When to get an estimate?

Bob C

Steamhead,
Look at my other post. I have diagrams.
http://forums.invision.net/Thread.cfm?CFApp=2&&Message_ID=187993&_#Message187993

The Only steam pipe into that room was running burnam baseray and it was piped incorrectly. The pipe is only 1 1/4 inches wide. Do you think that is big enough to heat the room??? It sounds like I would need to have a wall mounted radiator to get the pitch. Could 1 radiator heat the entire room? 12X17 with new Low E windows and I am fully insulating it.

Thanks again,
Bob

Bob C

When to get an estimate?

I'm in the middle of remodeling an addition on my house where I plan on having a professional come in and do the work. The room is 12 X 17. The plan is to run a hot water baseboard zone off the Steam Boiler. It's on a slab so you can't get Steam into the room. The room is down to the studs(uninsullated) and the electrical is about to be run.

Should I get the professional in now while the walls are open or should I just wait until I get the sheetrock and trim up? I would hate to put the thermostat in the wrong place. If you had your choice, when would you liked to be called in? Also, what do you recommend for baseboard, SlantFin? I want to put in quality products.

Thanks,
Bob

Steamhead (in transit)

You want to rough-in the heat lines

while the walls are open. Same with the thermostat cable. After the walls are up the baseboard goes in. Slant/Fin is one of several good brands of baseboard.

It would, however, be possible to install a steam radiator if you could somehow get proper pitch while running the pipe above the slab. Piping for a steam radiator doesn't have to come up out of the floor. For example, a radiator on a side wall could be fed by a pipe coming up from the basement in the wall between the original house and the addition, then running horizontally (pitched back of course) to the radiator.

Bob C

After re-reading Steamhead's post. I think I could come off the main with 1 inch pipe into the exterior wall of the addition and install a wall mounted radiator under the window. Has anyone installed any products from this company? http://www.steamradiators.com

J.C.A._3

Yes we have !

And I must say...for the size and space the radiators take up, they put out a whole lotta heat! As an added bonus (I think) they also look nice.

Don't just think under window either! These puppies can be mounted vertically too. With the feed and return selections, they can be used in just about any steam system. Make sure you read the instructions as to the mounting points. (One bit me a little when the hold down pieces were just a bit too far away, just a heads up). Do a good heat loss and pick and choose the one(s) that are right for your need.

BTW, They are a subsidiary of Runtal corp., and are located just a bit down the road from me, so I may be a bit biased on them. Chris

Bob C

Wall mounted radiator.

Can someone explain how a wall mounted radiator is piped? Is there going to be a shutoff valve coming out of the wall like it would for a floor model radiator. My wife asked me this and I didn't have answer.

J.C.A._3

There should be.

Look into a sweet nickle plated unit by Tunstall, sized for your shut-off. It's kind of eerie seeing one just sticking out of the wall, but it works! Chris

Ron Schroeder_3

before you start remodeling

is then answer to your Subject question.

Steamhead (in transit)

Do a heat-loss calc

on the room, then there will be no doubt as to how much heat you need.

I'd keep the pipe 1-1/4" until it reaches the radiator. This will lower the pressure drop and also increase the pipe's capacity since the velocity will be lower. Remember a horizontal pipe has much less capacity than a vertical one.

Bob C

Steamhead,
Thanks for the advice. I ordered the slantfin software a while ago and have done a heat loss calculation. That's the easy part. The hard part is deciding how to get the room heated. Steam, baseboard, or radiant.

Steam would be the easiest to pipe, but we are not sure about the wall mounted radiator with the kids. The other radiators have covers. Baseboard off the boiler is my second option and Radiant is last. I like radiant the most, but I think it would be to expensive to install.

My heating pro is stopping by next week to take a look, so I have plenty of things to talk about.

I clicked on an ad from this site and found Argo baseboard that have holders in place to run the return line above the heating coil. This is exactly what I need if we decide on baseboard over the slab. Are Argo baseboards good?

Once Again, thanks for all the help. As a homeowner, it's really reasurring to talk to you guys first before getting any work done at home. It seems like 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 techs I get really know steam. Now I call and ask for the guys I have met that "Like" and understand steam. There are not many.

Bob C

Update

Well, I met with my Pro and we have come up with a solution. Piping a new Steam Radiator is out of the questions due to space. We decided to go with a hot water baseboard zone.

We were going to pipe it off the bottom of the steam boiler until my Pro noticed that my Weil Mclain boiler can handle 2 indirect water coils. So he recommended we use this. So 1 coil handles heating the potable water in the superstor tank and the other heats the 1 zone of baseboard. Is there ANY concerns that I should have with this approach?

We have already taken into effect the lower water temperature while sizing the baseboard according to the heat loss calculations.

Thanks,
Bob

Bob C

Update

Well, I met with my Pro and we have come up with a solution. Piping a new Steam Radiator is out of the questions due to space. We decided to go with a hot water baseboard zone.

We were going to pipe it off the bottom of the steam boiler until my Pro noticed that my older Weil Mclain boiler can handle 2 indirect water coils. So he recommended we use this to heat the zone. So 1 coil handles heating the potable water in the superstor tank and the other heats the 1 zone of baseboard. Is there ANY concerns that I should have with this approach?

We have already taken into effect the lower water temperature while sizing the baseboard according to the heat loss calculations.

Thanks,
Bob

Steamhead (in transit)

That should work fine

if the coil is 1/2-inch and your baseboard is 3/4-inch, pipe a 1/2" bypass around the coil so the full flow rate in the 3/4-inch pipe will be maintained. This will make sure the heat reaches the end of the baseboard.