Ok, dumb question: How do I tell if my house's boiler and heating
system is hot water or steam? I'm confused because I've had 3 plumbers
in for estimates to replace my boiler - 1 says it is steam, 1 says it
is hot water, and the 3rd wasn't certain but thought it was hot water.
I'd always thought it was hot water, but I want to be certain.

My house has an old cast iron Ideal Redflash boiler from the American
Radiator Company (which changed names in 1929 the year our house was
built, so I'm pretty sure this is the house's original boiler) that I
believe burned coal originally but now burns oil. There is no sight
glass on the boiler, which makes me think it is hot water, but I also
can't find any expansion tank, which makes me wonder (I've checked all
closets, attic, etc. - where could it be hidden?). The psi on the
system is around 15, which also makes me think it is hot water (too
high for residential steam). The radiators around the house are all
old cast iron 2-pipe jobs.

How can I figure this out for sure?

TIA

Does it have a sight glass?

Can you post a picture here? http://forums.invision.net/Main.cfm?CFApp=2


"Dyvim" wrote in message
oups.com...
Ok, dumb question: How do I tell if my house's boiler and heating
system is hot water or steam? I'm confused because I've had 3 plumbers
in for estimates to replace my boiler - 1 says it is steam, 1 says it
is hot water, and the 3rd wasn't certain but thought it was hot water.
I'd always thought it was hot water, but I want to be certain.

My house has an old cast iron Ideal Redflash boiler from the American
Radiator Company (which changed names in 1929 the year our house was
built, so I'm pretty sure this is the house's original boiler) that I
believe burned coal originally but now burns oil. There is no sight
glass on the boiler, which makes me think it is hot water, but I also
can't find any expansion tank, which makes me wonder (I've checked all
closets, attic, etc. - where could it be hidden?). The psi on the
system is around 15, which also makes me think it is hot water (too
high for residential steam). The radiators around the house are all
old cast iron 2-pipe jobs.

How can I figure this out for sure?

TIA

No sight glass. And forgot to mention that there's no circulatory pump
- it's a gravity system. I cross-posted with a photo at
http://forums.invision.net/Main.cfm?CFApp=2

I'm not an expert but I would look first at the radiators. If they have a
steam release valve, they are steam. If they are closed loop, that says hot
water regardless of shape. A single pipe definately says steam but two
pipes could be either.

Does the system also supply residential hot water for the tub and sink. If
so it probably is not steam but there may have been hybrid systems way back
when




"Dyvim" wrote in message
ups.com...
No sight glass. And forgot to mention that there's no circulatory pump
- it's a gravity system. I cross-posted with a photo at
http://forums.invision.net/Main.cfm?CFApp=2

"Dyvim" wrote in message
ups.com...
No sight glass. And forgot to mention that there's no circulatory pump
- it's a gravity system. I cross-posted with a photo at
http://forums.invision.net/Main.cfm?CFApp=2


Aren't they good?

I just got back and saw the post. You've got a dinosaur in your basement,
but it won't decompose into oil.

"Dyvim" wrote in message
There is no sight
glass on the boiler, which makes me think it is hot water, but I also
can't find any expansion tank, which makes me wonder (I've checked all
closets, attic, etc. - where could it be hidden?). The psi on the
system is around 15, which also makes me think it is hot water (too
high for residential steam). The radiators around the house are all
old cast iron 2-pipe jobs.

How can I figure this out for sure?

Sounds like water. Residential steam is less than 1# usually, should have a
sight glass, and you'd hear some hammering in the pipes on occasion when it
starts up.

Love those old cast iron radiators. Wish I had them.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
t...

"Dyvim" wrote in message
There is no sight
glass on the boiler, which makes me think it is hot water, but I also
can't find any expansion tank, which makes me wonder (I've checked all
closets, attic, etc. - where could it be hidden?). The psi on the
system is around 15, which also makes me think it is hot water (too
high for residential steam). The radiators around the house are all
old cast iron 2-pipe jobs.

How can I figure this out for sure?

Sounds like water. Residential steam is less than 1# usually, should have
a
sight glass, and you'd hear some hammering in the pipes on occasion when
it
starts up.

Resi steam _should_ be under one pound. Higher pressure is actually bad in
a steam system

On Fri, 12 May 2006 18:05:33 -0400, "HeatMan"
wrote:


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
et...

"Dyvim" wrote in message
There is no sight
glass on the boiler, which makes me think it is hot water, but I also
can't find any expansion tank, which makes me wonder (I've checked all
closets, attic, etc. - where could it be hidden?). The psi on the
system is around 15, which also makes me think it is hot water (too

I really don't know: Is 15 the operating pressure or the maximum
possible pressure before it explodes?

"mm" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 May 2006 18:05:33 -0400, "HeatMan"
wrote:


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
et...

"Dyvim" wrote in message
There is no sight
glass on the boiler, which makes me think it is hot water, but I also
can't find any expansion tank, which makes me wonder (I've checked
all
closets, attic, etc. - where could it be hidden?). The psi on the
system is around 15, which also makes me think it is hot water (too

I really don't know: Is 15 the operating pressure or the maximum
possible pressure before it explodes?


Boilers are tested at (I think) 4 to 5 times operating pressure as the max
pressure. Otherwise Edwin is correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroni..._steam_systems

general stuff:
http://toad.net/~jsmeenen/hydronic.html