Heat not reaching 3rd floor

HeatingHelp

This discussion was created from comments split from: Reasons why there's no heat in certain parts of the building, and where to look for solutions.

steaming

May I have some help please. You guys are wonderful.
SUBJECT: Heat not reaching 3rd floor.
I have a Gas Weil McLain, Steam Boiler Model EG 50 PSI. Its is a single pipe insulated system.
The boiler is set at 1.75 psi. The foot print of the house is 30' x 40". basement plus 1,2,3 floors.
There are two Hoffman No 75 main valves in the basement. A simple non programable, single setting new thermostat is located on the first floor. There are two pipes (north and south) that act as risers and run up though the 1 and 2nd floor bathrooms to the radiators on the 3rd floor.
These pipes are hot on the first and second floors.
We've turned off radiators to direct more heat to the 3rd floor, but the steam heat just doesn't get there.
Any Ideas?
Thank you.
Terrence

Jamie Hall

You get no heat at all on the third floor? Not even warm inlet pipes to the radiators? But you do get heat in both those risers on the first and second floors?

If you get a little heat up there -- not a whole lot, but at least a little, I'd be inclined to fiddle with radiator vents -- slow the ones on the first and second floors down, and make sure the ones on the third floor are working properly.

But with no heat at all... even a badly pitched pipe will usually allow some steam to pass, at least eventually. I suppose I'd check to make sure the valves on the radiators are fully open -- though I expect you've done that -- and then I would follow the piping through from where it is known to get warm to where it just isn't getting hot at all, if only to find out what's there.

In one of the buildings I care for I had a somewhat similar problem, and discovered that some happy Harry in the past had installed a valve on the riser -- and then closed it.

Erin Holohan Haskell

@steaming, I've moved this conversation to its own thread here.

Joe_Dunham

1.75? You reading that on a gauge? Maybe gauge doesn't go down to zero. Raise pressure to 3 just to see what happens then back it off. Or take the air vent out at a top floor radiator, see what you get at 1.75psi