Who Gets To Work on Steam?

HeatingHelp

Who Gets To Work on Steam?

Everyone who wants to gets to work on steam-heating systems. And that's not always a good thing. In the business of messing with old steam systems, we've seen it all.

Read the full story here

BradHotNCold

Even homeowners!

ratio

It must me nice to go to bed every night knowing that, no matter how bad you screw it up, someone else will fix it. On their dime.

JUGHNE

This is just like the picture at the top of this posting, which is an up feed system.

This is a down feed from the attic (thankfully no vent in the attic as this is 2 pipe).

So this "P" trap is reversed.

This drop lost it's drip in some remodeling.

But surprisingly it does heat without hammer. (2 psi or so).

DanHolohan

HAHAHAHA!!!

mattmia2

BradHotNCold said:

Even homeowners!

At least homeowners are at least aware that the instructions exist even if they don't understand them.

JUGHNE

I bet mine heats better than yours.....your rad is sloped the wrong way.....but then you have better looking flooring.

Dave in QCA

I had to smile when I read your comments on the HeatTimer sensor locations. The comparable system from Tekmar show a proper location for the sensor on 1-pipe steam, but on 2-pipe, they show that it should be installed on the condensate return line on the radiator furthers from the boiler. This, of course, would cause HUGE swings in building temperature, the opposite of the HeatTimer and/or Tekmar are supposed to do. Every now and then, thankfully not often, the instructions are just dead wrong.

DanHolohan

Good one, Dave. 

SgtMaj

I ran across a hot water radiator the other day that was piped similarly to your photo Dan. It had 5 elbows a mass of nipples and a union. This was the return side of a hot water radiator.

DanHolohan

I suppose that’s what he had on the truck. 🤫

ttekushan_3

Great stories! The chemical story reminded me of what was a new client for me almost 15 years ago. They had signed up for a chemical contract but there wasn’t any sign of a mixing station, dosing pumps or anything else other than a big glass measuring cup. Same as your situation- they decided to put a month’s worth of sodium hydroxide in all in one dose. That’s when I was referred in.

Let me put it this way: I’m glad I wasn’t there to witness a 120HP Scotch marine heating boiler eject it’s water contents into the header and 8” two story tall main. The entire massive assembly literally jumped with a water hammer that shook this sizable building.

Apparently a clean change of shorts was the order of the day.

You can’t take a month’s worth of medication on one day. Same is true of boiler chemicals!

Darn good stories, indeed. Thanks Dan!

DanHolohan

Good one, Terry! Thanks for sharing.

ChrisJ

DavidDow_2

We get to see what geniuses do. Sometimes quite dangerous, like installing boilers without permits, inspections or 30# relief valves.
I have had to call the local inspector to see big problems. This way I don't get hung for the knuckehead's poor work. A behind saver.
Also, nearly all steam boilers I service have been improperly installed and/or overfired by others.
The Hacks call us dinosaurs. We call them Hacks!

Steamfighter49

Don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a post more. It beats all the customers I had who covered the air intakes to the boiler rooms to save energy in the 70s & 80s. We made big bucks cleaning air starved boilers. And of course they used more fuel.

Pumpguy

Or maybe not.........

I have a customer with almost 100 YO DHW and steam condensate vacuum return piping that developed some leaks.

Customer calls in a plumbing company, gets their repair quote, gives the okay and deposit payment.

After plumbers complete repairs to DHW leaks, they back out of repairing the condensate return leaks saying to the effect "we can't take liability for getting air in these pipes".

Hmm....... I wonder.......

ratio

If that was their concern, they did the right thing...

Assuming, of course, they adjusted the cost appropriately.