Hello, My condo has been quite cold this winter because the radiators are not getting fully hot. This has been a continuous issue for the past few winters but seems to be getting worse especially this year.
Specs:
* Gas fueled
* Single-pipe steam system
* The old oil boiler was converted to the new gas boiler in 2013
* Burnham IN4PVNI-M2 boiler (installed in 2013)
Symptoms:
* Radiators not getting fully hot
* Temperature is nowhere near satisfying thermostat (it is 47 degress in the open areas)
* Supply pipes (the pipes in the floor that supply the radiators with steam) are only hot 50% of the time... sometimes supply pipes are hot and radiator gets only 10% hot, sometimes supply pipes are cold completely and radiators are cold
Possible issues:
* Balance is wrong? I have read that steam heating systems need to be perfectly balanced to work correctly. When the old oil boiler was replaced with the new gas one, that may have thrown off the balance of the system. I don't think the people who installed it balanced the system correctly and maybe that's why it has never really worked well and is getting worse.
* Radiator supply valves? One of the many plumbers who looked at this issue suggested replacing the supply valves that feed steam to the radiators. I don't think this is the primary issue, because as mentioned, the supply pipes aren't always hot, anyway. I also checked that the valves are open all the way on each radiator.
What I have tried:
* Replaced radiator air vents -- did not make a difference
* Replaced the main vent with a new Gordon #1. This seemed to make it worse so I put the old main vent back on.
* Checked and corrected the pitch on all radiators
Questions:
* Are there any steam EXPERTs in the Boston area? Several different companies have looked at the issue and noone has been able to solve it.
* What could be causing these issues? What can I do to balance the system? Should it be "flushed" out somehow?
* Is it at all possible to convert my existing steam boiler to a radiant heat system? With all the issues I have been having with steam, I am thinking I should've gone with radiant heat. I'm on the first floor and and my wood floors are exposed in the basement, it could be a good fit for radiant heat, if I can re-use my existing boiler.
Thanks in advance!
Specs:
* Gas fueled
* Single-pipe steam system
* The old oil boiler was converted to the new gas boiler in 2013
* Burnham IN4PVNI-M2 boiler (installed in 2013)
Symptoms:
* Radiators not getting fully hot
* Temperature is nowhere near satisfying thermostat (it is 47 degress in the open areas)
* Supply pipes (the pipes in the floor that supply the radiators with steam) are only hot 50% of the time... sometimes supply pipes are hot and radiator gets only 10% hot, sometimes supply pipes are cold completely and radiators are cold
Possible issues:
* Balance is wrong? I have read that steam heating systems need to be perfectly balanced to work correctly. When the old oil boiler was replaced with the new gas one, that may have thrown off the balance of the system. I don't think the people who installed it balanced the system correctly and maybe that's why it has never really worked well and is getting worse.
* Radiator supply valves? One of the many plumbers who looked at this issue suggested replacing the supply valves that feed steam to the radiators. I don't think this is the primary issue, because as mentioned, the supply pipes aren't always hot, anyway. I also checked that the valves are open all the way on each radiator.
What I have tried:
* Replaced radiator air vents -- did not make a difference
* Replaced the main vent with a new Gordon #1. This seemed to make it worse so I put the old main vent back on.
* Checked and corrected the pitch on all radiators
Questions:
* Are there any steam EXPERTs in the Boston area? Several different companies have looked at the issue and noone has been able to solve it.
* What could be causing these issues? What can I do to balance the system? Should it be "flushed" out somehow?
* Is it at all possible to convert my existing steam boiler to a radiant heat system? With all the issues I have been having with steam, I am thinking I should've gone with radiant heat. I'm on the first floor and and my wood floors are exposed in the basement, it could be a good fit for radiant heat, if I can re-use my existing boiler.
Thanks in advance!