Introduction and questions

guzzinerd

Hello all and Happy New Year.

Last year I purchased a 1930s apartment building in the New Mexican mountains, Silver City, that is heated by an old Bryant 245 two pipe system.  I know, would love to replace it but 3 things are stopping me at the moment:

1. Still works well

2. Can't afford to for a few years at least
3. There are no experts in the area who could install a new system for me even if i wanted to.

I'm consider myself pretty handy (I'm a metal fabricator, welder, mechanic) and have acquired a copy of Holohan's book to learn the basics of steam heating with.

I just started getting one of the apts ready for a new tenant and noticed one of the radiators has a small leak at the bottom, hissing and some water dripping.  

If i order the new parts needed in advance, is this something i can swap out in a few hours while the boiler is off ??   or should I just shut off the supply valve and wait for the spring to replace?  It's located in the kitchen where it's probably needed the least and the rest of the apt is pretty toasty.  

Thanks!
Alex

P.s. Holohan writes about the benefits of F&T traps on two pipe systems, is that something i could replace the current traps with one-by-one starting with this unit or is it something i have to do all at once?

Jamie Hall

First off, you don't need F&Ts unless there is something slightly odd about the system. If some of the current radiator traps are not functioning (steam gets into the return or the radiator doesn't heat at all) replacement works for the traps are easily available, and not hard to install.

As to the leak in the radiator, that's another matter. Your best bet is to figure out two things: exactly where the leak is and, if the radiator is sectional, how it comes apart. If the leak is in a more or less accessible location, you can probably get by for the winter with cleaning the area very very thoroughly down to bare shiny metal, degreasing it, and putting on some JB Weld.

guzzinerd

Thank you Jamie, will do.