How to Efficiently Heat Your Home With Steam Heat

Keep your steam heating costs down by heating more efficiently.

Every year, it seems, home heating rates increase. Homeowners install new heating technologies hoping to make a difference in their gas or electric bills. While updating heating systems can sometimes cut heating costs, you can also try several simple methods to make the steam heating system in your home more efficient. Steam heat uses a gas boiler to heat up water. Pressure causes the steam to move throughout the pipes and heat up cast iron radiators and in turn heat your home.

Things You'll Need

• Wrench
• Bowl
• Vacuum

Instructions

1. Have your heating unit inspected by a professional to make sure it is working correctly and efficiently.

2. Check your radiators or baseboard steam heaters. Make sure they are in good repair, as this will help them to work more efficiently. Check for loose bolts on the valves and tighten them using a wrench.

3. Drain cast iron steam radiators once a year. Use the wrench to twist the nut on the valve that attaches the valve to the radiator to loosen it. Place a bowl underneath the valve and tip the radiator on its side, with some help from a friend, and drain any water that may still be in the radiator.

4. Tighten the bolts on your radiators in the rooms you use less often to keep the heat at a lower temperature if each room does not have a separate thermostat.

5. Vacuum out between the ridges of your cast-iron radiators once a month to keep dust from building up.

6. Turn the thermostat down on your radiators at night or when you are not home to save a lot of money on your heating costs. Keep your thermostat down a little bit more than you normally like when you are there.

7. Think about getting new insulation for inside your walls and your attic. Keeping good insulation in your home keeps the steam heat in your home and reduces your heating bill.

Tips & Warnings

• The key to efficient steam heating is to make sure your home is a well insulated and no drafts can get it. Go around your home and feel for drafts at windows and doors. Caulk any drafty spots. Use plastic insulation on the windows as well as heavy, insulated curtains.

• Remember that water does get backed up in the radiators once in while and causes rust. Rust can clog the gas vents, making them have to work harder to heat your home to a specific temperature. This causes your gas bill to increase.

References

• Find Articles: Heating with Steam Efficiently

Resources

• Direct Gov: Insulation and Heating