Steam system - water level low

scott inM.E.

Ken when I bought my house In 1990, I had no idea about my system. The service co. that did my annual showed me some of the bi weekly things to do. 5 years ago I bought Dan's book and If you know about this website you should order it asap. This book will answer all your ?'s.

Ken Kicak

Steam system - water level low

Hello all,

We recently purchased an older house (built around 1890) with steam heat. It has a newer (1997) Crown Boiler (Natural Gas). The system works excellent (once I figured out that the pressure valves on the radiators are adjustable), except that the system needs a little water added to it every few weeks.

I do not see ANY leaks ANYWHERE, carpets are all dry under radiators, no water damage anywhere. Some of the vents whistle a little, but don't leak water.

We first discovered this problem because the heat wouldn't come on. I saw the sight glass and put 2+2 together. The system doesn't fill up automatically, you must open a water supply valve to fill the boiler (is this normal?)After adding maybe a gallon of water, the system was full and worked great.

This was 3-4 weeks ago. I checked the level today, and it was a little low (maybe 1/2 gallon). Its been cold (upstate NY), so the system has been on a lot.

I would also like to know more about steam heat (from a homeowners point of view). Any tips, tricks, or suggestions.

Any ideas? Should I be worried?

Thanks.

-Ken

Steamhead (in transit)

That sounds normal

some water is lost thru evaporation. If it bothers you, you can have an automatic feed valve installed. Some newer ones monitor the amount of water fed to the boiler, which is a great feature if the return lines are buried in the floor where you can't see if they've sprung a leak.

The most important thing about steam heat is venting the air- which you've figured out. If the air can't get out, the steam can't get in. There should be vents, larger than used on the radiators, at the ends of your steam mains in the basement. If you measure the length and diameter of each main and tell us what vents are on them, we can tell you if you can upgrade and save some gas.

If the low-water cutoff works with a float instead of a probe, flush out the float chamber every week. This will keep it clear of debris so the float can drop with the water if needed. If this control doesn't work, the boiler could crack.

Get Dan's book "We Got Steam Heat!" for more goodies. You can order it on the Books and More page of this site.

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