Converting Steam System to Hot Water
So my wife and I are still in the middle of planning for our renovation, and one question we have is whether we could convert our system from steam to hot water. Our system right now is steam, with a Weil Mclain EG-55 I think. Right now we have radiators on the right side of…
So my wife and I are still in the middle of planning for our renovation, and one question we have is whether we could convert our system from steam to hot water.
Our system right now is steam, with a Weil Mclain EG-55 I think. Right now we have radiators on the right side of our brownstone on all four floors, and there is only a single pipe feeding them.
We will be replacing flooring in a few areas including the bathrooms where currently there are no radiators.
We were wondering whether it is “worth it” to consider now since we are renovating a change over, and whether we could use the same boiler and even use some of the piping and perhaps just have an extra return pipe installed.
We have discussed this on and off with our architect and I think to be fair there is a serious concern of cost here. We certainly don’t have an unlimited budget and he understands and has concerns himself as to making such a drastic change in terms of the cost. In addition, this isn’t a gut renovation so certainly there are some tricky elements here if we need to put new piping in.
Any thoughts from people who have done the changeover? Plusses or minuses? Just stick with our steam system and be happy (and with more $$ in our pocket or for something else)?
Wow, so I could essentially use the steam boiler and “just” put on some sort of heat exchanger to essentially get the hot water for radiant heating? That’s great.
We have a four story brownstone and the bathrooms would be on the basement, second and third floors, with the kitchen and powder room on the parlor.
We were considering electric for the radiant heating but I keep wondering why we wouldn’t be able to somehow use the boiler we already have to provide, far more efficiently, the radiant heating we need.
Sure it is just a question of expense as usual – rather than whether it may be able to get done. Is there anything here that would make such a concept far less economical to implement?
It’s not too much at all. We do it all the time.
Depending on the height of your building, you may need to add a simple and inexpensive heat exchanger or storage tank to your existing boiler to energize the floor warming system.
Definitely do-able.
http://www.GatewayPlumbing.com
Hm, these comments are well taken – probably doesn’t sound like it is helpful to consider a conversion.
Master Plumber (or anyone else for that matter), could I somehow attach up a secondary system to my current WM system and use it to pipe up hot water to radiate my floors in my bathrooms.
My bathrooms and the Kitchen floor are actually on the exact opposite wall on which my current radiators are on. I would think I could use a secondary system if all I am trying to really accomplish is a hydro radiant heating system for the floors of the kitchen and bathrooms.
Or is this all just a bit too much?
Thanks in advance for people’s thoughts here. Just really think now is the time while my floors are open to put in radiant heating in various strategic locations. I also figure the electric heating solution isn’t as elegant.
I agree with Master Plvmber. Steam is an issue in large old buildings because they are very inefficient. Since the building is old it has air holes, which causes air to come into the building from below and the heat to rise up the building, making the lower floors cold. People on the lower floors complain they are cold and the super raises the heat. But then it becomes unbearable on the upper floors and people open windows. Then you are heating the sky and nobody is really comfortable.
But in a small house that is not so much an issue. PLUG ALL HOLES AND INSULATE, which is cheap, then your steam system will work just great. IMHO.
My advice to you is that if you’re going to do this, do it properly or just leave the steam system in place if it’s healthy.
Adding a return pipe and leaving 80-year-old pipes in place, converting radiators, etc., isn’t going to save you a significant amount of money to due the increased labor cost of trying to get that old stuff to work with the new stuff.
The boiler, however, can be converted to work with circulating hot water.