Plumbers In Birmingham

I have an old Steam Heating System. Recently it just got cold and I tried to turn the system on. Usually I’m good with these types of things, but I’m stuck. Any advice on how to get it on? Here is some of the info I got from the side of the plate.

Manufactured by Burnham Corporation
Hydronics Division
Steam: 15 psi
Water: 50 psi
Min. Relief Vavle Cap: 384
Gas Supply Pressure Max: 10.5 Min: 3.5

Our steam heat (boiler) stopped working last year and the problem was the damper switch on the exit flu pipe. All I did was use a volt meter to trace the current throughout the unit and when I stopped getting a reading, that’s where I knew a disconnect would be. I jumped the "in" wire to the sensor board to the "out" wire and it kicked on and began running. I still had to get the main part replaced but at least I was able to get heat until they came out to fix it. *Same thing applies to your unit. If you have a meter ($10 at HDepot) test the thermostat all the way to the unit. You should be able to find the gremlin.

ALSO.. check the battery in your thermostat FIRST and make sure no one has flipped off the on power switch & the emergency off switch if you have one (by law, you should). And also the breaker in the box. To note, our A/C didn’t kick on this past spring and it was because the breaker tripped off, probably during a storm or something.

Visually correct fluing and ventilation. Burner pressure and gas rate. Earthing, polarity. Safety devices correctly fitted and operational. Removal of Products of combustion is correct.

I’m having a new central heating system installed into our 3 bed semi. What are the best models/makes of A rated boilers for reliability?

For reviews try goggleing ‘condensing boiler reviews’ tried this for when looking for our new TV and it brought up some good sites, also try the ‘Which’ magazine web site. Then see below for getting a good tradesman.

This applies to any trade you are wanting. Try web site called checkatrade, typed into any search engine will bring it up. Then type in your post code, so you get the ones local to you. All the people on here have been vetted, checked out for certificates, right qualifications and insurance etc and open to further monitoring. On the web site you can read other customer comments etc and the ratings of the companies. Checkatrade collect all their customer reports themselves and the companies do not see them.
So this is about as near as you’ll get to avoiding the cowboys.
Still get a couple round for quotes though.
Have used the site often and always been happy with the people selected.

I have an older home, and were we are its extremely cold. I have water running in the kitchen sink, tub and bathroom sink, I always thought you would just run cold water? Then i heard some guy say hot water? does it matter? Also the kitchen, bathroom are on the south side of the house, so i didnt know if i need water running at all faucets, i have small water running, I also have the cupboards open where the pipe runs to the kitchen to help air flow? my main concern was does the temperature of the water matter? i noticed i have no hot water in the bathroom sink, but i have cold water, i have hot water in the tub, so not sure whats going on there?
i forgot to say, i have no basement

First off the thought was that running water does not freeze as easily as still water. Water will still freeze if it is cold enough-even in the creeks.
Secondly, why they are saying hot water is that in plumbing, the hot and cold pipe could be(not always) are running close together and hot water(which comes heated from the tank) will impart the heat in the same cavity as the cold water(if that pipe is there). That is the thought. It does drain your tank which has to keep reheating more and more water.
The difference between the bathroom sink and the tub would be in the plumbing(or that the hot water to the sink has frozen.

What to do. Having the cupboard open to room temp is the right thing to do. Check in the basement (how cold it is) and for exposed pipes. Those pipes will be that cold.

Pay attention. If the pipes are on the outer walls of the house – where the insulation is suppose to be THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM. It has its butt in the frost 24/7(just like a refridgerator).
Modern homes (the 50′s on at least) have the plumbing on the inside walls or no closer that6" to the inside of the outer(insulated) wall. And the water tank is in the middle of the home.

You have to expose the pipes from the inside walls and get the room air to contact them. Also you need glass or syrofoam insulation behind them. Hope none have already broken(which means you would have to tear the wall apart anyways). Do a retrofit in the spring.

Now I know you are asking, why was it built this way? Maybe cause initially they had a well? And pipes were added later for running water.

Can 3" and 4" fittings with black gaskets be used for sewer pipe? Or are they intended for something else? These appear to be Schedule 40. Would the gaskets interfere with gluing the pipe to the fittings?

Often pipes that normally run rain water, and are used for french drains, will have a gasket internally in the hub of the fitting. Depending on your local codes these types of fittings possibly could be used for a sewer main line that is buried, but normally I would think not. Some local codes may accept sch 40 glued fittings only, while others are OK with sdr35, which is thinner. Every area of the country is different and every county has different codes. To know for sure ask them at your local plumbing supply house, or contact your local building dept.
And no glue is usually used if these have internal gaskets.