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.

Steam boiler but is it a vapor system?

cunninghamzach
cunninghamzach Member Posts: 19
edited December 2022 in THE MAIN WALL

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,651
    Yup. Or at least it was... one doesn't see one of those damper controls all that often any more.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • cunninghamzach
    cunninghamzach Member Posts: 19
    One vent on entire floor of radiators, furthest one from the boiler, why is that?
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,342
    That's definitely Vapor. The equipment was made by the Vapor Regulator Co. The banana-shaped device was used to regulate the dampers when the boiler was coal-fired. You can read about this system in chapter 15 of @DanHolohan 's book "The Lost Art of Steam Heating Revisited", available in the store on this site.

    Vapor was the Cadillac of heating in its day and is still one of the best out there. Where is this system located?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    cunninghamzach
  • cunninghamzach
    cunninghamzach Member Posts: 19
    West Hartford, Connecticut.
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,265
    Assuming this is a 2 pipe connection to each radiator??

    Can you show us both ends of a radiator?

    Then all air would perhaps vent out the small vent at the boiler, on top of the "VRC"
    device.
  • cunninghamzach
    cunninghamzach Member Posts: 19
    JUGHNE said:
    Assuming this is a 2 pipe connection to each radiator?? Can you show us both ends of a radiator? Then all air would perhaps vent out the small vent at the boiler, on top of the "VRC" device.
    Is is a two pipe, don’t have any available pictures right now, but will post when I get them 
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,651
    Assuming it is working moderately well now, please don't do anything to it -- or let anyone else touch it -- until you really understand how it was intended to work. If you need something done to it, get someone who really understands it as well; I'd suggest @Charlie from wmass up in Springfield.

    The one thing you might do which won't hurt a bit is make sure that the pressure is kept low -- it probably will work best at around 2 to 5 ounces per square inch.

    Also -- don't mess with the venting, again until you really know how it is supposed to be done.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    cunninghamzach
  • cunninghamzach
    cunninghamzach Member Posts: 19
    Assuming it is working moderately well now, please don't do anything to it -- or let anyone else touch it -- until you really understand how it was intended to work. If you need something done to it, get someone who really understands it as well; I'd suggest @Charlie from wmass up in Springfield. The one thing you might do which won't hurt a bit is make sure that the pressure is kept low -- it probably will work best at around 2 to 5 ounces per square inch. Also -- don't mess with the venting, again until you really know how it is supposed to be done.
    Won’t do much, just got into the trades saw it in my grandmothers basement really interesting. Even though the pipes are insulated, the basement is hot as hell. 
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 7,487
    A Steam heating Beauty.. never heard of that company but I'm sure Dan and Steamhead and Gerry Gill have!  Where is that installed?  Mad 🐕