add a rad

davem1

can you help me with a diagram or liturature on adding a radiator to the second story on an exsisting one pipe steam system in a one family home

Jamie Hall

In principle

this isn't all that hard to do.  Provided one is reasonably handy with threaded pipe and so on.



However, that said, one does have to have some knowledge of how steam heat works in the first place, so as to know where to tie in, what pipe sizes are needed, what pipe pitch is needed, and so on.



May I suggest that you get at least some of the books which are for sale on this site (specifically "A Steamy Deal"?  Mr. Holohan has done a fine job in putting together the information needed to understand steam heating systems, and that would surely be the place to start.

davem1

need help

can someone give me more info other than buying a book

ChrisJ

Not really

The problem is it takes an understanding of how the system works to figure out how to pipe the new radiator in.  In order to get this understanding you need to read The lost art of steam heat which is included in the steamy deal. 



Of course, thats just my opinion.

TomM

well

I would also advise to buy the book.  Lost art of steam heating.

Rod

Parameters

Well if you don’t want to read a book I would suggest you hire a professional steam man to do the job for you.  Like an appendix operation, installing a steam radiator is quite simple to do. However, in both cases, the more understanding of the situation, the better chance for successful outcome.  

    Jamie has suggested to you the most practical approach which most of the rest of us, since we have read the books, would also recommend.  How to install a radiator is quite simple. You connect the radiator to the steam main using a pipe. What you have to know is what size of pipe to use, how much pitch you need, and how to intersect the steam main. These all vary, depending on the physical relationship between the steam main and radiator and since we can’t be there to see what you propose, the next best thing is for us to suggest a book that has the parameters you need to follow for a successful installation.  If you don’t want to purchase the steambooks Jamie has suggested, you can get the necessary information ( in a lot less detail) from the page 3 of the Burnham Heating Helper which can be downloaded from the internet.

davem1

books

thanks for the info i broke down and purchased a steamy deal after 30 years there is still always something to learn