Questions about steam heat market

Ken_8

You must remember, steam is used for heating homes in older neighborhoods, especially in the northeast corridor from Boston to DC and in the midwest to a lesser degree.

However, it is used in very tall buildings because of the ability to use boilers rated at 15 # max working pressure that can be connected to steam to water HX's - which are then capable of surviving the pressure required for vertical stacking a 20, 30 and up - story building hydronics, which do not exceed steel HX ratings - but that would exceed almost any boiler rating.

Then too, absorption chillers are still used, making steam very applicable for air conditioning!

The huge latent heat principals work favorably for that particular A/C design.

The industrial base here in the NE also bodes well for food processing, heavy and medium industry and everything from chemical processes, steam kettles at Cambell's Soup old digs in Camden, paper mills etc. all require steam. Merck, Pfizer, Novartus, etc. al, like steam for processing chemicals. BASF uses a huge steam component in process work and of course the refineries use it extensively in cooling and cracking plants.

Bottom line, steam is still a major commercial and industrial energy source, as well as most homes built between 1890 and 1950; which in fact for my area, is still the largest group of homes already built.

Magazines? P&M handles it nicely. My ASHRAE Journal also does as well. Con Ed in NYC still makes millions of pounds a day for the "district heating" systems throughout many of the 5 boroughs and virtually all electricity is made via steam turbines. Coal is the dominant fuel in that regard, but steam is always the medium used to spin the turbine.

Hope that helps.



<A HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=68&Step=30">To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"</A>

John R. Hall

Who else besides Heating Help?

I am curious as to what other media outlets are available to steam heat professioanls other than Heating Help. Is there a publication that caters entirely to this market? Should there be one? What percentage of homes are heated with steam? And how many steam heat contractors are out there, i.e. mainly centered in the East? I'm wondering if this is a niche that isn't covered well enough by the trade press.

I'm not treading on your territory, Dan, just curious as to whether the trade press, i.e. a monthly magazine or special focus issue, can do a better job of reaching out. Thanks.