stay with steam or go hot water

Josh Powers

I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and convert to hot water.i have a two pipe steam system w/traps.I have 16 radiators aprx. 560 sq.' of steam.Boiler has two 3" supplys off top of boiler going into one supply pipe.All condensate line are dry six in all.Current boiler is a converted h.B.smith oil boiler to gas.Conserns are if I stay with steam how to calculate size pump for condensate?If I go to hot water conserned about large water content of piping system.I would like to use munchkin. thank you

kevin coppinger_4

I would stay...

with the steam, however if you are doing a Major remodel I would understand if you wanted to convert...and I mean scrap the whole thing. Reusing an old steam system piping w/ a munchkin could be a sediment nightmare. Keep therads and repipe in pex... kpc

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Steamhead (in transit)

Keep the steam

You probably do NOT need a condensate or boiler-feed pump. This sounds like a Vapor system which was the Cadillac of heating in its day. These systems were designed to run at less than 1 pound of pressure at the boiler. With such low pressures, return pumps are not needed since the water can return by gravity.

Trying to run these old units with hot-water can become a nightmare of leaks. We don't do this type of conversion.

Install a new steam boiler. Make sure the steam mains and dry returns are well vented so the steam can distribute with no more pressure than your lungs can produce. Insulate all the steam pipes and fix any bad traps. Then sit back and enjoy your first-class heating system.

Have you found any manufacturer's information on your system's hardware, such a valves, traps, any devices in the piping around the boiler? This will help us identify your system.

Jamie Hall

Stay with steam!

as some of you (for instance Steamhead, who gave me a LOT of help!) recall I had the same quandry, and stayed with steam with a new boiler (vapour steam).

And couldn't be happier, three years on...