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I am about to buy (pending inspection) a 1920's home that has steam heat. I have lived in places with steam heat before, but they were all apartments and I never had to think about maintenance. What am I in for? All of the houses that I have owned have either had central or a wood stove.
From what I remember there is none of that annoying static electricity from the air being too dry, the temp remains consistent, and the heat still works even when the power goes out. Is there a downside to this?
The lil vent thingees on the radiators can get plugged up and then that radiator doesn't work. Either replace or soak them in something like CLR solution.
Other than that there usually is a requirement to blow down a tank like deal that shows the water level in the boiler. You do this every so often and refill with a tad of water to maintain the level at a certain point. Usually there is a set of instructions by the boiler. IIRC that was something like weekly.
Then it varies depending on what the fuel is to the boiler, if oil it is the normal annual checkup, gas don't have to do much, if solid fuels then you have all the normal feeding, cleaning and removal of ash. You may or may not need electricity to have heat, depends on what the boiler requires.
Not my favorite type of heat, you do get more temperature swings, lot of peeps convert the systems to forced hot water over the years. The difficulity comes if the system was only one pipe steam, then a second leg must be added for a return leg. I had an old converted steam system in my last house with the big cast iron radiators, loved that baby. Those converted systems would natural circulate the water because of the bigger steam sized pipes on the supply side, was lovely.
You can also have a strange version of steam heat, they were more a water vapor type and you did not have to get up the full amount of steam to have heat. Seen a few of those, worked pretty good, were difficult to change the system much.
I am pretty sure it is gas. I didn't see an oil tank and I know it is not coal. I will pay close attention at the inspection & see what the inspector has to say.
I didn't know there was more than one kind of steam heat. I just saw radiators (and some awesome radiator covers).
The biggest different in the system is are they one or two pipes. A common version is there is just one big pipe coming up to each radiator. The steam comes up, vents let out the air inside and after the radiator heats / steam condenses the water just runs back down to the boiler in that same pipe. They work but are more expensive, hassle if you want to convert them to forced hot water.
The other version they were built with two pipes to each radiator, one brought the steam, the other returned the water back to the boiler.
Steam is not as efficient as say a forced hot water system. Mostly due to standby losses and the basement tends to get heated up a lot more. The steam systems tend to have a higher heat loss due to exposed boiler area, bigger pipes. Good insulation is important on the pipes. Some of it is not too bad because the heat tends to rise into the living areas. But it will cost more per year to heat the same house with an old steam system than if it was converted to forced hot water.
You don't see the water vapor type systems much. Probably only put in the high end houses. Saw a couple in houses from the 1920 - 30's. They were huge arks of mansion type places.
If it is an extremely old boiler with a standing pilot light, definitely want to know what the former gas bills were. Most of those old systems will put you in the poorhouse with today's gas prices. I had that situation in the present house I bought. Old furnace was air system but 235,000 btu burner for a 7 room house. A total no brainer, completely checked out the insulation and got it totally energy efficient on a make over, replaced the furnace with a modern high efficiency one with no pilot light system and only a 70,000 btu burner. Old one would have put me in the poor house. Probably froze to death in the process, most of the heat was going up the chimney.
Might be something to look at. Can be a killer, especially if you have old original widows and doors, inadequate insulation. Do not depend too much on them inspector boys, all the major stuff always "Passes".
Usually they replace your type of system with maybe a modern forced hot water system, can redo it with steam but normally the choice is to not do that and it is treated as an up grade.
I sure would want to know exactly what my fuel is, all the in's and out's about it. I would really check into all the details of the heating. I suspect it might be a good candidate for major upgrade. Fuel prices have just gotten too high, you have to wring every BTU out of a system. The modern ones don't even have or use chimneys, their flue gas is so cool, usually it is vented out in PVC pipes, have to provide a drain because all the water vapor in the flue gas condenses. The older systems just did not have the efficiency needed.
hi, we just bought a house and we have the steam heat with the large radiorators things and we also have carbon monoxide detectors. my family and i have been waking up with bad headachs like we are dehydrated or something like the dizzy feeling and everything. can that be from the air being dry from the heat or what else can it be please reply soon so i can stop the bad headachs
Steam heat comes in two types. One Line and two. One lines use an air vent on the radiator to keep the circulation moving and a two line uses a "trap" that condenses the staem back to water and returns it to the boiler via a make up tank. Now, the downside to steam IMHO is that it can be dangerous for an average homeowner. If someone , say, trys to tighten down a leaking packing nut on a radiator valve and something cuts loose. It only takes a couple pounds of steam on a line to cause severe burns. Trap style systems can also have you puuling your hair out with circulation issues. Traps lock up or blow by with annoying frequency. When they lock up the radiator stops working and when they blow by they inject steam into the condensate return which can lock up the rest of the system or "superheat" your make up or DA tank. I cannot stress enough about using caution with steam heat. You need to know what your doing with it. Don't hesitate at all to call a pro for problems with a steam system. The stuff can hurt you BAD if you don't have the knowledge to handle it. Boilers also require a comprehensive maintenance schedule that you don't want to let go. Safeties and controls must be inspected and tested regularly. I'm not trying to scare you but remember that a boiler is nothing more than a bomb waiting to explode if it's not taken care of and steam systems require in depth know how to maintain.
The key is, as he accurately points out, maintaining a steam system. Learn how it works, do what you are supposed to do regularly, and then it is neither dangerous nor trouble-prone. I'm not a plumber or boiler mechanic, but I've successfully and safely lived with low-pressure, antique steam heating systems for a couple of decades now. That's in residential and light commercial applications in old/antique buildings.
Take a look at Home Heating Systems - HeatingHelp.com for a forum on steam and hot-water heat and a wide variety of books and manuals from which you can learn the delightful wonders of steam heating at home. No, that's not my site - but I sure have found it useful over the years.
One last note on humidity. If you have a 1-pipe steam system the radiators will have an air release vent on one end opposite the supply pipe. That will release air and probably some steam/water vapor from time to time. There's your source of winter moisture. If you have a 2-pipe system there will be a steam-trap or thermostatic trap on the return side of the radiator and no separate air release to the atmosphere. There is every possibility with a 2-pipe system living space air will become very dry - remedy that with a pan of water on the radiator, a portable humidifier, or, if you can find them, pressed metal trays that fit down behind the radiator which you fill with water.
Have fun!
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Nope, no real down side to it.......
. It only takes a couple pounds of steam on a line to cause severe burns. Trap style systems can also have you puuling your hair out with circulation issues. Traps lock up or blow by with annoying frequency. When they lock up the radiator stops working and when they blow by they inject steam into the condensate return which can lock up the rest of the system or "superheat" your make up or DA tank. I cannot stress enough about using caution with steam heat. You need to know what your doing with it. Don't hesitate at all to call a pro for problems with a steam system. The stuff can hurt you BAD if you don't have the knowledge to handle it. Boilers also require a comprehensive maintenance schedule that you don't want to let go. Safeties and controls must be inspected and tested regularly. I'm not trying to scare you but remember that a boiler is nothing more than a bomb waiting to explode if it's not taken care of and steam systems require in depth know how to maintain.
