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1 Pipe System

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ksd99
ksd99 Member Posts: 77
in THE MAIN WALL
I always had Forces air, until my new home. I read I Got Steam Heat and My head is overwelmed with all kinds of questions and concerns from too much PSI to TRV issues. The former owners had the boiler replaced in 2000, and boiler does get serviced twice a year, but I had them out and they really didn’t provide positive feedback except for me to live with the knocking and close the radiators partially to cool the room..... both answers which I know now isn’t right. I want to get a professional out to look over the boiler and radiators but am afraid of getting another knucklehead. Anyone has a contacts in the Kalamazoo / Battlecreek area of Michigan for me? The closest one from this website is almost 2 hours away.
New owner of 1 Pipe Steam Boiler - learning all I can- no real steam pro in S.W. Michigan - if you know of 1 -let me know.

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  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
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    Michigan has been a tough state to find steam Pros. If you can isolate the area where the knocking is coming from, we can maybe help. Never partially close a supply valve on a one pipe system. Steam will leak into the radiator but water can't get out and hammer will occur.
    For starters, Check for:
    - sags in any and all horizontal pipes. If you find a sag, use some hangers to pull the say out.
    - Horizontal pipes that may be pitched the wrong way, preventing water from returning to the boiler
    - If noise is at radiator(s) make sure the radiator is pitched a little towards the supply valve so that they can drain.
    - Maker sure your Pressuretrol is set for Cut-in of .5PSI and the Differential is set to "1"
    - Make sure the pigtail (looped pipe the Pressuretrol is mounted on) is not clogged.
    Post some pictures of the boiler and the piping above it and a couple radiators. That always helps us.
    Ironman
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,702
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    Welcome, I lived in Kalamazoo for 25 years :)

    I didn’t even know there were any steam systems out there. I only saw forced air and maybe a little hot water in west michigan, but I wasn’t nearly as interested in such things until I came out east and bought a house with steam.

    It’s a great way to heat and you have the help here to make things at least better and probably perfect. Like Fred said, send pics from several feet away from the boiler from several angles to show the pipes near it and include a good pic of the controls, ideally while it’s mid-burn.

    And a photo of any vents you find on the main pipes in the basement
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

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