Steam Heat problems

charles_3

Good Morning All,
I have a second floor apartment that is a run on a one pipe steam system. I have 6 radiators 3 large and 3 small. I have had a problem since I moved there 3 years ago. With the thermostat set a 70 degrees only 5 out of 6 radiators get hot. The sixth radiator is in the middle of the house (not the furthest from the boiler). I replaced all the valves with Kaufmann adj. air valves and had the pitch corrected on all the radiators. Even with the valve fully open on the sixth radiator and adjusting the other ones, I cannot get heat. The funny thing is if we put the thermo. up to 73 or higher all radiators get hot but the house gets too hot. We had an electrician in and he changed the thermostat to a Taco unit. That worked for about 2 weeks. I would have the Themo. set at 70 and all radiators would get hot and the temp would maintain at about 71. On monday when it got really cold the problem returned and that radiator went cold again. I had to put the thermostat at 73 or 74 for all the radiators to get hot but the house got really hot. We have had in 2 plumbers that say in theory if all the radiators get hot at 74 then they should be hot when set at 70. That is not the case and it is starting to drive me nuts. Any advice would be useful.

Thanks,

Fred Harwood

Uneven heating

Need a bit more information. Is your one-pipe system counterflow or parallel flow? In other words, do you have a wet return from the main to the boiler? If so, what main vent do you find at the drip end of the insulated main? Is your steam main insulated?

charles_3

Unfortunately I do not have any of that information. The landlord knows less than I. How can I find this out? Can I look at the setup in the basement to determine this.

Thanks,

Fred Harwood

Basics

You would need to go look, and then know what you're looking at. If you don't, probably best to call in your local heating professional. If you want to try, start with Dan's steam books at this site.

Dale

Read a bit

For free in the Questions area at left and for a few bucks in the books part on the left get "We got steam heat" and Lost Art... you'll get real smart.