Steam system winterization in vacant foreclosure

victorianmansard

I am looking to purchase a 1899 Victorian that is in foreclosure. When I toured the home, the plumbing system had clearly been winterized with anti-freeze in basins and toilets.

All the cast steam radiators had also been disconnected (they're still in the home, but the union has been opened and stuffed with a rag). I was unable to gain access to the basement because the entry was locked but I am wondering if this is an acceptable method of preparing the steam system for winter (draining the system, removing radiators, blowing the lines), or of this is an indication that the heating system is inoperable. Why else would they have disconnected each radiator? If it is for winterization purposes, is this the correct way? If not, what are the potential problems I might face when turning the heat back on?

The winterization has been preformed by an REO contractor. I am waiting to hear back from them for an answer on the heating system, but it may take some time and I would appreciate any feedback.

New England SteamWorks

If it is a steam system, no need to drain the radiators. But sometimes you can have a hot water system with radiators, in which case they need to be drained. Either way, sounds like, "so far so good". The real action is in the basement to make sure the boiler and water heater were winterized, and the water shut off and the plumbing drained. But with every radiator disconnected and glycol in the toilettes, sounds like a thorough job was done.

We'd love to see pictures of your Victorian Mansard! Radiators too. And if you get to the basement, the boiler.

Good luck!

AMservices

What you might be looking at in the gauge glass could be a cleaning agent.
Did it look like this?

victorianmansard

Thank you for the reply!

I only have a few photos in which the radiators can be seen (I wasn't intentionally trying to get them in the shot). It seems to me there's only one pipe, which led me to believe the system is steam only.

The house had begun to be restored prior to foreclosure and in the kitchen and bathroom, there was some newer looking baseboard radiators. Any way there could be a combination of steam and hot water radiators? Maybe they were disconnected solely for refinishing purposes and never replaced...

I will post additional photos once I get access to the basement. Thank you again for your reply.

AMservices

Looks like they moved the radiator in the pic, too carpet the floor.
The air vent is in the wrong place on the red rad.
Probably not glycol in the boiler. Drain a little off, if it's glycol ani-freez, you will smell it.

Keep Steam

Fred

It is steam but it is possible there is a hot water loop on the boiler also. Hopefully they drained the boiler and water heater too.

JUGHNE

Did they disconnect every radiator?
That IMO would be a good thing. Even though all water is supposed to drain back to the boiler there could have been a valve closed with water trapped in the rad.

Would there be a insert coil in the boiler for DHW that might not empty out without air purging?
Another item would be a testable back flow preventer.
They are the first thing to freeze as water is captured internally with no where to go. Water meters are also vulnerable to the same plight. And pumps if any.

gerry gill

I'm wondering about wet return piping...if there is any