I grew up in a two-story house with gravity hot water heat. It worked exceedingly well. Normally we were not even aware that it existed except that it always kept us comfortable. I believe in MANUAL air-bleed valves, which we had. Automatic air-bleed valves can leak and cause considerable damage. We didn't have to bleed the air as often as once a year so the advantages of automatic valves are questionable. My house has radiant floor heating.
You need a boiler to make steam am sure you know that and In NYC we have city steam as a utility idk if he gets that were he is in NY. My old building get city steam so we had no boiler the steam came in are building at about I think 250 PSI and then we had reducing valves that got the steam down to about 5 PSI and that steam heated are hot water and use to heat the hole building.
a lot of great information I do have a question for a residential water system what psi are they most of the time. looking to build a solar hot water system. this is really neat to recap what I have learned for a hot water system make sure it is pitched away from the vent. for the water to completely fill the radiator. the air vent should be at the highest point for a hot water system. if I use auto valves less maintains. what should the pitch be for a hot water system looks like you have yours at about 1/8 per foot would that be the same for a hot water system? thanks in advance for any further information sir.
Really like your videos. Man, you must be a truly dedicated steam head to even consider lugging a cast iron radiator on NYC Mass Transit. Thanks for share your knowledge.
I have a baseboard heater in the basement but regular cast iron radiators throughout the house. The one in the basement is not giving enough heat and I would like to change it to a cast iron radiator. Do you see any complications in me doing this job? I recently received an estimate that blew my mind LOL I cannot afford it.
i live in southeast texas where it really doesnt get cold long enough to need such a system... and if it does most all of us have central air and heat.. ran by electricity... question is are these radiators ran off of steam?. and if so is steam a utility where you are from like gas, water and lights?. or is it hook up to a water line then to a component that makes the steam?. i ask because i passed on this vid a few times before watching and find it interesting. if its ran off water id like one.
Bro maybe you can help me out. I have a radiator that was relocated and I’m pretty sure the contractor installed incorrectly pitched horizontal piping causing water hammer. It’s a single pipe steam system and what I’ve done is raised the radiator from both ends and then pitched it back towards the valve which has helped a lot. What also helped is for some weird reason putting a larger air vent lessened the water hammer even further. I still have a few hammers sometimes at the beginning of the cycle. Any other tips or tricks I can try until I fix the piping. Should I make a hole for a second vent and another air vent? Or maybe is there a way to get a bigger air vent on? I have a maid o mist D on there now.
Absolutely!!! As soon as I have the money, I will change out My DRY heat air to a boiler system at My house. I know it will cost a lot for boiler, radiators, piping, and labor, but it is so worth it. I used to live in Manhattan & The Bronx, everywhere I lived & everyone I knew had boiler/radiators. I now live in Buffalo NY, most houses here are heated duct work via a forced air furnaces. Before I bought My 2 houses, I lived in several apts and only 2 had boiler systems. There's a few boiler companies here in Buffalo.
I just purchased a house with heat. Steam heat. Never had steam heat and didn't know anything about it. But thanx to the Bro of Logis and Common Sense I've been watching and trying to understand this manner of heating. Your videos are awesome! I hope I can hit you up on youtube for some advice later on regarding installing automatic water feeder and replacing a cracked radiator.
There is one boiler for the hole building and yes in a one pipe when the boiler shuts down the condensate water goes back down the same pipe to the boiler to be heated agian.
Great info! Reminds me of Terry's radiator projects!!! What she had to deal with...All remember to monitor room humidity with all radiant heat. So important! Read all about it and see unique humidifiers and aromatic diffusers especially for antique style radiators at www.tullulastreasures.com
Hey Brother of Logic. Love your heating videos. Any thoughts on doing a steel hot water convection install. I really would appreciate your expertise and thorough explanations on one of these.
Is it easy (or hard) to install radiator heating in a house that has electric baseboards? I dont like forced air furnaces and we now have a woodstove but would love a few rads around the house. thank you.
Thank You for taking the time to explain how to setup both steam and hot water cast iron rads. I feel a little more confident on taking my base board radiators out, and installing cast iron hot water radiators in their place. There are always people who swear that copper finned base board heat are better and more efficient and distribute heat better than cast iron RADS. I disagree with that big time! Now is you can give any tips on how to move 300lbs RADS up a flight of stairs by my lonesome i'd love to hear that one.
Excuse my ignorance as i live in a country where electricity is the most common way of heating. I see you have only one pipe, and refer to the system as a "one pipe system." I assume hot steam enters through that pipe. Where does the condensate water escape? Also, do you share the pipe loop with other people, say other apartments in your building?
i did not know that... we dont have steam as a utility where i live... i live in southeast texas right outside of houston... i find this radiator quite interesting tho... lol... wish i could have one that actually worked...
The water returns through the same pipe that delivers the steam. That requires that all pipes be sloped slightly towards the boiler so that the condensate can return properly, else water hammer will occur. If bad enough, the water hammer can even break pipes. A two-pipe system is better, but obviously requires more piping. I doubt that steam heat would be installed in new buildings; hot water is generally better.
One problem with steam is that generally the radiator cannot be turned on part way; it has to be either full on or full off. However, one can reduce the output by covering the radiator with a large beach towel or something similar.
My grandmother's (very large) house had a steam vapor system which normally ran at less than atmospheric pressure, so the radiators could operate at less than 100 C. That was better than other steam systems, but actually hot water is more efficient. You can have outdoor temperature reset so the water temperature is controlled by the outdoor temperature resulting in more even heat and higher efficiency.
Hey BOL. On my downstairs bathroom radiator, the air vent continually hisses. Sometime the radiator even goes cold. I'm pitched it as recommended and still get the constant hissing. Is it a bad air vent or another issue? please help. My air vent is at the top left side of my radiator.
That is actually a hot water radiator. Steam radiators are not connected at the top. They work for steam, but steam can shut of the vent before it becomes completely hot. Usually they work OK though.
Actually this is a universal radiator, steam radiators can be connected at the top or bottom just like a hot water system if it is a two pipe system it all depends on how the installer chooses to set it up, the only way it most be connected from the bottom is if it's a one pipe system.
hi, just moved in to an old condo unit that has cast iron radiators and I find it so annoying. I am planning to remove one completely and for good. what's your advice on this/ thanks.
Turn off the system. Let it cool for a few minutes. Watch a video on how to remove a steam radiator. Then cap the pipe that is coming out of the ground. Measure the interior diameter of the pipe coming out of the floor. Go to Home Depot. Ask them for a cap for a steam pipe. Make sure it matches the measurement that you took. Also buy a bottle of pipe dope. Use pipe dope to coat the threads on the pipe coming out of your floor. Use a pipe wrench to screw on the cap that you purchased. Done!
I grew up in a two-story house with gravity hot water heat. It worked exceedingly well. Normally we were not even aware that it existed except that it always kept us comfortable.
I believe in MANUAL air-bleed valves, which we had. Automatic air-bleed valves can leak and cause considerable damage. We didn't have to bleed the air as often as once a year so the advantages of automatic valves are questionable.
My house has radiant floor heating.
I love trades. As a woman I want to learn as I find it fascinating. Love finding out how things work. Science mind.
You need a boiler to make steam am sure you know that and In NYC we have city steam as a utility idk if he gets that were he is in NY. My old building get city steam so we had no boiler the steam came in are building at about I think 250 PSI and then we had reducing valves that got the steam down to about 5 PSI and that steam heated are hot water and use to heat the hole building.
a lot of great information I do have a question for a residential water system what psi are they most of the time. looking to build a solar hot water system. this is really neat
to recap what I have learned for a hot water system make sure it is pitched away from the vent. for the water to completely fill the radiator. the air vent should be at the highest point for a hot water system. if I use auto valves less maintains. what should the pitch be for a hot water system looks like you have yours at about 1/8 per foot would that be the same for a hot water system?
thanks in advance for any further information sir.
Really like your videos. Man, you must be a truly dedicated steam head to even consider lugging a cast iron radiator on NYC Mass Transit. Thanks for share your knowledge.
I have a baseboard heater in the basement but regular cast iron radiators throughout the house. The one in the basement is not giving enough heat and I would like to change it to a cast iron radiator. Do you see any complications in me doing this job? I recently received an estimate that blew my mind LOL I cannot afford it.
i live in southeast texas where it really doesnt get cold long enough to need such a system... and if it does most all of us have central air and heat.. ran by electricity... question is are these radiators ran off of steam?. and if so is steam a utility where you are from like gas, water and lights?. or is it hook up to a water line then to a component that makes the steam?. i ask because i passed on this vid a few times before watching and find it interesting. if its ran off water id like one.
Bro maybe you can help me out. I have a radiator that was relocated and I’m pretty sure the contractor installed incorrectly pitched horizontal piping causing water hammer. It’s a single pipe steam system and what I’ve done is raised the radiator from both ends and then pitched it back towards the valve which has helped a lot. What also helped is for some weird reason putting a larger air vent lessened the water hammer even further. I still have a few hammers sometimes at the beginning of the cycle. Any other tips or tricks I can try until I fix the piping. Should I make a hole for a second vent and another air vent? Or maybe is there a way to get a bigger air vent on? I have a maid o mist D on there now.
Am I understanding you correctly, a two pipe radiator can be converted to a one pipe?
why do you have them off the floor on a wood bench
There is nothing like radiator heat
Absolutely!!! As soon as I have the money, I will change out My DRY heat air to a boiler system at My house. I know it will cost a lot for boiler, radiators, piping, and labor, but it is so worth it.
I used to live in Manhattan & The Bronx, everywhere I lived & everyone I knew had boiler/radiators.
I now live in Buffalo NY, most houses here are heated duct work via a forced air furnaces. Before I bought My 2 houses, I lived in several apts and only 2 had boiler systems.
There's a few boiler companies here in Buffalo.
you can say that again. I would love to switch my baseboards into radiators.
THOROUGH AND ACCURATE INFORMATIVE VIDEO. GREAT JOB.
I think it's cool of Akwesi to teach people about stuff.
Are you still around do you still working on the radiator. Where do you live in which states.
That's a malapropism! We all make them sometimes.
The word you want is "efficiently", not "sufficiently."
Finally, one that looks like the ones in my apartment!!
Wow....
My ten year old steam furnace has cracks, and it won't fully heat my house. Therefore, how can I replace everything myself????
I just purchased a house with heat. Steam heat. Never had steam heat and didn't know anything about it. But thanx to the Bro of Logis and Common Sense I've been watching and trying to understand this manner of heating. Your videos are awesome! I hope I can hit you up on youtube for some advice later on regarding installing automatic water feeder and replacing a cracked radiator.
There is one boiler for the hole building and yes in a one pipe when the boiler shuts down the condensate water goes back down the same pipe to the boiler to be heated agian.
Great info! Reminds me of Terry's radiator projects!!! What she had to deal with...All remember to monitor room humidity with all radiant heat. So important! Read all about it and see unique humidifiers and aromatic diffusers especially for antique style radiators at www.tullulastreasures.com
Hey Brother of Logic. Love your heating videos. Any thoughts on doing a steel hot water convection install. I really would appreciate your expertise and thorough explanations on one of these.
Is it easy (or hard) to install radiator heating in a house that has electric baseboards? I dont like forced air furnaces and we now have a woodstove but would love a few rads around the house. thank you.
Thank You for taking the time to explain how to setup both steam and hot water cast iron rads. I feel a little more confident on taking my base board radiators out, and installing cast iron hot water radiators in their place. There are always people who swear that copper finned base board heat are better and more efficient and distribute heat better than cast iron RADS. I disagree with that big time! Now is you can give any tips on how to move 300lbs RADS up a flight of stairs by my lonesome i'd love to hear that one.
Excuse my ignorance as i live in a country where electricity is the most common way of heating. I see you have only one pipe, and refer to the system as a "one pipe system." I assume hot steam enters through that pipe. Where does the condensate water escape? Also, do you share the pipe loop with other people, say other apartments in your building?
i did not know that... we dont have steam as a utility where i live... i live in southeast texas right outside of houston... i find this radiator quite interesting tho... lol... wish i could have one that actually worked...
Would switching from oil to gas change the performance on the radiators
It might change the performance of the boiler but it shouldn't change the performance of the radiator other then making it heat up faster or slower.
The water returns through the same pipe that delivers the steam. That requires that all pipes be sloped slightly towards the boiler so that the condensate can return properly, else water hammer will occur. If bad enough, the water hammer can even break pipes.
A two-pipe system is better, but obviously requires more piping. I doubt that steam heat would be installed in new buildings; hot water is generally better.
One problem with steam is that generally the radiator cannot be turned on part way; it has to be either full on or full off. However, one can reduce the output by covering the radiator with a large beach towel or something similar.
My grandmother's (very large) house had a steam vapor system which normally ran at less than atmospheric pressure, so the radiators could operate at less than 100 C. That was better than other steam systems, but actually hot water is more efficient. You can have outdoor temperature reset so the water temperature is controlled by the outdoor temperature resulting in more even heat and higher efficiency.
Very informative video about radiators I work on computer n radiators just like computers is a science about how something works
Nice find akwesi100 and good to see it's put back into use in 2013.
Hey BOL. On my downstairs bathroom radiator, the air vent continually hisses. Sometime the radiator even goes cold. I'm pitched it as recommended and still get the constant hissing. Is it a bad air vent or another issue? please help. My air vent is at the top left side of my radiator.
Fixed the issue. It was the air valve. Purchase a Hoffman valve and works fine now.
That is actually a hot water radiator. Steam radiators are not connected at the top.
They work for steam, but steam can shut of the vent before it becomes completely hot. Usually they work OK though.
Actually this is a universal radiator, steam radiators can be connected at the top or bottom just like a hot water system if it is a two pipe system it all depends on how the installer chooses to set it up, the only way it most be connected from the bottom is if it's a one pipe system.
Brilliant video! Very informative... and this is from a guy that rarely leaves comments on youtube.
hi, just moved in to an old condo unit that has cast iron radiators and I find it so annoying. I am planning to remove one completely and for good. what's your advice on this/ thanks.
Turn off the system. Let it cool for a few minutes. Watch a video on how to remove a steam radiator. Then cap the pipe that is coming out of the ground. Measure the interior diameter of the pipe coming out of the floor. Go to Home Depot. Ask them for a cap for a steam pipe. Make sure it matches the measurement that you took. Also buy a bottle of pipe dope. Use pipe dope to coat the threads on the pipe coming out of your floor. Use a pipe wrench to screw on the cap that you purchased. Done!
i have this lil key with it. dew i have to lossen it up so water goes in. only the buttom is heating up on mine. can anyone help?
use the key to bled the air out from top of radiator
one of the best how-to videos.
EXCELLENT AS BEFORE!
Good Job man.....
why do you have to curse during your tutorial?....so unnecessary!