Having owned an old home with a two pipe steam heating system - and having to repair it - thereâs always been options to put thermostats on individual radiators. The main problem isnât the thermostat control on these steam systems; it because owners donât replace the âsteam trapsâ - a valve that closes off the radiator exit and either fails closed (leaving no heat) or open (leaving heat always on & open windows. Not batteries needed with the old tech. And theyâll last forever. The ones with the remote sensors work better.
link? iâve been looking for something like this that doesnât need batteries.
Hereâs a few for a quick web search. Youâll need to know if your system is a one pipe or two pipe steam system & the pipe diameter to order the right size. And youâll need a good pipe wrench - maybe a breaker bar pipe if you need extra leverage like I do.
I like this company - large catalog of steam heat products:
One pipe system version:
http://www.supplyhouse.com/Honeywell-V2042HSL10-1-8-One-pipe-Steam-Radiator-valve?gclid=COvTwfqujMwCFVBZhgod-UgJLA
Search on âdanfoss thermostatic radiator valveâ. Be aware that they are different between two-pipe steam, one-pipe steam, and hot-water heat models. My experience with hot-water versions is that you need to keep one or two radiators in a system with open manual valves so that the water can still circulate whenever the âboilerâ is operating, otherwise a rise in ambient temperature will cut off the warm return water to the thermostat that tells the burner to stop heating.
thank you, I currently have the old school valves like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-8-in-IPS-Angled-Adjustable-Steam-Radiator-Valve-A884/202306128?fbtLinkClicked=1460578126209|202246271
they kinda work but arenât great, I also need to insulate and air seal more too.
Yeah - they donât work so well. Much more control with the newer ones with the remote sensor. If youâre right on top of the radiator it messes with the thermostat function.
Is USA the new UK regarding holding on to old technology way past its obsolocence in the rest of the industrialized world?
My thoughts exactly. I lived in a 1920âs restoration apartment building with steam radiators that had valves similar to these attached.
Once you get used to the various hisses and groans steam heat is pretty kickass (unless your apartment super waits until the nights regularly hit 50 before turning the system on).
I donât think steam is all that inefficient. True itâs harnessed with some old tech, but it seems like most of that old tech is easily upgraded and modernized at a lot less cost that refitting an entire building to a new form of central heat.
This seemed insane before I watched the video, since I never lived in a place with a steam radiator and I assumed this was some snarky commentary on new yorkers. GUESS I GOT LEARNED SOMETHING TODAY.
Yes, this amazing new radiator cover seems like the most expensive possible solution to a problem manageable with a $8-$50 valve device. But itâs WIFI!!! Isnât that awesome!
I guess Iâm just old school, I donât even have TRVâs. When my tenants complain about a room too hot or cold I adjust the vent port.
New York (and to a lesser extent, Chicago) utilizes a lot of old tech thatâs deeply wired into the cityâs structure; their theory seems to be âwell, it still works.â Steam pipes, pneumatic tubes⌠itâs kind of fascinating, but itâs part of the cityâs charm and flavor.
Ahem. We donât say âthermostatâ in the 21st century. We say âsmart.â
Thermostats are for electricians and their ilk, not Transhumans like us.
Shouldnât we throw a virtual, 3 d printed, e or app on top of that? Jeez - my thermostat is going to be more social networked than me.
Itâs primitive, but incredibly progressive. Steam is provided free. Except the homeless, no New Yorker has to be cold in the winter.
(And yes yes, homelessness is a heinous problem, but it is not caused by steam heat.)
Er, not really. Itâs true that some buildings in Manhattan receive very-low-cost steam from Con Edisonâs power plants. But theyâre a fraction of the islandâs total, let alone the five boroughsâ. Most New Yorkers pay directly for their steam heat, which is (in buildings of any real size) typically generated by oil- or gas-burning Scotch marine boilers.
It sounds like the most important thing this gadget does, is to notify the building manager when a steam trap has failed⌠Since thatâs your thermostat in an old fashioned steam system.
I came here to say that the specific heat capacity of steam must be terrible compared to water. But then I looked it up, and itâs a bit below half (2.0 vs. 4.2 kJ/kgK). Which is actually rather good. I guess I learned something too.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/water-thermal-properties-d_162.html
I lived in an apartment in Brooklyn that had adjustable radiators, but our kitchen was directly over the buildingâs furnace, so it didnât matter. We frequently did have the window open in the winter.
