Vapor Steam Heating System?

JbPhillips · September 2025

I am replacing steam boiler in a house that built in 1887. I do not know how old the heating system is. Some of the items that are still in service: indirect heating coils (ducted to OA louver), pipe vented through roof, home made pipe receiver, impulse type check valves on each return side of rads, loop seal at the end of each steam main (made-up of three, one inch pipes about four footlong and two return bends)

Trying to identify device in attached picture. One is located on pipe receiver and one on each indirect heating unit.

Steamhead · September 2025

Most likely these are air vents. Can you zoom out and show how they connect to the system?

EBEBRATT-Ed · September 2025

I would probably re duct the indirect return duct to inside the house and cap off the OA intake.

JbPhillips · September 2025

Here is a few more pictures

mattmia2 · September 2025

Probably a 2 pipe air vent system of some sort. Each emitter returns individually to a wet return below the water line so only condensate can return there and there is an air vent on th return of each emitter to let the air out, possibly piped to an eductor of some sort to produce some vacuum.

Steamhead · September 2025

Maybe, maybe not. @JbPhillips , in the third pic where the device comes out of the housing and a pipe goes up, where does that pipe end up?

Also, where are you located? We might know someone who can help you……………

mattmia2 · September 2025

I wasn't so much saying that was what it was but more describing it because it kind of looked that way from the pipe going up and down from the return so that the op could look at it and see if that was what was happening.

109A_5 · September 2025

So each indirect heating unit has three pipes, Supply, Return and Vent ? Return and Vent pictured here.

Vapor Steam Heating System?

Comments

Categories