On Jan 1, 10:12*pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:01:12 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Sun, 1 Jan 2012 02:13:47 -0800 (PST), harry
wrote:

If it has 2" pipework and it is unmanned , it is small.
Steam heating was largely devised so that large buildings/collections
of buildings could be heated from a central source using coal/oil and
a minimum of labour and dirt and inconvenience in the heated
buildings.

So if you are heating with gas (or even oil these days) there are vast
savings to be made by decentralising, *locating small (non-steam)
boilers close to the buildings to be heated.

On paper, there seems to be potential savings. *Have you seen the
building? *No? *They you have no idea what is needed to refurbish the
building to a new system.

The need to run gas lines to each apartment may be impossible, or
nearly so and meet codes. *Individual boilers are small and efficient,
but they still need some space and vents and probably condensate pumps
for the most efficient.

You guys are talking apples and oranges.
The boiler Mike linked to is designed to heat one building.
It *is* "decentralized."
Industrial and municipal steam systems fit the "centralized" category.
There you have long pipe runs to outlying buildings.
NYC had an underground line blow not too long ago.
I might question using steam depending on the size of the building.
Could be a case of "that's how we always did it."
Then again the cost of converting to hot water might not work.
If it's one pipe steam, probably not.
Hot water needs inlet and outlet on the radiators.
Steam radiators are usually smaller because steam is hotter.
Blah blah.
You need an expert to scope that out, and that's not me.

--Vic- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

In the case under discussion a stupid decision was taken two years ago
when the boiler was changed. The whole system should have been checked
out. That would have been the opportunity to make a cost saving
change,ie get rid of the steam. Now they have a new boiler and a
possibly shagged out pipe system..

Steam radiators are smaller because the steam carries latent heat/heat
of vapourisation.
The condensate leaving the radiators is at exactly the same
temperature as the steam entering.

There are several ways of piping out a gravity steam system. The "one
pipe" option is probably the worst.
Hey they are not still doing THAT in America!!!?