Steam Heat on Top Floor
Please help figure out my steam-heat system. If you, or someone you know of someone who can help solve this problem, please send them my way.
Situation:
3rd floor of a 3-story building gets little heat.
Steam heat.
Radiators on each floor.
Thermostat is on 1st floor.
Thermostat on first floor is set to 74 degrees, and the 1st and 2nd floors get to that temperature very quickly.
The 3rd floor only goes to 70 degrees after about an hour or more. The 1st floor needs to keep a door opened to let in cold air (even in the most freezing times of winter) to keep the thermostat thinking its cold inside so that the heat stays on so that the 3rd floor gets heat!
This is a waste of heat and money.
After some research, (I think that) the issues to (perhaps) consider include:
Should the risers be insulated?
How much water needs to be in the boiler?
Why would moving the thermostat to the 3rd floor help? It would still burn the same amount of gas to get the proper heat on the 3rd floor, right? Explain please why this would make proper sense.
Why are there two pressuretrols on my boiler? (are they both necessary or did someone else do a bad job on the installation?)
I’ve been told the pressure on the boiler should be low. But exactly what should the pressure be on a steam heat system (in PSI) and what should the differential be in PSI?
Should I remove a radiator or two from the first floor?
Thank you to all of you who have called thus far (I had this posted elsewhere). I have had perhaps half a dozen plumbers and heating ‘experts’ call me and tell me to just play with and change the valves on the radiators.
‘Playing with the valves’ is not the answer, however. The valves are clean, and of the correct sizing on each floor.
Nor is increasing the pressure on the pressuretrol(s). The pressure is low as it should be. Making it higher is not the solution as far as I know. The pressure has been increased before to no avail.
Thank you so much.
Dave
seven one eight – three one two – nine four seven one
