Help!!!! Problems with steam heat one pipe system.

Rodney Shaw

Dan

I have a 3 story apartment building in Scranton Pa.
and I have had no luck with the local plumber's in the
area to fine tune the heating system so that all the
radiators warm up evenly. My heating bills were
through the celing last year and Iam trying to control
them this year. This is a 3 story building as I
mentioned earlier, all floors are approximately
1400sf. The gas furnace is in the center in the
basement, this is a 1 pipe system. The 1st floor is a
store front and is split up in 2 rooms the front
radiators work fine sometimes too hot. The rear room
has the thermostat and has 2 radiators only one has a
vent, the one with the vent does not heat up and the
one without the vent heats up good. I have
installed Gortons vents #4 on the first floor. The
second floor has #6 Gorton vents and the 3rd floor has
C Gorton vents. All the radiators have that pitch so
the water flows back into the pipe, However when the furnace turns on I hear a loud vibrating noise then it goes away.
Is there anything elese I should do to ensure even
heat throughout the building? Any help would be
greatly appreciated.
ps: if you want i can send pictures of the floors and
radiator.

Thank you.

Sharon Thompson

One Pipe Steam Heating - zoning.

Dear Sir:

I have a one pipe steam system in a small, two level house built in 1926. My thermostat’s on the 1st floor, and my problem is that the 1st floor is grossly overheated in order to get any reasonable amount of heat upstairs.

I’ve replaced the air vents on all the radiators, and all the vent and radiators are in working order. I’ve set the vents based on the size of the radiators and not on their distance from the boiler…doesn’t solve the problem.

I want to know the best, most economical way of zoning upstairs separate from downstairs, with it’s own thermostat. Keep in mind that each radiator on the 2nd floor has it’s own riser from the basement and shares the same piping as the 1st floor radiators. If this is too expensive, what else might I do in order to get heat upstairs without cooking everyone on the 1st floor?

Thank you very much for any help forthcoming.

Sharon G. Thompson

doug_10

Can you hear

any of the vents on the radiators venting? Are the mains in the basement insulated? Does it make any noises as the system heats up?

David Efflandt

1-pipe zoning

If your radiators are not properly sized, you need to increase venting where you need more heat, or decrease it where you have too much.

My upstairs exposed radiators are smaller, but more distant, so they are vented somewhat faster than the oversize downstairs radiators, which are partially boxed in. Central dining room rad closest to boiler and thermostat is slowest vented, and boxed in except metal mesh front (more like a convector). Open stairwell helps equalize temps when unoccupied upstairs is slightly cooler than occupied downstairs.

But there is a limit. If upstairs rads on marginally sized risers are vented too quickly, condensate from steam hitting a cold radiator fights the steam coming up the same pipe (sloshing sounds). So you need to see what works best upstairs, and then slow the downstairs if necessary.

Mad Dog

Murph will come out for a consultation....

he's in Pa and worth the $$$$$$. he'll fix your steam problems. Mad dog

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

tim smith_2

high bills and vibration on start up

Is the burner a forced draft power burner. If combustion is not set up right on burner, during a cold start the burners can cause pulsating in the fire box until warm up a bit, also burner efficiency goes down the tube etc etc.

flange

if you can wait till it snows, i might take a look on a road trip to elk mountain to do some night skiing.

Steamhead

Balancing problem

Sharon, this should be easy to fix. No need to go to all the trouble of zoning the system. First, the steam pipes in the basement must be well insulated. Then, install properly sized vents on the steam mains and radiators based on how much air is in them.

Try the Find a Contractor page of this site to locate someone who can do this for you. If you're in or near Baltimore, e-mail me!

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Boilerpro_3

If some of Steamheade

> Dear Sir:

>

> I have a one pipe steam system in a

> small, two level house built in 1926. My

> thermostat’s on the 1st floor, and my problem is

> that the 1st floor is grossly overheated in order

> to get any reasonable amount of heat

> upstairs.

>

> I’ve replaced the air vents on all

> the radiators, and all the vent and radiators are

> in working order. I’ve set the vents based on

> the size of the radiators and not on their

> distance from the boiler…doesn’t solve the

> problem.

>

> I want to know the best, most

> economical way of zoning upstairs separate from

> downstairs, with it’s own thermostat. Keep in

> mind that each radiator on the 2nd floor has it’s

> own riser from the basement and shares the same

> piping as the 1st floor radiators. If this is

> too expensive, what else might I do in order to

> get heat upstairs without cooking everyone on the

> 1st floor?

>

> Thank you very much for any help

> forthcoming.

>

> Sharon G. Thompson

Boilerpro_3

If some of Steamhead's ideas don't work

You can replace the standard air vents with thermostatic radiator valves and have the luxury and efficiency of room by room control. No wires, no batteries, and quite economical and simple to install.

Boilerpro