How to operate steam radiator heat in a house?

Question

I just bought a house and it has steam radiators heated by natural gas. Is there anything specific I have to do to turn on my heat.

Answer 1

Gas furnaces and boilers can be fueled by either natural gas or propane with simple modifications accounting for the different characteristics of the fuels. Many furnaces and boilers operate on either natural gas or propane. Propane is usually more expensive as a fuel, but is available throughout the United States. Natural gas supplies depend on having a natural gas distribution system in your area, and areas at the end of the pipeline (such as the Northeast) tend to pay higher prices for natural gas.

Do a regular visual inspection of their equipment to look for signs
of problems, such as soot or water collecting near a burner or vent. Natural gas burners should show a clear blue flame -- a yellow or orange flame may indicated a problem. Keep vents and chimneys clear of debris or other blockages, such as bird nests or leaves. Never attempt to bypass safety devices, and don’t store aerosol cans, containers of combustible materials or flammable liquids like gasoline or paint thinner near gas equipment.
* Check the condition of your vent connection pipe and chimney. Parts of the venting system may have deteriorated over time. Chimney problems can be expensive to repair, and may help justify installing new heating equipment that won't use the existing chimney.
* Check the physical integrity of the heat exchanger. Leaky boiler heat exchangers leak water and are easy to spot. Furnace heat exchangers mix combustion gases with house air when they leak—an important safety reason to have them inspected.
* Adjust the controls on the boiler or furnace to provide optimum water and air temperature settings for both efficiency and comfort.
* If you're considering replacing or retrofitting your existing heating system, have the technician perform a combustion-efficiency test.

A number of retrofits are possible for gas-fired furnaces and boilers, but before pursuing any retrofits you should consider the potential added benefits you could receive by simply replacing the furnace. The following retrofits are possible:

Vent dampers
The most common retrofit is the addition of a vent (or flue) damper. A vent damper prevents chimney losses by closing off a boiler's vent when the boiler isn't firing. Steam boilers benefit from vent dampers more than hot-water boilers, and bigger boilers benefit more than smaller ones. Vent dampers, however, may not be cost effective with properly sized, newer furnace models.

Intermittent ignition devices
Older furnaces and boilers with a continuous pilot light can be retrofitted with intermittent ignition devices. These devices are difficult to install and should only be installed by professionals. They cost about $250 and typically have a payback period of less than 10 years.

Although these intermittent ignition devices can save you some in fuel costs, they are not always cost effective when installed on aging equipment. If it's possible to turn off your furnace's pilot in the spring and to turn it on again in the fall, you can usually save the same amount of money as you would using one of these devices.

Derating gas burners
Many boilers and furnaces in today's homes are oversized, particularly if you've upgraded the energy efficiency of your home. It is sometimes possible to reduce the heating capacity of your gas boiler or furnace to make it operate more efficiently by reducing the size of the gas burner orifice, and possibly also the baffles. This is a difficult process that should only be performed by a qualified technician, and in some cases, it could violate local building codes and void manufacturer's warranties. If allowed, though, the modifications should cost less than $100 and can save up to 15% of your fuel costs.

Answer 2

It's been a while since I've worked on residential steam / hot water heat, but "back in the day" we used to convert steam systems to hot water all the time. It may take some minor modifications to include air bleeders / separators. As I think about it, if the radiators don't have ports near the top, it could be a problem to use the existing radiators......gotta have a way to get the air out. If bleeders can be installed, and it is a two pipe system, allowing for a hot water supply and a return back to the pump, then any other mods will occur in the basement, and should be no big deal. Get ready for some gurgling sounds on the new system, as it'll take a little while to get all the air out, which will quiet the system down. Hope this helps

Answer 3

I assume that you have a small boiler. If so, it may have been converted from steam to hot water. That is not a problem, but there is a difference. Go look at your boiler (furnace) look at the water pipe coming in (will come from your water supply system) and then look at your pipes going out to the radiators. If there is a pump with electric motor, you have hot water.

Once the furnace is lit, it will take a little while for the water or steam to get hot. If you radiators get hot, you don't have too much to worry about it. If some radiators get hot and some stay cold, you might have to dig a little deeper.