalance?



8) I'm having a hell of a time with the way the system "coasts" up to temperature. When the thermostat is set to 67, say, the thermostat turns off the boiler at 67 degrees but the house can reach as high as 72 due to all the energy remaining in the radiators. <strong>How do I deal with this "coasting"?</strong> I have a Honeywell RTH7500D.



9) If all the radiators are hot and all the vents are working right, <strong>should the boiler turn off as the pressure increases, EVEN if the thermostat is still closed?</strong> Will fixing the valves (question 5) also help resolve the system coasting (question 8)?



10) <strong>When the radiator is cooling, what breaks the vacuum?</strong> Does the air come back in the vent, or does the radiator suck steam (or air) through the valve?



THANK YOU in advance for helping figure out this system-- it's so elegant in its concept, and so challenging in its implementation!

Steamhead

First of all

you're lucky to be in that area. That's Gerry Gill's territory, and he's one of the best. Go here for his info:



http://www.heatinghelp.com/professional/88/G-W-Gill-Plumbing-Heating



1 & 2: Dead level is OK but ideally there should be a very slight pitch toward the steam valve. Use a long level to get a good reading.



3: Enjoy the designation while it lasts ;-)



4: Before we get to this, we need to get main vents on there. Call Gerry.



5: The ones that let steam escape are definitely bad. The intermittent ones are opening and closing on temperature, so they're probably OK. Radiator vents should be sized to the size of the radiator, AFTER the main vents are installed.



6: Definitely have main vents installed, and Gerry will definitely know which ones to use. You could get away without them in the Coal Era, but they would still have increased the system's efficiency. With oil or gas they are essential for efficiency and balance.



7: I'd use the Vent-Rite #1 adjustable vent for this. You can shut it completely off by just turning the dial. Then if you want the room to heat, turn the dial again. No tools needed.



This vent can also help if you have some rooms normally kept cooler than the rest of the house (but not completely shut off), such as bedrooms.



8: Increase the CPH to 2 and see if that works.



9: It should. The control might be bad or the pigtail plugged. This is a job for a pro, since the pressure control is a safety device. But you can check the control's settings: if you have the usual Honeywell PA404, the "cut-in" on the front should be 0.5 and the white wheel on the inside (differential) should be at 1 (TURN THE POWER OFF BEFORE REMOVING THE COVER!). If the control doesn't click back on as the pressure drops, slowly increase the cut-in until it does. If this is much higher than 0.5, the control is bad or the pigtail plugged.



Fixing the other items might affect the overshooting ("coasting") issue, but then again they might not.



10: As long as the vent remains closed, the rad will pull steam from the mains. But when the vent cools enough to open, air will re-enter. This is normal.



Call Gerry. He's one of the best.

Charlie from wmass

What Steamhead said.

He is the other one of the best.Welcome to steam and welcome to the chance to have quiet comfort. The books Dan has here are also great for those looking for detailed and well worded answers in detail to your steam questions.