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I need your help. We are in the process of adding a major addition to our house. The house is presently heated with a single pipe steam system. In preparation for the renovation, we had the asbestos remove from the steam pipes and the outside of the boiler. Our contractor suggested converting to a hot water heating system. We now find that our project will be delayed and we need to replace the steam boiler so that we have heat during the construction period. We are not adverse to using steam in the new addition. Is there any problem with buying a steam boiler with excess capacity and later tying in the new addition. Additionally, why do the contractors want to convert to hot water rather than adding on to the steam system? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Tell us more about where you are, what kind of structure it is and how it happened to be heated by steam in the first place please. Generally Speaking a hot water system requires less maintenance, is quieter and more efficient than the small steam systems in older housing. Hot water systems operate at lower pressures and temperatures too.
But that is generally, need more info to apply to you.
*Another thing to keep in mind about steam heat is that the temp will fluctuate in a range more so than a hot water system, which is much more uniform. You can also run radiant heating in the floors with a hot water system which is a nice option.
*As requested, our house is a cape cod built in the 1930-40 and located in Northern New Jersey. The steam heating system was in the house when we bought it approximately 13 years ago. The addition will add approximately 1000 sq. feet to the house. It will have a full basement with a new kitchen and family room on the first floor and a master bedroom suite on the second floor. As we do not want to duplicate expenses, is it possible to easily convert the steam system to a hot water system so that we do not need to re-do the existing part of the house which has built-in cast iron radiators. Thanks for the help.
*See your local contractor. It is quite common to convert steam systems to hot water to take advantage of modern mechanicals without losing the flavor of the old fashioned radiators. That will be the best thing you ever did. Also, it will allow you to replace any worn components so you will be comfortable for the next 50 years. Sometimes when something is examined closely you find flaws that would have expensively surprised you at another time.
*Geof -Do you have, or do you plan to add, central air conditioning? If you do, it would probably affect the answers you are getting.Jeff
*b WBA At Your ServiceGeof, Your second post states that your existing system can easily be converted to hot water, yet your first post stated that you have one-pipe steam. This doesn't make sense to me because you need two pipes per radiator for hot water. If you do have a one-pipe system, then you must repipe the entire house (most likely with copper) to supply your radiators. Trying to use the existing piping with 50 years of steam crud is not the best for your new boiler. Next problem: are your radiators tapped for a second pipe ? If so, has anyone tried to remove the fitting ? These things get welded together after all those years. Next question: has anyone pressure tested your system and or radiators for leaks under the higher pressure that water systems run ? This is what has prevented me from making the conversion in my own home. I have two radiators that leak between sections on very cold days when the boiler runs alot. I don't mind the steam hiss, but I can live without water squirting at me. Last Thursday I talked with a union fitter about doing exactly what you are planning on doing. He faced the same one-pipe update in his house (minus the addition) and he wanted to save his pretty old radiators. His radiators were tapped for two-pipe steam, but it took him 6 hours on one radiator to get the thing prepped for copper. Multiply that times 16 radiators in his house. Even with his labor being free, he chose to put copper fin tube radiators throughout the house. When you ask why contractors shy away from adding on to an existing steam system, a big reason is often lack of experience. The design of new hot water systems is much simpler than that of adding on to existing one-pipe steam. The people who designed the system in your house are dead, and your one-pipe system is a dated style for 1930-1940. Your contractor knows he will not be able to afford 2 or 3 callbacks to try to fix banging pipes from one-pipe steam in your new addition. He will try to sell you a simple, quiet, and very flexible hot water system. Steam systems can be wonderful if they are tuned correctly. Finding a good tuner is difficult. I wish I could find one for my house. If you can make your old radiators work with hot water, and maybe even find some salvaged radiators for you addition, you will really be happy. Just be sure someone has looked into some of these things so that you don't have a surprise at the end in the way of a whopper sized change order.
*Efficiency was mentioned above, but I wanted to add that a friend of mine who does strictly HVAC design says that a two-pipe system I recently worked on was at best 50% efficient. He said one pipe systems are worse.Geoff - What are your heating bills now? How big is the existing structure?-Rob
*try posting your question also at http://www.heatinghelp.com/The editor, Dan Holohan, is the god of steam heating.I've been in similar situations and usually end up sticking w/ the steam. Finding a contractor who knows about steam is tough. I ended up reading Dan's bible on steam for myself. Great comments above.good luck!scc
*Steam can be very efficient and comfortable to live with (in my 100 year old 1500sq ft house, it is silent and, with the new boiler costs only about $350/year to heat).But, as noted above, it will allow for NO mistakes in boiler set-up or for sagging of old pipes. It also requires some small maintainence. Hot water is more forgiving (re easier to get it right) and can be even more efficient when just a little heating is needed (but does need two pipes).The thing I like best about steam is on those REALLY cold days, when the steam comes up (at 212F plus) the radiators actually radiate the heat (not just convect, which is what most heating systems do, they warm the air and it convects around the room, warming the objects in that room) - the heat radiates directly into the objects in the room (you, your blanket, your bathtowel, etc.). This process is faster than convection (the air will actually be cooler, just like being in front of a camp fire on a cool night).Very toasty feeling.Of course, hot water will come pretty close. :o)Both are better than blown hot air, I think...
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I need your help. We are in the process of adding a major addition to our house. The house is presently heated with a single pipe steam system. In preparation for the renovation, we had the asbestos remove from the steam pipes and the outside of the boiler. Our contractor suggested converting to a hot water heating system. We now find that our project will be delayed and we need to replace the steam boiler so that we have heat during the construction period. We are not adverse to using steam in the new addition. Is there any problem with buying a steam boiler with excess capacity and later tying in the new addition. Additionally, why do the contractors want to convert to hot water rather than adding on to the steam system? Any thoughts would be appreciated.