What to do?

ScottMP

I got a .... never mind.

Insualtion is Key !! your run time should lower with all piping insulated. Get some fiberglass insualtion on ALL piping and watch the change.

Scott

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thfurnitureguy_4

I need some advice on a less than perfect situation. Last year we lived through large heating bills and very uneven distribuion with our 1 pipe steam system. With the Walls help we solved many of our problems and now do have heat and its spread out quite well. The problem is with the run time of our boiler. It will run for about 2 hours at any given cycle to raise the stat 3*. The weather is not cold yet but we have been able to see that the run time is very close to what it was last year. The goal is to save some oil money with the system as it stands. We have blown the budget for steam this year. I know I will spend it in oil any way, and this thread is not the brightest thing I have writen, but... The remaining modifications to the system are for pipe insulation and additonal radiation. The system is a Burnham V-905A and it has been down fired with a 4.0gph 60 nozzle. A 4.5 gph by 45*(forgive me I may have the angles mixed up but the GPH is correct)is what Burnham calls for. The system will produce net I=B=R of 2021 sq ft, and the curent load is 1325sq.ft. That makes it almost 700' over. The plan was to add the additional radiation and pipe insulation while watching for pressure. I have over 400'LF of exposed 3" and some 4" iron pipe. The system builds less than 1 psi and cycles on the stat. It just runs, for what I believe to be, a long time. Would there be any benifit to replace the nozzle back to the larger one, at the up coming cleaning and try for a quicker steam up? Or is the missing insulation the reason for the slow responce. Steam is at the header in about 10 min on a cold start. As always thanks for a great site and all the help. T

Constantin

Some thoughts...

I would argue that effective insulation on the pipes will reduce your pickup factor and put more of the heat where you need it. So I would insulate them as long as you intend on keeping the current pipes for a while.

On the downfiring front, I look forward to hearing more from the steam luminaries. I seem to recall Noel advising someone against it once, though the reduction in that thread was a lot larger, IIRC (like 1/4).

Cheers!

Mark Hunt

The only way


to reduce BTU in is to reduce BTU out.

Insulation is so important, whether it be in the wall or on the pipe.

I have been in this busines for over 20 years and I now realize that I am nothing more than a "hole filler". I replace that which is lost and remove that which is gained. And that is all.

Insulate and air seal. Lower the amount of BTU's your home requires and that will save you money. The steam system you have can only be tweeked so much and it sounds like you have it dialed in. It's time to look at the shell issues.

Good thread!

Mark H

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clammy

pipe insulation

I,ve re insulated older and larger steam systems in the past when home owners where complaining about long burner cyles and large oil bills feeling they wheren,t gettting there 3 or 4 gph worth of heat .Other promblems that where a constance like water hammer and very uneven heat and a sun room for a basement all went away after insulating also rooms that wouldn't get hot only afetr a couple of boiler cycles where now getting hot on the first cycle and most of the rads did get hot at about the same time including ones that never got hot .Insulation and closing the building envoulpe are the key but well insulating your near boiler piping (and having a properly sized and installed header)and all your mainb and branch supply lines will definitly make a dent in your oil compustion and effect your your run time on your burner are all your main vents new and properly sized .But insulation on your steam lines is # 1 in reducing your engry costs another plus is with insulated mains your rads shall in alot of cases be hotter then it was giving you more useable btu's where you need them not in the basement .Bite the bullet and get it done and watch your fuel useage reduce in some cases as much as 15 to 20 % it's a win win sitution peace and good luck clammy