STEAM BOILERS
Once common in the early part of the 20th century, steam heating systems are now primarily found in large commercial and industrial settings where the primary benefit of steam’s high heat transfer efficiency allows large, high-mass radiators to adequately fulfill the heating demands of poorly insulated spaces. Mostly supplanted by forced air and hot water systems in new home construction, Schenectady, New York has a large number of older homes with legacy steam systems. These homes lack proper insulation and require a high-output means of heating. Rarely does it make sense to install a high-efficiency heating system in such a home; the heat loss from the lack of insulation greatly offsets the benefit from running a high-efficiency boiler. Steam, on the other hand, falls under the high-temperature, high-mass design category, and the nature of steam’s physical properties and high-mass heat emitters (radiators) allow a prolonged heat dissipation into the rooms long after the heating demand is satisfied.
