How to Design a Steam Boiler System

Survey the building -- in many cases, the low-cost solution is a single-pipe steam boiler system with the main pipes sloped toward the boiler. The steam and condensate travel through the same pipes. Air valves are required, as air must be flushed out of the system every time it starts.

Modify the single-pipe steam system as an option for buildings in which the design of the system positions the main pipes away from the boiler. Making this change eliminates some of the issues with a single-pipe design because the steam and condensate travel through separate pipes and air doesn't gather inside.

Adapt the single-pipe steam system further by placing a series of pipes in an overhead steam-distribution configuration that is best suited for the building. With this adjustment, the steam and condensation travel in different pipes as they move to the radiators and return to the boiler. However, the pipes are supported from hanging brackets on the ceiling, and the system can be more costly to maintain.

Install a steam-trap system, which uses special types of traps to capture the steam inside the heating elements while allowing condensation and air to leave. The main drawback to this design is the increased costs of more equipment and routine maintenance.