Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

two pipe steam system 1919 no radiator valves nor air vents see pics attached. need details

wily
wily Member Posts: 5




Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,168
    I see no pictures of a radiator... however, I do see one trap which is very likely a crossover trap.

    Therefore... jumping wildly off the deep end here, I'm going to say that this is -- or was -- a vapour system, and there are flow control devices -- orifices or widgets -- in either the inlets or the outlets to the radiators. There has to be an air vent somewhere, but it will be on a dry return or where the dry returns join before dropping.

    Any low level returns (below the boiler water line)?

    But. We need pictures of a typical radiator, both inlet and outlet, and pictures farther back from the boiler, from enough to angles to sort out what is going where.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,574
    I think that is a probably way too small air vent in the second picture(and probably unnecessary if the steam traps are working), but we have not seen a boiler or a radiator yet.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,168
    mattmia2 said:

    I think that is a probably way too small air vent in the second picture(and probably unnecessary if the steam traps are working), but we have not seen a boiler or a radiator yet.

    You are referring to that widget at the end of the horizontal pipe, @mattmia2 ? Indeed, if that's a vent it is way too small I wasn't just sure what it was -- thinking it might be the remains of another crossover trap.

    I have a feeling that this system has been... ah... um. Let's just say worked on.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    mattmia2
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    Can't see enough to know what's happening