Heating Help

Reply to Rod

@ February 27, 2010 9:14 PM in Main steam line vent location

Rod,
    Thanks for the alternate way to search for a contractor. Found one in Dorchester (Suburb of Boston, not too far away) Will contact them and see what we can put together. Shouldn't be too difficult as the system DOES work, just needs some fine tuning that this home hanyman doesn't have the tools or expertise to accomplish.
   This site ie worth ite weight in gold & platinum!

Reply to Dave

@ February 27, 2010 8:52 PM in Main steam line vent location

When you stop learning, that only means one thing. You've died and don't know it yet

Verifies my suspicions

@ February 27, 2010 10:43 AM in Main steam line vent location

Rod, Dave,
    Thankyou for your replies. It verifies what I suspected. I've been reading through the Lost Art of Steam Heat and comparing it to what I see in my basement. Some of it agrees and some doesn't agree with good practice. And I have been blasting thru @ 175~200 gallons of oil every 3 weeks when daily high temps only get into the 20's, extended burner runs (10 to 20 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day) without producing any heat on the main floor, and sporadic domestic hot water. (Not to mention a lot of complaints from the wife) I'll also be replacing the original Weil-McLaine burner (now hard or impossible to get critical parts for according to my oil company) with a Beckett unit.
     I've looked for steam heat specialists here in the Boston/Brockton Massachusetts area. Hard to find so far but will contact some local supply houses here and see what I can turn up. Will have to wait for the end of the heating season tho.
     Again, thanks for your replies.

Main steam line vent location

@ February 26, 2010 2:06 PM in Main steam line vent location

On my steam system, there are no vents on the main steam lines  (two longest horizontal runs) but vents on the dry returns (well above the boiler water line) near the boiler. (Guess they were depending on the radiator vents to get the steam out to the farthest reaches of the house) Is this significant?
There has also been one radiator removed (by previous owner and now gone MIA along with the radiator) which has probably unbalanced the sytem considerably, not to mention the loss of heating capability.  Would the removal of one radiator essentially off balance the system enough to be considered an "over fired" condition? (Measuring the marks left on the floor, I'm guessing the missing unit was about 46 to 48" long, 19 to 20 inches tall and 6 inches deep based on a like unit in the livingroom)
The boiler is a late model Weil-McLaine Gold oil fired unit with DHW coil in use.
When we puchased the house 2 years ago, during the home inspection prior to the purchase, we fired up the unit and the vents in the supposed dry return showered myself and the inspector with scalding hot water. (Who ever "winterized" the place was clueless, the system was WAY over filled) Lowered the water in the system, and the first year went o.k. This heating season, the boiler is now loosing water and has to be topped off every day in really cold weather when the system runs frequently. Checked for evidence of steam going up the flue, doesn't appear to be escaping in that direction but have two supply valves that now hiss anytime the steam is up. (Will be replacing those within the next week.) Any other thoughts on where the water may be going? Would a leaky supply valve at the radiator cause that much water loss?
All the steam lines and returns appear to be original installation (circa 1925 with no obvious evidence of steam/condensate leaks (peeling/damaged insulation))
In the first photo,you can see the main steam supply is not insulated from the top of the boiler cabinet upward @ 36"  Ti the left and right of the wye are the vents in the dry returns
Second photo shows a slightly lower view of photo 1
Third photo, lower still

Disregard previous post

@ February 21, 2010 4:34 AM in Security code issues

Dan, was able to find my wa to and order the chart. Thanks for a great site

Shop on line

@ February 21, 2010 4:27 AM in Security code issues

Tried to order the steam balancing chart and it takes me to an unavailable page. (Doesn't exist) Are these charts available, and if so, where do I go to purchase one?