Steam boiler modernization

You certainly don't need to even think about getting rid of the steam system. Read on.

It is quite possible, if you have wet returns (pipes down low, below the water line of the boiler) that you have leaks in them. It is very likely that they have some corrosion inside. Was your leak in one of these pipes?

If so, replacing the wet returns would probably be a good idea — and shouldn't be that hard to do since so long as they stay below the water line of the boiler the actual routing of the pipes is not important. I would certainly replace any which are actually buried. The wet returns can be replaced in copper, which is easier for most modern tradespeople to handle.

As to replacing the rest of the pipes… it's almost vanishingly rare for steam or dry return pipes to leak, although it does happen — usually at a threaded joint, usually on a dry return, and usually because there simply isn't enough pitch there for the pipe to drain completely. Again, repairing such a thing is not difficult — provided your plumber or steamfitter has some idea as to how to thread pipe.

Thus for the rest of the system — which is the majority of it — there should be no need to replace any pipes (though they may need to be rehung to correct pitch problems).

All that said, the condition of the boiler is your biggest concern. Does it leak? If not, simply having it properly serviced — cleaned and the burner properly adjusted with actual measuring instruments (you can't do it by eye) is all that should be needed.

Now on blowdowns or "bleeding". It should not be necessary to drain water from the boiler once week. Or even once a month. Once per season is ample. You may, however, have a float type low water cutoff, and that should be blown down from time to time — once a week is fine, but a bit less won't hurt. Usually this involves no more than a gallon or so of water to clear the float chamber. In fact, you don't want to add more water than that — as fresh water will increase corrosion.

Can you add more detail about where the leak was? And, while we are at it, how is the system performing? Reasonably even? Not much if any banging? If the leak has been patched, is it using water (it shouldn't). We can gladly help with all that and suggestions for other work — but only if needed.

As I said at first, you don't need to replace all the pipes. You don't need to think about changing from steam to something else. Relax.

Sounds like someone may be taking someone for a ride. 😉

Replacing the steam system WILL involve significant demolition.

That said, is the draining you were told to do flushing the low water cutoff? That's the only draining you should be doing regularly.

What do you mean by "bleed the pipes "? They should be draining by themselves.

Pictures of your piping, especially around the boiler would be instructive.

A leak in a pipe above the water line is, as has been said, very rare. And there should be little, if any, banging. Oddly, both may be related to the same problem: a lack of pitch in some of the piping. Steam piping must be pitched — not very much, but some — so that the condensate which naturally forms can drain back to the boiler. I'm going to go out on a limb and bet that if you check the pitch of all the piping, you will find some which don't drain properly. This may be very hard to do with the pipes you have buried in the soffits.

Where are you "bleeding" the pipes? Would you take a few pictures and post them so we can see what it is you are doing? I'm a little concerned that the "bleeding", if it is out in the piping somewhere and making the banging less, may indicate that something is amiss with the pitch of the piping — or even that someone may have gotten creative and moved or removed a pipe or vent which really way needed.

Also, would you take a few pictures of the boiler and its controls, and also the piping in the vicinity of the boiler? Since you are in kind of a knowledge desert for steam boilers, it may be that there are some simple adjustments which could be made to make the whole thing work better.

Hmmm… @msharp when you bleed water out the banging stops?!

The question is from where are you bleeding or draining this water from?… And then it stops but starts again?

This tells me you have condensate from the steam gathering in the pipes and creating this noise. This might be an easy fix, and "shouldn't" be anything major. The condensate is normally going to be created as steam cools. When this happens the condensate should drain by itself without having to bleed it out.

So, where are you bleeding the water from?

The pipe needs replaced not just patched. It is likely a low spot if it leaked. The return piping below the water line of the boiler is likely clogged. Not a whole system repipe, just the wet parts of the return.

Do you have an autofeeder?

@Jamie Hall it is very common for the dry returns that have minimal pitch to leak like that. Especially since they are often not reamed. Puddles make holes after 100 years or so.