Heating Help

Yup.

@ February 28, 2010 7:23 PM in CONVECTOR VENTING

Yeah, you shouldn't be having steam escape through the vents. Did you try to match the same size that were on there before?

...

@ February 28, 2010 5:43 PM in CONVECTOR VENTING

How did you come to the conclusion that they were stuck open? 

They replace the same steam pipe every year.

@ February 28, 2010 10:12 AM in They replace the same steam pipe every year.

I was on a service call the other day for a leaking steam main. The customers said they change the same piece of pipe every year and it keeps leaking, not at a joint, but the actual pipe (about 6 inches from the closest fitting). I am not a big believer in coincidences like this. I didn't ask too many details while I was there (we rescheduled to go back and replace the pipe).

Could this be caused by water hammer? Water settling near the closest fitting? Is the homeowner lying? I even considered the pipe being marred up by the tech's pipe wrench, creating a weak spot on the pipe (it was clamped overnight, so I couldn't see the actual leak).

The steam main leaves the boiler room, makes one turn, and the leaking pipe is about 3 feet after the turn with a riser tee 6 inches past the leak.

Not just the switch.

@ February 28, 2010 7:56 AM in need a steam pressure cycle switch

Did you clean the pigtail?

Wiring.

@ February 28, 2010 7:15 AM in Honeywell Tru Steam humidifer

I can't find an installation manual to give you an exact, detailed answer but I have done this before.

 To only have humidity on a call for heat: You can set up a relay that closes on a call from the thermostat and wire the normally open contacts in series with the humidistat to turn on the humidifier.

You can also set it up to come on with any use of the fan, but you might have to cut into the blower wire leads; and set up a relay the same as before with the blower wire energizing the relay coil.

Vent size.

@ February 28, 2010 6:42 AM in CONVECTOR VENTING

What made you think you needed a bigger vent size?  It may be too big, and the steam will leave the radiator too fast, causing the hissing and spitting. I would put as close to the same size as was on there before. Did the radiators get fully warm before you changed the vents? What made you change them in the first place?

Old vents.

@ February 27, 2010 9:44 PM in CONVECTOR VENTING

What type of vents used to be on there?

Check valves.

@ February 27, 2010 9:40 PM in hot water loop off steam boiler

Keep everything under the water line. If the check valves are above the water line, nothing is going to keep water in the piping between them and the water line. And I don't think it makes a difference where you place them in relation to the purge drains, unless you were trying to fill/purge the loop water backwards through the return line.

Air Vent Placement.

@ February 27, 2010 9:32 PM in Conveting a radiator

You want to use the tapping that is 1/2 to 2/3 the way up. You do this because the steam will rise to the top of the radiator first and work all the air down and out. If the vent was kept on top, the whole radiator would never get warm because the initial presence of steam would close it prematurely. 

Check the whole system.

@ February 27, 2010 9:28 PM in Steam valve hissing after radiator is hot - how to fix

Find out where the radiator connects to the main in the basement. If it's the last on the line (along with the floor below you), and there is a faulty or missing main vent, the problem may not even be the radiator vent at all. If the problem is isolated to just these two radiators, I would look into a piping issue near the main.