A Bit About Vacuum Pumps
Steam systems that make vacuum with pumps have been around for more than 100 years. In 1899, D.F. Morgan wrote an article in The Metal Worker magazine, suggesting that de...
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Recent Articles
Water hammers and failed steam traps
I feel sorry for this guy because he gives the time (12:30 A.M.). Most likely, failed steam traps are causing the water hammer that you hear. This is not normal, although...
The first steam heating system (video)
Ever wonder who first proposed heating buildings with steam? So did I, so I went and found out. Enjoy!
The Importance of pH in Steam-Boiler Water
What’s the cheapest tool you can carry if your business includes taming old steam-heating systems and making them purr with greater efficiency? Litmus paper! You probably...
Zoning Steam Systems
A gravity-return steam system uses a combination of two forces to put the returning condensate back into the boiler. First, there’s the steam pressure that's leftover at ...
Water Hammer in Steam Heating Systems
Need to get rid of the water hammer in a steam heating system? Here's a checklist of things to look for. I hope you find it a good one to keep on file.
Best Thermostats for Steam Systems
Someone on The Wall asks, "What is the best thermostat for a steam system?" Bill Wolfe replies: First, a couple questions. Do you have central AC? Is the house vacant dur...
Steam Heating Dos and Don'ts for Homeowners
Here’s a list of things that a handy person (that you?) can do for himself or herself. Flush the low-water cutoff: If you have a low-water cutoff with a float (see above)...
What I've Learned About Steam Pressure
It had stood on this corner just off Wall Street in Manhattan for nearly a century. It stood witness to the comings and goings of countless people who never gave much tho...
Steam Velocity
One of the things I had to get through my thick skull when I was young and learning about steam heat was that raising the pressuretrol setting wasn't going to get the bui...