Heating Help

Thank You All For Your Comments and Questions!

@ May 19, 2013 2:00 PM in This Week's Steamer Replacement

Thank you again.

To add to the job, we installed, as usual, a proper sight glass blow-down valve and drain hose.  This simple addition can really help show the customer the need for further cleaning of the boiler.  It will also help keep the sight glass clean without removing it.

The friction washers that most sight glass kits come with are soft steel that have been lightly coated with brass.  These are ruthlessly eliminated and replaced with brass washers.

On the return that is not shown, the copper threads into a  2" x 2" x 1-1/2" cast iron tee and a 2" extra heavy nipple that returns into the boiler.  The other end of the tee has a 2" x 3/4" bushing and a ball valve boiler drain.  The so-called "boiler drains" that the manufacturers ltend to supply with their package boilers are scrapped.

So Sorry To Say

@ March 4, 2013 7:21 PM in Pretty radiators, shiny valves

I may not have any to spare.  And mine don't say "Trane" anyway.
They are very hard to come by.  "Oh, our plumber took them.  Where they important?"

Again, they look really nice.  That is some nice work.

They Look Like

@ March 4, 2013 6:00 PM in Pretty radiators, shiny valves

Keibel System valves.  Perhaps The Vapor Vacuum Co. of Philadelphia (aka Kriebel) bought their valves from Trane (or visa versa?).

Are the flats on that octagonal bonnet top 1-15/16" apart?  Did you re-build the internals also?

They look beautiful!!  I hope the handles don't get too hot. 

Also Sarco Made

@ February 14, 2013 3:55 PM in Steam trap

dozens of now obsolete models.
At least tell us the size!

Pictures

@ February 13, 2013 5:33 PM in Steam trap

would be a big help.

All Too Many Landlords

@ February 3, 2013 1:16 AM in bad steam systems ?

just don't like to spend money, period.  From my prospective, they seem to regard good contractors as if they were the Red Cross - there to provide free service merely out of the goodness of their hearts.
It seems many small-time landlords that have been in business long use a "slave" i.e. someone who works for them who has low self-esteem they can get to do the minimum work needed for a rock-bottom price.  They call the contractor for the "free" estimate of the problem.  They get the problem diagnosed and then get their "slave" to do the work instead.
Even if the "slave" has to try and fix the problem three times., it's still cheaper than what that over-priced contractor was going to charge to fix it right the first time.

Sirpe, Here's The Thing...

@ February 1, 2013 11:24 PM in Whole house reno - Going from old hot water to Gas Air.

If you went onto a website that was for dog lovers, and you wrote something like:
"We moved into this house and found a dog in it.  We don't like dogs, so we had it shot.  What sort of cat should we buy?" 

I suspect the responses would not be positive,  wouldn't  you?

You should know that this site is full of folks who are very passionate about hydronic heat, and the folks who remove said systems that they inherit and install "scorched error" are considered to have made a less than wise decision at best.

This, from a person who currently is suffering living in a house with "farced" air and, ironically enough, works on hydronic systems.

Glad to Hear It's Working Better

@ January 30, 2013 8:54 PM in Main Vent Spitting out Water

I'd re-insulate that main so it's not generating so much condensate.

Hi

@ January 23, 2013 1:21 AM in Hello, My Name is Mark, & I'm A Wallaholic

Mark!

Unless You Are Steaming Crabs

@ January 23, 2013 12:59 AM in MEGALOCK FAIL!!

or trying to move the building, 8oz/in2 pressure should be enough to heat the building on the coldest day of the year.

Why does this system need so much pressure? 

I think you may have other issues besides the leaks.

Well, That Vacuum System was

@ January 18, 2013 9:24 PM in Vacuum air vents on one-pipe systems

definitely "one for the books".  But I advised the customer that he had a charmed system.  I suspect that if only one of the vacuum vents fails, the fairy dust will be released and it will break the spell.

I've seen other one-pipe vacuum systems, but with that one exception they were in failure spiral.  One radiator will heat normally one cycle or for several days. Then randomly stop heating.  Other radiators will start heating.  Then stop.  There is nothing for it but to replace the vents with current models.





  

The Behavior You Describe

@ January 18, 2013 8:52 PM in Steam Boiler

is perfectly normal.  When the boiler begins heating up, wisps of steam will rise up through the riser with the lest resistance.  It will flow back down the other riser in a mini heating loop until enough pressure is generated by the boiler to need both risers to release it.  Then both risers get hot as you describe.

Isn't that cool!!  Enjoy the wonder of Steam!

I was on a job not long ago

@ January 18, 2013 1:11 AM in Vacuum air vents on one-pipe systems

that had Hoffman vacuum vents on the mains and all the radiators.  They were all working.  The system held a vacuum continuously and heated evenly and quickly. The customer did not want me to touch it (I didn't question that!).

I was there to replace the sightglass gaskets.  He knew they were leaking because the sightglass had bubbles in it due to the air being sucked in.  I had to get it real tight to stop the vacuum leak. He was most definitely NOT interested in a sightglass blowdown valve.

 Hours later, I was called back because the old sightglass had cracked. How did he know? It started bubbling again.
Vacuum leaks are a pain.

Not Many

@ January 18, 2013 12:52 AM in Crazy Idea

Because the film speeds weren't fast enough back in the day,  they would just show a blur!

Here's a Map

@ January 18, 2013 12:48 AM in Crazy Idea

of Baltimore's Distinct Steam System from the 1950s

What do you think- the month of February perhaps? 

Edit - see what I mean! Why can't this post?

Thanks!

@ January 17, 2013 10:56 PM in Crazy Idea

I'd post more stuff, but I've had trouble with posting recent photos here on this site.
Don't know what the issue is.  My old filed photos still post ok.

The photo is of three  pressure reducing valves on a district steam system.

Nice

@ January 17, 2013 10:48 PM in Job Pictures. 1930's TRANE Vapor system.

Very nice indeed!

But

@ January 17, 2013 1:06 AM in Crazy Idea

Q: Do you have to be "grizzled" and "old" to be a steam pro? ;-)

 A: No, but it helps !

Agreed

@ January 14, 2013 6:40 PM in "eye candy "for a chimney liner

I've heard of this being done and it wasn't just on troublesome offset chimneys also, a few do it on all of their installs.  Vile disgusting villains! 

We had a great chimney guy, Tom DePaula of All About Chimneys (may he be Blessed).
We miss him terribly!

Anybody know of someone good in central Maryland?  

If I Am Viewing That Picture Correctly...

@ January 7, 2013 10:50 PM in Cracked radiator at vent

It looks to me like 4 cracks spreading at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions.

And they are rather long cracks, rather long indeed.  If I were called to look at it and repair it, I would not be hopeful of achieving a warrantable repair.

As the owner of said radiator, and willing to risk a bit more, drilling it out and re-tapping a bushing MIGHT be an alternative, combined with properly installed JB weld to seal it.
 
Maybe.

I'd look for another radiator, just in case.

pH of the Water

@ January 7, 2013 7:13 PM in gauge glass erosion

I've been told that water with high pH (alkaline) will cause sight-glass erosion.

Please Consider

@ January 6, 2013 5:06 PM in Radiator removed, now remaining radiators leak!

Giving All Steamed Up, Inc a call.