newbie steam question (no heat)

Steamhead

If the air can't get out, the steam can't get in. If this is a one-pipe system (only one pipe connected to each radiator), try removing the vent on a radiator and see if it gets hot. If so, you've found the trouble.

Also, are there any vents installed at the ends of the steam mains? There should be.

Jayme

steam not rising?

I have just bought a multifamily house with seperate boilers for the first and second floor units. When I turn the thermostat up I am not getting any heat. I have flushed the rust particulate out of the line and the water level is at about 75% of the glass cylinder in the front and shows clear. After the boiler the large series of pipes that should be feeding the radiators are now hot, but still nothing in the unit. The boiler is a Utica PEG112AS. Please help as i have to be missing something simple here.

Thanks,

Jayme

Jayme

bad vents?

There is zero steam, heat or pressure that is exhibited when i remove the vent from any of the radiators. They are connected with a single pipe. I don't believe that there is any steam at all making it to the 2nd floor. The pipes prior to the radiators (where it comes in from the floor, before the turn off valve for the radiator) are cold. This is the second floor unit, which i know is on it's own heating (seperate boiler) however the first floor is being rennovated right now and all of the radiators are dismantled for floor work. Is there a master cut off valve or somethign in the basement that might allow for steam to enter the main but then go no further?

I just took another look and while the pipes are hot, the PSI gauge on the front of the boiler reads zero, should this be constantly showing pressure while the heat is on or only when it turns on to heat up, and then back to zero once it is finished?

TGO_54

steam

Jayme,

If the radiators in one part of the building are disconnected and the rest of the building is not getting any heat and you are not 100% sure of what you are doing STOP. You need the help of a steam expert - check the find a professional bar to the left on the screen. You should not start turning on valves without knowing what they do, you could hurt yourself or someone else. You could also cause damage to the system or the building.

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

Jayme

thanks, i kind of figured that was going to be the end result but i have a cold wife this morning and was hoping that it would be a quick fix.

Thanks much for all of the help and the link.

Regards,

Jayme

steam from NH

cold wife

Jayme,
What he is saying is be careful. Now if I understand right is there are 2 differant boilers, right? 1 up 1 down?

Well to start my 5yr old son said call my daddy, but any way, this may be a stupid question but are you sure you are looking at the right boiler, from the basement to the inexperienced eye all the piping could look the same. Turn off the boiler your working on then go to the nearest radiator valve to the boilers on the floor that your renovating. SSSSSLOWLY!!!!! crack open the valve and see if there is any pressure or steam there. If not, go back to radiators in question and be sure they are all open, at one time a person with a gurilla grip shut them down and it takes 3 men and 5 yr old to open.
Also are you sure the boiler in question is makeing steam. The water level in the sight glass should bounce about a 1/2in when running and steaming.
Try these and remember steam is great heat, But, BECAREFUL IS CAN ALSO BE VERY DANGEROUS. USE EXTREM CAUTION!!!!!!!

George
From upper state New Hampshire

Christian Egli

Sometimes I have silly ideas

Are the valves on the radiator open? Maybe they are broken in a shut position. The pipes ahead of the valve would be cold for a short distance because there is a slug of air trapped in there that prevents steam from coming. In a one pipe system these valves should be wide open. Valves on the main, if there are any, should be open too. Check to see that no branches are open to the atmosphere.

The pressure gauge too might be broken and show nothing. It might also have a little valve that needs to be opened before you get a reading. It might also be that the gauge goes all the way up to 15, 30 or 60 PSI and if your system operates at around a 1/2 to 1 PSI (the way it should) then maybe you won't get to see a lot of movement on the gauge.

I hope this helps. Your steam system needs your love and once you'll have it fine tuned it will love you back.

Unknown

It could just be uninsulated piping

This would cause it to take forEVER to get heat to some radiators, and never to the others.