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Tip: When water turns to steam (at 0 psi) it expands 1,700 times. That's what moves the steam from the boilers to the radiators. High pressure goes to low pressure - always! What stands in the steam's way is air. Get rid of the air quickly and watch how fast the steam moves.
Did you know? The Dead Men designed steam to move at speeds of nearly 60 miles per hour? What slows down the steam is trapped air, condensate that's gathering where it shouldn't be and pipes that are the wrong size for the load. Once you realize this, you can work magic when you're troubleshooting.
Tip: When steam condenses, it shrinks back to 1/1,700th of what it used to be. The rapid condensing forms a vacuum in the system, and if air can't get back in quickly enough, the vacuum can affect the boiler's waterline. If you open the blow down valve on the low-water cutoff while the vacuum is forming, the water in the boiler will go berserk. Check your air vents to make sure they're not the vacuum type (these were popular during the coal-fired era). And make sure your steam pipes are insulated. The faster the steam can condense, the quicker the vacuum will form.
Did you know? You can make a simple vacuum breaker by installing a swing check valve anywhere in the near-boiler piping that's above the boiler's water line (the quick hook-up fittings on the low-water cutoff are a good place for this). Pipe the swing check horizontally, and make sure the arrow is pointing INTO the boiler. If the steam condenses too quickly, the check will swing open to break the vacuum before it has a chance to cause you problems.
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