Steam and Steam theory!

[stevet]

Since so many of us love all this technical stuff, if you really want to know about Steam and especially Steam heating, you need to get a copy of Dan Holohan's book: "THE LOST ART OF STEAM HEATING."

Dan has got to be the all time expert on steam Heat as well as Hydronics and has published a great deal of material which eplains the myths and truths and science behind home heating and some of the old stuff we look at every day.

I took much of his advice when I lived on ng Island and was totally blown away at how much better I was able to make my heating system run and how much warmer my house was running at less than 1 lb of steam pressure. Boy did so many installers and repairmen somehow get all the theory tunr around and made mistake upon mistake based on what they saw and heard.
How many of you have your steam systems up at 3-5 psi and still can't heat your houses?

Pick that book up and see what you have been missing. It hs even helped me enormously when it comes to steam heated dishwashers and steam cooking equipment.

You can find him on the web at the link below. Search thru it for lots of information..even a heat loss calculator for free!
Got to save that oil and gas this winter!

http://www.heatinghelp.com/

 

[kenwashesmonday]

I grew up with steam heat. It's amazing how many heating servicemen out there have no idea what they're doing when it comes to household steam heat. When I moved to this apartment and it turned cold the steam pipes were banging like crazy. I cranked the thing way down to half a pound and it's great now. A well tuned steam system is rare nowadays.

Lots of good information here:

http://www.heatinghelp.com/steam_problems.cfm

 

[andrewinorlando]

...not to mention the higher steam pressures are just a waste of energy.

 

[stevet]

Exactly!

Andrew, you are 100% right. The next time we get together. I will lend you my Copy of The Lost Art of Steam Heating. Having grown up with steam heat too, you will get such a kick out of this book. One thing I actually miss about not being in NY for the winters is all the cool things to do during the cold months to squeeze more heat out of every gallon of oil or therm of gas!
Now, all I do is watch the condensate drip off my heat pump!

 

[sudsmaster]

Not exactly on topic, for which I apologize in advance, but when I was at Fry's the other night I noticed some portable air conditioners that also can be heaters using heat pump mode. I am considering getting one for the house, to replace the small window AC units which are pretty much a hassle to install in the summer and remove in the fall. The heat pump feature could come in handy on cold winter mornings in the master bed bath, which is on a section of the forced air ducting that is a bit undersized. So it's usually about 2-5 degrees cooler than the rest of the house in the winter. Yeah, I could redo the ducting but there are some issues related to that idea.

 

[volvoguy87]

Try a little something different...

Sudsmaster, would it help to install a booster fan in the duct to the bathroom? At my home, the duct to my room is undersized, consequently, my room could top 100 in the summer and get down to the 40s in the winter (I can freeze water when the power fails). I installed a booster fan in the duct to my room where it branches off of the supply duct (you can install booster fans anywhere on the duct and get the same effect). The fan is wired to run whenever the furnace's blower runs. Now my room is MUCH better.

Instead of window units (especially if heating is going to be used) I like ductless split systems. In this type of system, there is a compressor outside (a small, quiet one) and it is connected to an evaporator inside via refrigerant lines. You can put the evaporator units wherever you like, just so long as you can drain the condensate. Many systems can utilize 1 compressor and operate up to 4 evaporator units inside. The heat pump window units tend to be very very expensive and not terribly efficient. Look at ductless, for what you want they might be a little more expensive than a window unit, but they will be more efficient, effective, and less of a hassle. Also, they tend to be pretty quiet and unobtrusive.

All this being said, I still prefer steam and hot water radiators! No dust, no filters, no blowing air, no noisy fan, what's not to like? I wrote my undergraduate thesis on steam and hot water heating systems and they have some MAJOR advantages over forced air. Rather than have big chases for ducts, narrower pipes can be fitted into walls, so you don't see them. A well-tuned system should be nearly silent when in operation. The equipment tends to outlast forced air equipment by decades!

Give me a radiator any day,
Dave

 

[alanlendaro]

Dan Holohan's stuff is great

When we first bought our 1911 house it had steam heat that was very uneven. I found Dan's books and with that information, my partner soon had the system running like a top. We finally replaced it this year with a high tech, high efficiency gas fired HVAC system because we wanted to replace our 20+ year old oil fired boiler with a gas fired super efficient unit. Gave us a huge savings in our heating and AC costs while giving us central air and humidification in the winter.

We still have the radiators. I really don't want to send them to the scrap heap. They all are very fancy (American Radiator Rococo Pattern, I think) and have been sandblasted and powder coated so they will never need painting again. The look really pretty. If anyone wants them, shoot me a note - we are in SW Connecticut.