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ransley ransley is offline
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Default Pressure in a steam system

On Nov 6, 10:30*am, Sue wrote:
On Nov 6, 10:38*am, Mark wrote:





On Nov 6, 9:29*am, Sue wrote:


Hi all-
Run across a confounding problem with my steam heating system.
It is a one pipe system, Burnham gas boiler, has 6 radiators on two
floors.


The issue I am having is that the Pressuretrol is set to 2PSI for the
main tank, yet the internal syphon gauge regularly goes up to 8PSI.
Around the time the internal gauge hits 8PSI, the furnace clicks off.
The radiators are pretty darn hot when the cycle runs.


This has been going on for a few weeks and is, I think, the core
problem.


However, just yesterday, the system turned on, went up to 8PSI,
clicked off, but no heat came through the radiators.


Any ideas on the cause of each problem? *I would guess they are
related, but am stumped as to the cause.


Many thanks,
Ryan


can you feel the steam pipes leading out of the boiler,,,


are they hot?


where do they stop being hot?


Are the air valves in the radiators opening to allow the steam to
travel towards them?


Mark- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


There is water in the boiler.
It was in the sight glass, plus I just drained it to flush it.
Waiting now for it to completely cool off before I dump new water in.

So, the steam pipes are hot, and parts of the radiators heat up, just
not a lot.
The air valves are working, at least as of 2 days ago, and it is a
system wide issue, so do not think it is those.
Which leads me to believe somehow the pressure in the boiler is not
escaping into the system, as the boiler seems to have sufficient
pressure, but the pipes are not getting it.
But I can not imagine there being a clog near the boiler as it was
just installed in 2000, and those are big pipes, and i never have even
heard of the pipes clogging?

Many thanks for the ideas, this is helpful.

I did have my local plumber come in to do the annual maintenance, but
of course this problem did not occur while he was here. *Not averse to
calling him back, just want some idea of what is wrong prior to doing
so.

Thanks again
Ryan- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Since it is the whole system maybe a bad mains return air vent, the
pipe that clogged on my 50 yr old thing was a 1/2" pipe to the sight
glass. Make sure the low water saftey works. For real boiler pros that
help go to www.heatinghelp.com and post at "the Wall" Every year I
have to replace a few radiator and main air vents as they go bad.