Posted by Jerry Helen Herrin on February 24, 2001 at 20:20:52:
We moved into our house that was built in 1903 in July of 2000. We purchased it from a family friend and have been extremely happy with it until we turned on the steam heat(one pipe system). All we heard from friends is how much we would love this type of heat. The radiator's in our home are beautiful. We call them "works of art", as the previous homeowner had most of them refurbished. The boiler is our home is the original boiler from 1903 (Dunkirk - New York,NY). It has alot of new parts, and we had the same company who has worked on it for 13 years check it out for us before the winter season began. However, after we started having the heat on consistently, this is when our problem began. We have been experiencing a "tingly" feeling or mild pressure build up in our heads & ears. It isn't really like a bad headache, it is just not a comfortable feeling. We called the heating company back and the gas company, and everything checked out. They tested for CO even though we have detectors. However, everything checked out fine. We are so upset about this, because we can't find an answer. We live in central Illinois, and it's hard to find experts for this kind of problem. Our heating professional is very qualified, but he can't seem to find the answer. We spend hours reading these type of websites looking for answers. We're having our chimney checked out next week, but if that isn't the problem, we are going to lose our minds! Could anyone send us suggestions on what to do, or recommend professional help in the Chicago area. We are more than willing to pay an expert if they can help us! We're afraid that this is dangerous. Also, we have gotten an estimate on a new boiler, and it was $14.000.00 for parts and labor! Our home is over 5000 sq. ft., but we only have to heat around 3800 sq. ft. Would that estimate be appropriate for replacing the boiler? Any answers are GREATLY appreciated!! Sincerely, The Herrins