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Huh? I am the OP. The pictures that I was referencing are the ones from the MLS listing (and what I saw when I toured the house). The MLS listing is where it says "steam" as the heat source.
But thanks for the radiator heat cover tip. I'm thinking we may budget those into our offer.
@ColdJensens, this came out sounding a lot more disparaging than I had intended it to.
We're looking at buying an old house built circa 1860 that has steam radiator heat. People have said I don't want radiators because they a) leak b) can burn you c) make weird noises and d) are inefficient.
Anyone here have personal experience with steam radiators? How much do I not want them? Or are they no big deal?
Can we also assume no central AC? Run...run...run....
There is little difference. With a two pipe system, you can change from steam to hot water just by adjusting the temperature of your boiler. (well you may have to put in pumps too, depends on your system). With one pipe system, you have to change out all the radiators and most likely all the plumbing t switch.
With water ideally you want the inlet of the radiator on the bottom and the outlet on the top on the other end. Typically you would add air bleeder on that fitting, either automatic or manual. Some steam radiators do not have that outlet on the top and your results are going to vary without it. Of course if it's one pipe sytem you'll need to add another line altogether.
You actually don't need pumps for hot water however it needs to be set up properly to gravity feed and it's just not as controllable. If you look on the piping near your boiler your going to find a valve like this:
That is called a flow valve does two things, in multiple zoned sytem it makes sure the water only flows in one direction, otherwise you can end up pumping water through one zone and then backwards through another one. The other thing it does is stop the gravity feed. On the top is little lever and you can turn to open the valve. If your pump fails opening it may allow you to temporarily get heat into the zone without the pump.
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We have a hot water system. We have 6 - 12 pumps. When they start to burn out, it is going to be expensive.
Good pumps can last a considerably long time especially in large multiple zone sytem where they are not being used frequently, be sure to check if their is any maintenance procedures for the ones you have. If there is a plastic line with a little plastic cap on either side of the motors put a few drops of oil in there yearly. If there is springed cap on the pump section that also requires a few drops of oil yearly.
Last edited by thecoalman; 11-05-2016 at 05:07 AM..
Can we also assume no central AC? Run...run...run....
That really depends on the location. I can see if you lived in SC why that would be a problem but if you live on top of breezy mountain in masonry house here in PA where the days you might really want air can be counted on two hands it's not a deal breaker.
We were raised with them in NE and don't remember any issues. My daughter is about to buy an old house in St Louis with radiators, so she is in the same boat as OP. One must assume that, since people have been living through northern winters with them for over 100 years, the radiators are probably just fine.
My issue is how prominent the radiators are. When I was a kid, we had decoative covers over some of them.
Radiator "keys" to bleed the pipes can be purchased at a hardware store, Lowes, Menards, etc. Something along the lines of these, depending on your particular radiators I suppose.
Also, someone mentioned the dry air; we purchased radiator covers with metal trays inside that allow us to put water in there for added humidity.
Steam systems do not need to be bled. The vents on the side of the radiators do that for you.
Hot water systems can be bled with keys.
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Originally Posted by johngolf
Can we also assume no central AC? Run...run...run....
Or get window ACs in the rooms you need them. You realize old houses were built to be more efficient in matters of air flow than new ones. There used to be a time, not that long ago, where central AC didn't exist and everyone survived, even in the southern states.
I don't have any pumps in my system. I have natural gas and my boiler is a millivolt system so there's never a hesitation when we lose power.
Steam radiators are generally speaking, a great way to go. You have to drain them maybe twice a year. Sometimes they do make noises but nothing major. I think they provide absolutely the best type of heat, your air will not be too dry (which causes me a lot of problems). Very efficient. I have seen some boilers 40 - 50 years old and older. They definitely work, but maybe not as efficiently as newer ones. Generally, I give them a thumbs up. The really expensive kind were built into the walls, but vast majority are stand alones. There are companies that manufacture nice covers for them.
The MLS listing says steam heat. Is it likely to be wrong? Since I wouldn't be able to tell them apart, what should I look for when I go to see the house on Sunday to verify steam vs hot water?
As mentioned elsewhere when someone see old cast iron radiators they usually assume steam. I grew up with steam and had never seen old cast iron radiators that used hot water, so I always assumed steam also.
If there is only one pipe on the radiator it will be a steam system.
If there are two pipes attached to the radiator, one on each side, it is most likely hot water, but there are steam systems that use two pipes.
If you see only one pipe, then it is a steam system. If you see a pipe on each side of the radiators, then look for the vent or bleed valve on the side of the radiator near the top.
Google "steam radiator vent" images to see what various shapes a steam radiator vent can come in. Steam systems use a vent that lets the air out of the radiator every time the heat comes up. The vent will be attached on the side of the radiator near the top. There is nothing to bleed or vent on a steam system, the vent on the radiator lets the cold air out of the radiator as the hot steam comes up, and closes when it gets hot to hold the steam in.
Hot water systems don't have a vent, they have a much smaller bleed valve, so you can get rid of any air in the system if needed. There should be no air in a hot water system, only water.
I've always had steam heat until we moved into our current house last year. I think it is great heat. In our current house we have hot water with cast iron radiators, and it is also great heat. A hot water system is usually set to a max water temp of 180. A steam system radiator will get as hot as the steam, so a max around 212.
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