Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

add a rad

davem1
davem1 Member Posts: 13
can you help me with a diagram or liturature on adding a radiator to the second story on an exsisting one pipe steam system in a one family home

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,160
    In principle

    this isn't all that hard to do.  Provided one is reasonably handy with threaded pipe and so on.



    However, that said, one does have to have some knowledge of how steam heat works in the first place, so as to know where to tie in, what pipe sizes are needed, what pipe pitch is needed, and so on.



    May I suggest that you get at least some of the books which are for sale on this site (specifically "A Steamy Deal"?  Mr. Holohan has done a fine job in putting together the information needed to understand steam heating systems, and that would surely be the place to start.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • davem1
    davem1 Member Posts: 13
    need help

    can someone give me more info other than buying a book
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    Not really

    The problem is it takes an understanding of how the system works to figure out how to pipe the new radiator in.  In order to get this understanding you need to read The lost art of steam heat which is included in the steamy deal. 



    Of course, thats just my opinion.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • TomM
    TomM Posts: 233
    well

    I would also advise to buy the book.  Lost art of steam heating.
    beautiful Conshohocken PA
  • Rod
    Rod Posts: 2,067
    Parameters

    Well if you don’t want to read a book I would suggest you hire a professional steam man to do the job for you.  Like an appendix operation, installing a steam radiator is quite simple to do. However, in both cases, the more understanding of the situation, the better chance for successful outcome.  

        Jamie has suggested to you the most practical approach which most of the rest of us, since we have read the books, would also recommend.  How to install a radiator is quite simple. You connect the radiator to the steam main using a pipe. What you have to know is what size of pipe to use, how much pitch you need, and how to intersect the steam main. These all vary, depending on the physical relationship between the steam main and radiator and since we can’t be there to see what you propose, the next best thing is for us to suggest a book that has the parameters you need to follow for a successful installation.  If you don’t want to purchase the steambooks Jamie has suggested, you can get the necessary information ( in a lot less detail) from the page 3 of the Burnham Heating Helper which can be downloaded from the internet.
  • davem1
    davem1 Member Posts: 13
    books

    thanks for the info i broke down and purchased a steamy deal after 30 years there is still always something to learn
This discussion has been closed.