Can't do this on a steam heat pipe, right?

[dwight1977]

Hi! If this is not the proper forum for such a queston then I am sorry and I'd like to apologize beforehand and hope you don't get too upset at me and my question can be removed by an administrator, or just ignore me

My question is if you have a steam heat pipe that runs from the basement to a top apt, and lets say you don't need heat in the top apt, but do in all the apts below, can you remove the air valve in the top apt and just plug-up the hole, and make a new hole in the pipe in the apt below and put in an air valve there? Will this still work correctly? I mean if the air valve won't act funny because you still have a section of pipe AFTER it that will just be dead. Imagine that the pipe cannot simply be cut at the bottom apt so that now it ENDS there instead of it still going up to the apt on top.

I hope this makes sense. I had to work extra during the night on an emergency and haven't slept yet please bear with me thanks!

[toocoolforschool]

Okay get some sleep and do not cut anything out of the pipe at all. Call a company that specializes in this type of heating and set an appointment.

[beenthere]

So there are no water lines in the top apartment that could freeze without heat?

[dwight1977]

Hi guys thanks for replying. It's just a question on the theory, not that i'm actually going to do this. We have a 2 story house and there are radiators in the top floor besides this pipe (actually there's 2 pipes plus the radiators). I just would like to know if by taking out the air valve on this steam pipe on the top floor and making a new hole on the pipe but in the apt below (near the top of course), if this will leave the pipe making heat like before, but just not on the top apt. In the top apt where this pipe is we no longer want heat (long story) but there is plenty more radiators and another pipe making plenty heat like I said before.

If you take out the air valve and close off the hole with a plug then the whole pipe won't get hot - if you then make a new hole one floor down and install an air valve there, will the pipe get hot correctly? Or must air valves be placed only at the very end in such a case? Thanks!

[dwight1977]

and if it really matters why I'm asking this: where this one pipe is on the top floor there is going to be a bed and the air valve will be blowing steam right next to a person . We do not wish to cut the pipe so that now it ends on the bottom floor because its an old pipe and besides we might want to have it as it was in the future.

I have a feeling that by doing what I'm asking then we probably will still have the pipe getting hot all the way to the top floor as before but with the air valve doing its job on the floor below. Right?

[Chuck]

If the air vent is blowing steam, it is faulty. Or the steam pressure is set too high.