Over 698,000 strictly plumbing related posts
Plumbing education, information, advice, help and suggestions are provided by some of the most experienced plumbers who wish to "give back" to society. Since 1996 we have been the best online (strictly) PLUMBING advice site. If you have questions about plumbing, toilets, sinks, faucets, drains, sewers, water filters, venting, water heating, showers, pumps, and other strictly PLUMBING related issues then you've come to the right place. Please refrain from asking or discussing legal questions, or pricing, or where to purchase products, or any business issues, or for contractor referrals, or any other questions or issues not specifically related to plumbing. Keep all posts positive and absolutely no advertising. Our site is completely free, without ads or pop-ups and we don't tract you. We absolutely do not sell your personal information. We are made possible by:
Author:
andiebrooks (NY)
Hi,
I live in a 1930s built coop, with steam pipes. I have one steam pipe, floor to ceiling, in my bathroom where new tiles have been put down. I recently noticed that when the steam comes on, the tile grouting completely cracks and the tiles actually come up off the floor. I already had the cracked tiles replaced once, where the tiles around the steam pipe were cut a bit to give more room - this still didn't work. Any idea on how the tile needs to be or what I can do to prevent this from happening?
Thanks!
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
KCRoto (MO)
The heat is probably causing the sub flooring to expand just from ambient moisture in the air. If you were able to cut a small relief around the pipe so that it isn't actually touching anything and use a decorative escutcheon to cover the hole it should stop the problem. If the floor had been installed correctly in the first place, the underlayment would have been strong enough and anchored enough to prevent movement regardless and this wouldn't be happening.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
ChrisJ (NJ)
The flooring cannot be touching the pipe at all. You need a 1/8" - 1/4" gap all the way around the pipe both around the tile and the subfloor. Besides causing damage, flooring touching the pipe will also cause noise. As said previously cover the hole with a metal escutcheon.
It doesn't matter how strong the subfloor is, you're not going to stop steel from expanding and contracting. It's just as powerful as ice.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
hj (AZ)
More space around the pipe. The heat is expanding the tiles and the pipe.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
andiebrooks (NY)
Thanks so much!
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
andiebrooks (NY)
Going to have to see if my super (hopefully) can fix this.. he's the one that put down the tile floor. Thank you!
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
andiebrooks (NY)
Thanks for your help!
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
hj (AZ)
As a side note, is this pipe insulated? My brother got a severe burn, that left a huge scar for life, from a steam pipe in a bathroon.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
no, the pipe is NOT insulated as it acts as the 'radiator' for said room
ditto kitchens
IT MUST BE FREE TO EXPAND W/O TOUCHING ANYTHING, the escutcheon covers the hole
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
Paul48 (CT)
An exposed pipe from floor to floor is a retro-fit, or exposed during remodeling. It was never figured as an emitter. Someone may have used it as a selling point for not breaking open a wall, but the btus given off by that would be tiny, by comparison to a CI radiator.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
ChrisJ (NJ)
8 feet of 1 1/4" steel pipe is around 10sqft of EDR or 2400btu, or the equivalent to a 700 watt electric heater. That's a fair amount of heat in my book.
All of my pipes between floors are exposed because the system was added to the house in the mid 1920s, however I do believe they very often took that into consideration when sizing radiators. If a section of radiator is 3sqft edr they could leave 3 sections off if there was a pipe in the room etc.
2400 btu/h may not matter to some, but it certainly matters to me.
Edit : Paul48, I think I know you from "The Wall"
Edited 2 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
Paul48 (CT)
Hi Chris..........Yeah, that's me. I stand corrected. I didn't think 1930's construction would have figured that into the equation.On another note...I posted a question on the wall.."recent steam boiler install". Does a sloped return reduce the pressure increase created by "A" dimension, as opposed to a vertical drop?
Edited 1 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
Paul48,
As an old time 'Bronx Boy' I can assure you that many old 1 pipe steam apartment buildings had only an exposed pipe in the baths and kitchens for heat.
The logic:
Baths are small and require little BTUs.
Kitchens are used for cooking and ranges / ovens emit too much heat for comfort anyway!
ps. many of the 'risers' were 2" pipe ~ don't remember the BTU/FT @ 2psi
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
Paul48 (CT)
I see the logic. And those apartment buildings were probably turn-of-the-century buildings. The old dead men knew what they were doing.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
ChrisJ (NJ)
2 PSI!?!? That's crazy talk!
I never run above 4oz, ever.
Edited 1 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
I actually managed to make a one pipe 'vacu-vent' system work !
It probably ran at 12.5 psi(a) when fully hot. (205 degree F steam)
That would be MINUS 2 psi(g)
Took about 5 minutes to cycle fully from cold-off to full hot which held for about 20 minutes on a 32 degree day !
A 'decent' vacuum was held for about 6 hours when shut down.
I used 2 psi as a maximum not knowing the exact system in question.
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
|
Post Reply
|
Please note:
- Inappropriate messages or blatant advertising will be deleted. We cannot be held responsible for bad or inadequate advice.
- Plbg.com has no control over external content that may be linked to from messages posted here. Please follow external links with caution.
- Plbg.com is strictly for the exchange of plumbing related advice and NOT to ask about pricing/costs, nor where to find a product (try Google), nor how to operate or promote a business, nor for ethics (law) and the like questions.
- Plbg.com is also not a place to ask radiant heating (try HeatingHelp.com), electrical or even general construction type questions. We are exclusively for plumbing questions.
Search for plumbing parts on our sponsor's site:
Special thanks to our sponsor:
|