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Newbie to Steam Heat

mgambuzza
mgambuzza Member Posts: 29
in Strictly Steam
Just bought our 1891 home which has a boiler (Utica PEG300CDE). Working through some of the kinks such as defective/missing vents, leaking spuds, mud/muck coming when draining the boiler, and unusually, the upper floors colder than the lower. Flushed the system a number of times and looks better. More of the radiators functioning properly. In the basement, I was wondering about a couple of the main air valves in the basement. The one in the picture circled in Green is a Hoffman No6, the other circled in Red is one I couldn't easily identify as the marking are faded. I've included individual snapshots of them. I was wondering if these would affect performance and cause good pressure to not get to all my radiators. BTW - my pressure gauge has consistently read zero (pigtail and new gauge on order). Look forward to responses.

Comments

  • mgambuzza
    mgambuzza Member Posts: 29
    Here's the other unit circled in Red
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,789
    First don’t focus on pressure in steam heating, you don’t want it, it’s bad.  Pressure in steam heating is back pressure of the system not allowing the steam to go where it wants.

    As far as the vents, if they are working they are woefully inadequate.  The red one shouldn’t be there, it’s on the header and is doing nothing in that position.  Vents should be in the vicinity of the end of mains.

    If you are looking to replace/upgrade them, let us know how long and what size the mains are and we can recommend an appropriate amount of venting.

    Also, in case you aren’t aware, that boiler is not piped properly.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    ethicalpaul
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,427
    Hello @mgambuzza, The vent circled in Red may be a pressure relief valve from a previous boiler setup.







    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,682
    The thing in red looks like some sort of ancient relief valve leftover from the old boiler.
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,427
    Hello @mgambuzza, To better clarify, the vent that was circled in Red may be a pressure relief valve from a previous boiler setup and there may be a second Main Vent in the background of this picture. The first Main Vent was in the Green circle of another photo.


    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
  • mgambuzza
    mgambuzza Member Posts: 29
    One circled in red, the potential vintage pressure relief valve, would it be safe to say I could remove that and cap it off??
    ethicalpaul
  • random12345
    random12345 Member Posts: 469
    More pictures needed of the boiler, its near piping from different angles and the other pipes in your basement.
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,427
    Hello @mgambuzza,
    mgambuzza said:

    One circled in red, the potential vintage pressure relief valve, would it be safe to say I could remove that and cap it off??

    You could, but why bother ? If it is not leaking I would just leave it alone, why ask for trouble.

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System

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