one pipe steam success story thanks to the wall

Dean_7

I would like to thank the wall. I've been lurking here for about a year gathering information but have been too timid to post anything. My husband and I bought a new home about 14 months ago. It was a spec home started by a contractor who went bankrupt. We were able to get a great deal on it because the bank wanted to get rid of it. It was about 2/3 finished but had no heating system of any kind installed.now here is the good part and why I want to thank the wall. We both grew up with steam heat but have lived mostly with forced hot air which neither of us was entirely happy with. When this oppurtunity came along I started researching heating systems and found the wall. From the information here we got the odd idea (at least around here) of installing a new one pipe steam system. At the same time a local funeral home was enlarging and removing their old cast iron radiators for new baseboard heat. We obtained eight of them in various sizes. All were old Capitol radiators manufactured in the 1920's (they were installed new when the funeral home was built) I identified them and figured out their EDR for this sites Library. After a two month search we found a contractor familiar with steam. And contacted him. Initially he thought we were a bit crazy but when he discovered we were serious his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. Working with him we did a heat loss calculation , figured the EDR needed, installed six of the radiators ( after sandblasting and repainting) and a new Burnham Independence PV boiler. Three Gorton main vents were installed on the steam mains with Hoffman vents on the radiators. We finished all this last Oct. Our natural gas costs this winter have been about 50% less than we were paying with forced hot air and about 60% less than our immediate neighbors all of whom have forced hot air. This system is quiet and absolutely comfortable. So thanks again for a great site with a wealth of information

t. tekushan

Great job!

> I would like to thank the wall. I've been lurking

> here for about a year gathering information but

> have been too timid to post anything. My husband

> and I bought a new home about 14 months ago. It

> was a spec home started by a contractor who went

> bankrupt. We were able to get a great deal on it

> because the bank wanted to get rid of it. It was

> about 2/3 finished but had no heating system of

> any kind installed.now here is the good part and

> why I want to thank the wall. We both grew up

> with steam heat but have lived mostly with forced

> hot air which neither of us was entirely happy

> with. When this oppurtunity came along I started

> researching heating systems and found the wall.

> From the information here we got the odd idea (at

> least around here) of installing a new one pipe

> steam system. At the same time a local funeral

> home was enlarging and removing their old cast

> iron radiators for new baseboard heat. We

> obtained eight of them in various sizes. All were

> old Capitol radiators manufactured in the 1920's

> (they were installed new when the funeral home

> was built) I identified them and figured out

> their EDR for this sites Library. After a two

> month search we found a contractor familiar with

> steam. And contacted him. Initially he thought we

> were a bit crazy but when he discovered we were

> serious his eyes lit up like a kid in a candy

> store. Working with him we did a heat loss

> calculation , figured the EDR needed, installed

> six of the radiators ( after sandblasting and

> repainting) and a new Burnham Independence PV

> boiler. Three Gorton main vents were installed on

> the steam mains with Hoffman vents on the

> radiators. We finished all this last Oct. Our

> natural gas costs this winter have been about 50%

> less than we were paying with forced hot air and

> about 60% less than our immediate neighbors all

> of whom have forced hot air. This system is quiet

> and absolutely comfortable. So thanks again for

> a great site with a wealth of information

t. tekushan

Great Job!

That is wonderful news.

Not only are your energy costs lower, your comfort level is much higher. You hardly ever hear of new installations like this, but you have proven the inherent efficiency of a well tuned steam heating system. I suspect your system will be more trouble free than your neighbors' forced air systems too.
I wish the whole world could read your post.

Little do you know, you have given me a nudge in the same direction. I have the radiators and now the boilers to convert my home from forced air to single pipe steam. This house was built in 1939 and many others in the neighborhood built in '37 or earlier have steam. Naturally, I feel short changed! You've given me adequate encouragement to begin the process this summer.

Thanks!

-Terry

RC

One-pipe steam system

Kinda makes you get all choked up and brings a tear of joy to your eye. Thank you for using steam! Ross

Steamhead

Welcome to the Steam Club

Where is this new system located? You might just find a few steam freaks knocking on the door... ;-)

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

Mad Dog

The Deadmen are shining down upon you.........................

That's great. We want some pictures please. Way to go. Mad Dog

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

Plumdog

A thing of beauty

Is a joy to behold. I once thought steam systems should immediately be ripped out and replaced with a complex, electronically controlled, whiz-bang boiler system; but not any more. If I were to build a new house I would be tempted to go steam for the simplicity and reliability, even though it is not popular at all in the modern west for new construction.

patrick linhardt

congrats

You and your husband are true heroes to all of the steam geeks here on the wall. I write articles for a trade magazine and would like your help in developing this story. Please e-mail me off the wall if you are interested.

Best regards, Pat

ttekushan_3

Any further updates

as to how this system is doing?