Inbalance of steam heat for a 2 story house

Ted Robinson

Long before our ownership the kitchen radiation was removed. Originally then, there was slightly more on the main floor.

Would it help to add hot water baseboards on the first floor, using tempered boiler water?

Ted Robinson

Inbalance of stem heat on a 2 story house

I have calculated the steam radiation total of 400 sq ft and it is about equal on the upper and lower floors. When the outside temperature goes below 20 above, the upper floor becomes 6 or more degrees hotter than the lower floor. Is this a characteristic of steam or is there something else going on. I have even thouoght about adding a hot water loop with baseboards for the lower floor.

Steamhead (in transit)

Normally

we find more radiation on the ground floor, since some of the heated air will rise to the upper floors. Has any radiation been removed from the ground floor?

gerry gill

its also been my observation

that on some systems, the upper floor radiators actually stay warm, always, as the first floor radiators return to a cold state between cycles..what happens here is that air sitting over the recently 212 degree water gains heat from the water in the bottom of the boiler, rises, usually to the top floors..so the top floor radiators alternate between states of hot and warm, while the first floor radiators alternate between states of hot and cool..don't know if this is your case, but the remedy for it is thermostatic valves or vents on the second floor.

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bob young

second zone

maybe you could create a whole separate hot water zone for 1 st floor and plug existing connections. hot water zone off condensate.

Steamhead (in transit)

What I'd do

is put a radiator in the kitchen, and use thermostatic valves on the second floor bedroom rads. This would give the best heat distribution, and limit the heat in the bedrooms if needed.