Lots of newbie questions....

frank s

check to see that the pig tail is not clogged, that's the curly looking tube that the pressuretrol connects to, also check the pressuretrol setings, cut in at 1/2# differential at 2

Jonathan_2

Newbie questions....

My wife and I recently purchased a circa-1900 home that has a one-pipe steam heating system. The boiler is 3 years old (Burnham, natural gas) and was obviously installed by people who don't know a lot about steam (as evidenced by the fact that they attached to the existing loop with copper).

Nonetheless, it works and the heat in the house is great--mostly even and very warm.

Here are my questions:

1. The boiler cycles more than I am used to (I currently have FHW). I would say at least once every 2.5 minutes the Pressuretrol trips and shuts the system down, then restarts it about 90 seconds later. This seems like a lot of starting and stopping--is it?

2. I have a supply valve on one radiator that spits steam. Should I replace the entire valve, or are there repair kits available?

3. I have an air-bleed valve (on the same radiator) that spits water. Is this fixed by simply replacing it, or is this indicative of some other problem?

4. We are remodeling the kitchen and we would like to move one radiator from one wall to another (basically extending the supply pipe 3' and turning the radiator 90 degrees. In addition, we would like to add a small radiator to a new bathroom that we are putting in. This bathroom shares a wall with the kitchen (the radiator we are moving). Could we add another small radiator to that room without disrupting stuff too much? How will I know?

There is a rough drawing of what I am proposing at the bottom of the page.

Before answering my questions, here are a couple of other points to consider:

1. I am going to get a copy of "The Lost Art" ASAP. Don't worry.

2. Unless absolutely necessary, I am not going to hire a plumber as I am quite comfortable doing plumbing and I have access to a lot of metal working tools at work, including steel/iron pipe cutters and threading machines. In addition, my recent attempts to hire a plumber have resulted in me spending inordinate amounts of time leaving them messages but never getting a call back. Even my "regular" plumber, of whom I've been a customer since I owned my first house, hasn't returned 5 phone messages. At this point, I'd rather spend my time learning how to do it right myself.

Thanks very much in advance,
Jonathan

Dale

Wright brothers

Watched a program on the Wright brothers last PM, Americans just seem to believe they can do things, no wonder this is a great country. I would get Dan's new book "We got steam heat" and his "Golden Rules of hydronic heating" and read the new book first, LAOSH second , and golden rules last. If your current rads are all the same style the edr should be easy. I would think about a way to heat the new bath with hot water radiant, even if it's from a little elect. water heater, or you could consider a panel rad or tube behind the cast iron tube from the steam boiler, it's in Dan's books, just don't put steam boiler condensate into little pex tubes. Quest, 1 yes the cycle is too often, could be alot of things but probably pressure set too high ( over 2#) and/or air not getting out fast enough, need working or more main vents. With copper in the near boiler piping steam separation is a big concern, as is clean water, A professional skimming is worth doing now. Make sure the heat anticipator is set as high as possible ,like 1 amp or 1 cycle per hour. 2. Water spitting out the inlet valve on the rad is fixed by properly sloping the rad, getting a new vent and FULLY opening the valve then with the system off putting string packing under the packing nut and that is fixed. 3. I would do this after fixing 2. 4. Sure a little bath radiator can be added if done correctly which is no small thing as the extension pipe size and slope must be right. I don't like steam rads in baths, unless the heat loss in the bath is great I would go with somehting else even a radiant electric mat under the tile. Good luck with this and do your reading before cutting any pipe, with a copper header I think there's alot of pipe to cut.

frank s

copper hype

I would'nt sweat over the small amount of copper you have in the system, the expansion rates over short lengths are minimal, and they do work fine, I've got 20 yr old systems with copper to steel and all is running well, don't always believe the hype, believe half of what you see and a 1/4 of what you hear

jim_14

would you

use copper in your own house for steam???