So Steam Boilers???

Kungur · Post by **Kungur** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2018 4:53 pm

With more down time have been watching a few too many You Tube videos! But the ones about steam heat are quite intriguing. So it made me wonder if this type of heating is a thing of the past or is it still a viable option for today? The 1 pipe systems are nest.

lzaharis · Post by **lzaharis** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2018 7:41 pm

Steam heat is a still a viable method of heating for home or business and the use of drop headers allows the steam fitter to make dry steam very quickly with minimal steam condensate that drains back to the boiler water level.

An even simpler method of whole house or business heating is top fed gravity hot water heating using standing column radiators which uses 180 degree water. The hot water rises to the open to air expansion tank simply by the creation of heat in the boiler and returns to the boiler sump by simple gravity and it does not require circulators.

Gravity hot water heat is smooth even heat as the boiler does not have to reach a steam temperature of 208-212 degrees

Post by **Rob R.** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2018 9:08 pm

So it made me wonder if this type of heating is a thing of the past or is it still a viable option for today?

Steam heat is very impressive when done correctly - the problem today is finding anyone that knows much about it. Most contractors would rather scrap a steam system than try to learn why it is not working correctly.

My grandmother's 1880 home is heated with single pipe steam. The amount of heat put out by a steam radiator is amazing.

David... · Post by **David...** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2018 10:13 am

One problem with steam heat is that it is expensive to have more than one zone.

David

Post by **StokerDon** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2018 11:08 am

Be careful of that Youtube. If you start watching things like Fred Dibnah, you will be hunting for steam boilers and steam engines!

-Don

Pacowy · Post by **Pacowy** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2018 11:34 am

Often it is possible to get some amount of control over individual steam radiators through use of adjustable air vents, but yes David if you go to motorized valves, etc. the $ can add up.

Mike

lzaharis · Post by **lzaharis** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2018 11:42 am

When steam heating is used it typically feeds the all the radiators in a home or business at once and the heat from each radiator can be controlled by a single thermostat or thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) if it is equipped with one.

This also goes along with having the small air vents that are in the radiators working properly if a TRV is not used as well as making sure the main steam vents in the end of the header pipes are working to allow the air in the header pipes to escape and the dry steam to enter the header pipes then travel on to the radiators. If the main vents are not working they need to be cleaned or replaced.

lzaharis · Post by **lzaharis** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2018 11:49 am

Rob R. wrote: ↑
Sat. Dec. 22, 2018 9:08 pm
Steam heat is very impressive when done correctly - the problem today is finding anyone that knows much about it. Most contractors would rather scrap a steam system than try to learn why it is not working correctly.

My grandmother's 1880 home is heated with single pipe steam. The amount of heat put out by a steam radiator is amazing.

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Its certainly one major benefit in using steam heat in that one drop of water can expand 1,700 plus times at 208-212 degrees Fahrenheit to make wet steam and create power to work and it comes in handy in home heating and in buildings.
I always think back to the empire state building and how it is heated by steam that operates at 1.5 - 2.0 P.S.I.G. from the sub basements in the granite rock that the building sits on to the top floor below the spire and antenna mast.