This doesn't really apply to most of the conversation that goes on here but I thought it would be interesting. I would like to pick some of the guys minds that do this stuff for a living because I work on a golf course and know very very little about hydronic and steam heat.
My friend has a plumbing business and has very little if no experience in hydronic/steam heating systems. He has been doing a lot of work in homes within the city limits of Cleveland where people go in a tear out copper/cast/etc, then he is hired by the bank to replace stuff that was stolen. This current job that we looked at not only includes replacement of the copper/various other plumbing components that were stolen but also replacement of the heating system. Home was built in 1920 and is a duplex.
As stated neither of us are knowledgeable in this field. This is where I need some help to point us in the right direction. What are we dealing with in regards to the heating system? Was it steam or hot water, was it steam when it was installed then converted to hot water?
In the basement we have a large supply and return it looks like to the boiler that no longer sits there because it was stolen. I am guessing 2.5"ish (didn't measure sorry) I do not see any indication of an expansion tank or air valve, but they could have been stolen. There is one 12/2 whip going to the boiler, thermostat wire, and natural gas, otherwise nothing else looks to have been hooked up to it. On one side of the duplex the large 2.5"ish black pipe lines were reduced to 1" copper(they cut it off at the threads so could still see some copper) to the boiler. On the other side of the duplex it looked like 1 1/4" to the boiler from the large 2.5"ish. On the first floor there were two lines to the radiators 1 1/4" both, and they varied from 3'-4' wide and not sure on height(6 total). Second floor the two lines went to 1" that supplied the radiators(4 total). Third floor there was just one radiator and it was 3/4" Also on the third floor there was a capped off 3/4" black pipe in the closet that looked like it went to that attic (old expansion tank?) I would have to believe it was abandoned for years and our friends that stole all the stuff didn't go the distance to cap it off. This was identical in both sides of the duplex. I don't have any more info because it was dark and we were not in the best part of town so we did what we had to do and left.
My friend has a plumbing business and has very little if no experience in hydronic/steam heating systems. He has been doing a lot of work in homes within the city limits of Cleveland where people go in a tear out copper/cast/etc, then he is hired by the bank to replace stuff that was stolen. This current job that we looked at not only includes replacement of the copper/various other plumbing components that were stolen but also replacement of the heating system. Home was built in 1920 and is a duplex.
As stated neither of us are knowledgeable in this field. This is where I need some help to point us in the right direction. What are we dealing with in regards to the heating system? Was it steam or hot water, was it steam when it was installed then converted to hot water?
In the basement we have a large supply and return it looks like to the boiler that no longer sits there because it was stolen. I am guessing 2.5"ish (didn't measure sorry) I do not see any indication of an expansion tank or air valve, but they could have been stolen. There is one 12/2 whip going to the boiler, thermostat wire, and natural gas, otherwise nothing else looks to have been hooked up to it. On one side of the duplex the large 2.5"ish black pipe lines were reduced to 1" copper(they cut it off at the threads so could still see some copper) to the boiler. On the other side of the duplex it looked like 1 1/4" to the boiler from the large 2.5"ish. On the first floor there were two lines to the radiators 1 1/4" both, and they varied from 3'-4' wide and not sure on height(6 total). Second floor the two lines went to 1" that supplied the radiators(4 total). Third floor there was just one radiator and it was 3/4" Also on the third floor there was a capped off 3/4" black pipe in the closet that looked like it went to that attic (old expansion tank?) I would have to believe it was abandoned for years and our friends that stole all the stuff didn't go the distance to cap it off. This was identical in both sides of the duplex. I don't have any more info because it was dark and we were not in the best part of town so we did what we had to do and left.
