Home heating
Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 6:12 pm
QFT
QFT
I battled it for well over a year in our house. It takes a lot of time studying to figure it out.
troyguitar wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 6:13 pm Just got the wife a little heater so that her hands don't freeze at her desk (thanks Mr Raynaud). It's surprisingly challenging to find a small fanless space heater. I was almost ready to build one. This little guy pulls 300 watts and is 9" across, works great.
Our office is super cold. A chick I work with had a space heater...but a floor one with a blower. When the weather got cold, they sent out a message saying it's against company policy to have ANY additional heaters and they must be removed for safety concerns.[user not found] wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 6:35 pmUsually the risk is blowing circuits out. Nfg. Do it till you get yelled at.Detroit wrote:
Probably against company policy, doe. Dat fire hazard, doe.
My assistant at work mentioned a few weeks ago she wanted a space heater under her desk. Our HR rep was in the office and said they weren’t allowed.Detroit wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 7:00 pmOur office is super cold. A chick I work with had a space heater...but a floor one with a blower. When the weather got cold, they sent out a message saying it's against company policy to have ANY additional heaters and they must be removed for safety concerns.[user not found] wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 6:35 pm Usually the risk is blowing circuits out. Nfg. Do it till you get yelled at.
The next day, security walked by and took it. She had to go pick it up at the front desk, but was told "disciplinary action" might be taken if she brings it back.
Detroit wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 7:00 pmOur office is super cold. A chick I work with had a space heater...but a floor one with a blower. When the weather got cold, they sent out a message saying it's against company policy to have ANY additional heaters and they must be removed for safety concerns.[user not found] wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 6:35 pm Usually the risk is blowing circuits out. Nfg. Do it till you get yelled at.
The next day, security walked by and took it. She had to go pick it up at the front desk, but was told "disciplinary action" might be taken if she brings it back.
Water, baseboards.Detroit wrote:Do you have hot water or steam heat?Calvinball wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:22 pm Interesting. I need to check that out. Crank the rad in the drafty room or just lower the one in the room with the stat.
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You shouldn't turn down single pipe steam heat...you'll likely end up with water hammer.
Oh. So do you have regulating valves on the baseboards. I have a couple of rooms with old baseboards and they don't have any means of regulating them.Calvinball wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:28 pmWater, baseboards.Detroit wrote: Do you have hot water or steam heat?
You shouldn't turn down single pipe steam heat...you'll likely end up with water hammer.
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troyguitar wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:50 pmWe need Max to tell us how it works after tells us how it doesn't work.wap wrote:
Sure. Lay it on us.
And inb4faxsaysyou'rewrong
wap wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:12 pmtroyguitar wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2017 10:50 pm We need Max to tell us how it works after tells us how it doesn't work.
I’m guessing not after I saw you have the big standing rads. I haven’t taken off any covers to look yet.wap wrote:Oh. So do you have regulating valves on the baseboards. I have a couple of rooms with old baseboards and they don't have any means of regulating them.
I think one of the Maine lakehouses has one. I know that fireplace is awesome, does a great job heating the place up. You’ll get sweaty if you’re within 5 feet of it with a good fire going.[user not found] wrote:Tangential but related. Anyone with a wood burning fireplace use a fireback? I am strongly considering one.
I do too but with my smoke issues I hesitate to put something in that’ll push the fire further from the back wall.[user not found] wrote:That's perfect. I need something that throws heat deep into the roomCalvinball wrote: I think one of the Maine lakehouses has one. I know that fireplace is awesome, does a great job heating the place up. You’ll get sweaty if you’re within 5 feet of it with a good fire going.
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So, before I go into it, it's important to understand steam heating systems. Steam heat progressed through the 1800's to the 1920's. In the early days, boilers blew up (yes actually exploded), killing many people and building a reputation of being unsafe. The name of the game became reducing pressure to make boilers safer. I won't get into the different types of systems, but in my case, I have the most "advanced" steam heating system that was developed in the mid 20's. Shortly after, forced air became the norm because steam heating systems were so damned expensive. You had to have a dedicated engineer plot out the system in a new house (which was ) and all the parts (pipes, radiators, valves, traps, etc) were expensive to buy and install. None of that was an issue with forced air, so steam heating systems like mine came and went fast. The result is that nobody knows how to work on my system, so I taught myself. I'll focus on our system from here on out...
RE: hammer Ehhhhh that's not technically whats going on to make your noise, but it is a functional description of WHY it's happening.Detroit wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:59 am
Water hammer occurs when water gets into the steam lines, or steam gets into the water lines. Effectively, the steam crashes into the water, and that collision is heard in the pipes as a bang. There's many ways this can happen.
I've become fascinated with steam heating ever since I went through this journey. If I ever lose my job, I legit will get certified in HVAC and specialize in repairing steam heat systems. There's a bunch in my area, and nobody I could find knows much about them.
I'm a simple-minded business person...I simplify engineering things in my mind.Big Brain Bradley wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:21 amRE: hammer Ehhhhh that's not technically whats going on to make your noise, but it is a functional description of WHY it's happening.Detroit wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:59 am
Water hammer occurs when water gets into the steam lines, or steam gets into the water lines. Effectively, the steam crashes into the water, and that collision is heard in the pipes as a bang. There's many ways this can happen.
I've become fascinated with steam heating ever since I went through this journey. If I ever lose my job, I legit will get certified in HVAC and specialize in repairing steam heat systems. There's a bunch in my area, and nobody I could find knows much about them.
But hell to the yea on your steam heating journey. Interesting read very 5/7. Low pressure and the vacuum loop makes total sense; two phase vapors are amaze at transmitting thermal energy quickly. (look at heat pipes n an ECU)
you are extremely close. In your case the steam and condensate (fancy term for water) form slugs, those slugs hit the elbows and fittings in the pipes, and thats whats causing your banging. its literally slugs of water hitting the changes in direction of you pipe at high speed.Detroit wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:26 amI'm a simple-minded business person...I simplify engineering things in my mind.Big Brain Bradley wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:21 am
RE: hammer Ehhhhh that's not technically whats going on to make your noise, but it is a functional description of WHY it's happening.
But hell to the yea on your steam heating journey. Interesting read very 5/7. Low pressure and the vacuum loop makes total sense; two phase vapors are amaze at transmitting thermal energy quickly. (look at heat pipes n an ECU)