Homeowner’s log, February 2021

Our steam heating has had some sporadic issues now and then, and I think I’ve finally got it solved once and for all. It’s all about the steam traps! If you have a two-pipe steam heating system, it’s very important to replace the steam traps every few years. Or rather, replace the internal component of the steam traps, which is the cage unit.

Failed or failing steam traps can cause all kinds of issues in your heating system, including radiators not warming up quickly, all kinds of noises around the radiators, and water hammering in the return pipes due to steam leaking into them.

And this time, I made a video about it!

Just for my own recollection in the future: most of the steam traps are Barnes & Jones #3045, and a couple are #122. Both of these types are compatible with the #1721 cage unit. However, one of the radiators has a #134 trap which requires a #1929 cage unit. In the future, if these parts become scarce enough, it looks like Tunstall has new replacement units that might be compatible.