Any tips for mapping out my steam pipe system?

holograham

Three story family home - I have an unfinished basement so easy enough. Problems arise once I get to floors 2 and 3. Risers are all in walls and some rooms/bathrooms. Some added complexity as some main branches were capped from a kitchen renovation (they added separate radiant floor heat).

I assume the top answer will be a FLIR camera - will those work through thick plaster walls? Suggestions for one that one break the budget for a homeowner?

leonz

Harbor Frieght, but I cannot guarantee
how sensitive they are.

pecmsg

https://www.flir.com/products/flir-one-edge/?vertical=condition+monitoring&segment=solutions

109A_5

Hello @holograham,
Yes, FLIR camera or the like. The IR cameras (color and monochrome) I have used and played with would be more than sensitive for your purpose (too much fun, you can see the temperature change of water evaporating from a sponge). I can feel my steam pipes through 80 year old plaster with my fingers if its been running for a while.

Maybe rent one for a day or two.

holograham

Thanks all - will get a reasonable FLIR camera. That FLIR One looks nice.

SteamingatMohawk

For a lot less money you can get a laser infrared thermometer. Just be aware of their accuracy. Its just not as much "fun", but you can use it for cooking, too.

ChrisJ

I can't see your exact situation, but I'd start with a tape measure before anything else.

Start measuring, looking and thinking and draw out a map of where and how you think it's most likely piped in between floors.

JUGHNE

With the open basement you should be able to see all the risers that go up either inside the outside walls, up inside the inside walls. The first floor radiator connections should be obvious set away from the outside walls.

Do any inside wall risers line up with 2nd or 3rd floor rads?
Logic, if in play at the install, would dictate that any horizontal lines would be parallel with the floor joists.

holograham

JUGHNE said:

With the open basement you should be able to see all the risers that go up either inside the outside walls, up inside the inside walls. The first floor radiator connections should be obvious set away from the outside walls.

Do any inside wall risers line up with 2nd or 3rd floor rads?
Logic, if in play at the install, would dictate that any horizontal lines would be parallel with the floor joists.

Not sure I am following this - I dont really know how to find risers - it appears most of the main branches in the basement feed first floor radiators. Then I assume the pipe continues up to the 2nd and 3rd floors.

JUGHNE

First find the easy obvious connections to the first floor rads.

Look at your typical radiator sitting near a window. That pipe usually comes up thru the floor.
Go to the basement below it and ID that pipe (riser) which comes off of the steam main.

(do you have any first floor rads that have the pipe coming out of the wall?)

Then that one is done....notice how far away from the outside basement wall that riser is.

If you have any other basement risers that are closer to the basement outside wall than those risers would be inside the first floor outside wall.

If you have any riser going up thru the basement ceiling that does not correspond to a first floor rad then it might go up to the second floor inside possibly an inside wall.

Then if inside a inside wall the pipe may then 90 above that ceiling with a horizontal pipe going across the ceiling between floor joists to the 2nd floor outside rad.

Post pictures of risers that are not an obvious connection to first floor rads.

KC_Jones

holograham said:

With the open basement you should be able to see all the risers that go up either inside the outside walls, up inside the inside walls. The first floor radiator connections should be obvious set away from the outside walls. Do any inside wall risers line up with 2nd or 3rd floor rads? Logic, if in play at the install, would dictate that any horizontal lines would be parallel with the floor joists.

Not sure I am following this - I dont really know how to find risers - it appears most of the main branches in the basement feed first floor radiators. Then I assume the pipe continues up to the 2nd and 3rd floors.

I can’t speak to your house, but every system I’ve seen every radiator (regardless of floor) comes directly off the main in the basement. Count the tees in the basement, then count the radiators in the house, if there is a difference you at least know how many “missing” pipes you are looking for.