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> My craftsman style home is approximately 100 years. I imagine that previous owners, when remodeling the basement family room, lifted the main heating pipes to increase headroom. The entire run of 2″ ,2.5″ and 3″ steel mains, approximately 30′, is backpitched to some degree. There has even been a radiator removed and a vaulted ceiling with a skylight added in the main upstairs bedroom to add to the cold nights. I am looking for the most efficient and cost-effective way to repair these heating issues.
> Since the house is balloon framed, I have added a register at the ceiling level of the basement wall and at the floor level of the bedroom with the vaulted ceiling….thoughts? I feel that I will look into repiping the basement mains in copper and resize the riser stubs to achieve the proper pitch…thoughts? I am not sure what size copper would work best.
Freezing in Riverton
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You need a good HVAC guy with familiarity with your type of system.
FWIW, many people confuse steam with hot water systems.
A steam system will have a little vakve sticking out from the readiator about 1/2 way up. These often get limed up and have to be cleaned out for the system to operate properly. (The valve lets air out for the steam to flow in; once the steam is in it should close up to keep the steam in the radiator. If they don't open when cool, the radiators won't function properly.) Also, as you seem aware, pitch of the pipes is critical with steam systems.
A hot water system will have bleeder valves at the top of the radiators. And, usually, a pump, although some older systems used gravity.
If you have a steam system, they need maintenance regulary: often sevralk times a winter for some things, and need a professional servoce call annually.
With an old system, you are likely to have asbetos on the pipes as insulation. Be sure it doesn't have loose patches and treat it with care. Talk to your tech.
*I guess that I was hoping to end-around the HVAC visit. I have familiarity with most types of systems. I imagine that from lack of service in the past one of the main boiler elements rotted a pee hole into the gas burners. That was fun taking that all apart. Asbestos wraps are located in only a small section of the mechanical room itself. Thanks for the thoughts, Bob.
*there are also two pipe steam systems with just one vent (near the boiler, on the return pipe).Definitely, definitely, go to Heatinghelp.com to get advice for your old system. These things (hydronic heating systems) are not understood by most HVAC people today, and deserve a gentle hand. They have outlived their builders and if properly cared for will also outlive you. They are also easy to get all screwed up if someone does not know what they are doing.Do NOT use copper piping on a steam system. In certain situations the steam can take minute amounts of the copper back to the boiler and ruin the cast iron in it.If you want to keep your system, and get it to perform as well as it was meant to do, go to heatinghelp and talk about this with them there.good luck, and 'happy hydronicing'!
*well said. check out find a contractor on the wall
*Just another testament:I have a 2 pipe gravity steam system. Previous owners had neglected it and in some cases changed it for the worse. All last winter I worked on the system with the help of the site mentioned above, as well as one of the books listed on that site re. troubleshooting steam. I recommend both highly. I now have a well-tuned system, and a higher appreciation for the "Dead Men".
*Thanks, all, for the advice. I am headed to the recommended site straightaway. Hopefully, I will meet with the same success.
*I have spent the last many nights combing over heatinghelp.com. I have already been able to identify many reasons for my heating situation. If anyone has a heating question, I now, too, recommend this invaluable site. Thanks to the "Dead Men."