Walls sweating (bad)

Ela7112020

So we have steam heat. And we’ve been having issues with it. We think the valves are incorrect because our radiators are so noisey. They make the loudest hissing sounds. 

It’s current 7 degrees here, real feel -11. And our upstairs bedrooms and ceilings are sweating bad. Currently freaking out. Is there anything we should be doing/can do to fix this?? Also we had the heat on 67 last night because of how cold it was, and it was literally kicking in every 15-20 minutes. That’s not normal?

ScottSecor

As posted recently,  some boilers run non-stop with these temperatures.   Mine has not cycled since 8pm last night.

My guess is you have a leak(s).  Could be chrome steam vents on the radiators, brass valves on the inlet to the radiators,  or possibly the piping (least likely).

Are you losing a lot of water in the boiler?   I. Other words, do you have to fill boiler more often than normal? 

Jamie Hall

Check your boiler pressure -- probably too high, which will aggravate any leak, and may make the vents hiss.

Long Beach Ed

Could just be condensation because the walls are cold too. If you have no steam leaks, are you doing lots of cooking? Lots of people in the house? Any unvented gas heaters?

Ela7112020

Long Beach Ed said:

Could just be condensation because the walls are cold too. If you have no steam leaks, are you doing lots of cooking? Lots of people in the house? Any unvented gas heaters?

No, this was starting at 10pm last night so no cooking. It’s definitely condensation. But it’s sooo much, all over the walls and ceilings. Granted this bedroom is above a garage and it’s always been super cold. And this weather is very very cold; I’m on long island too

Ela7112020

ScottSecor said:

As posted recently,  some boilers run non-stop with these temperatures.   Mine has not cycled since 8pm last night.

My guess is you have a leak(s).  Could be chrome steam vents on the radiators, brass valves on the inlet to the radiators,  or possibly the piping (least likely).

Are you losing a lot of water in the boiler?   I. Other words, do you have to fill boiler more often than normal? 

Yes, the boilers been filling up so much. Its crazy. What should we do? 

ScottSecor

I suggest play detective.  Look for leaking steam vents (those chrome things) and leaking radiator shutoff valves (typically have black handles).  Repair or fix them all and I suspect your humidity problem will get resolved. 

On the other hand, like @Jamie Hall suggested check your boiler pressure gauge.  Of it reads above one pound, lower the pressure control setting.  

Post photo of radiator in room above garage.  Post photo of boiler pressure control (typically gray box about the size of a baseball).  Post a photo of the boiler controls from about ten feet away. 

Long Beach Ed

The vents on steam radiators work by "trapping" steam, but letting air out. As steam rises from the boiler through the pipes, it pushes the air out of piping and radiators through these vents. Steam can't get into radiators and pipes until the air is pushed out. When steam finally fills the radiator and gets to the vent, its higher temperature closes the vent's port, trapping the steam in the radiator.

If a vent isn't closing, and it's allowing a significant amount of steam to continually escape, it must be replaced.

Lots of escaping steam will lower the boiler water level significantly and condense on cold walls. Continually adding massive amounts of fresh water to a boiler quickly accelerates its rusting and premature demise.

Of course steam leaks anywhere, as Scott mentions will have the same result. A piece of tissue or paper towel held in the path of a steam leak will turn wet. Look over the radiator, its vent and its shutoff valve. Make sure it has a vent on the end opposite the shut off valve.

BobC

i agree you should so a careful inspection of the boiler and the piping to make sure there are no leaks and remember steam leaks can be hard to track down.

If the pigtail under the pressuretrol has plugged up the boiler could be running at higher pressure than it should be. High pressure will cause vents to hiss loudly, if this loud hissing just started I'd make sure that pigtail is clean.

Bob