Best Of

You don’t want leaking vents that don’t close under low pressure or you waste $, radiator won’t get fully hot and cold water makeup will affect boiler with minerals and lower efficiency. If you tap a leaving vent when under pressure , and it stops or doesn’t , replace it immediately . Try a bucket of Vinegar to soak and de lime it , usually won’t work as well. Main boiler vents need to seal fast, leakers go. I could write a book on balancing . IR thermometers are good but have an accepted temp inaccuracy of usually 2 or more degrees . Accuracy is not digital unless you spend for a commercial quality set up. Coldest radiator now, be sure radiator has a pitch to valve . Double Gorton D vents , one top one middle. A piece of foil faced 1-1.5” foam board screwed to wall, foil facing in, stops heating exterior walls and in my test can raise a room 1f. The foil reflects to the room radiator Radiant Heat, Radiant Heat might be 40% of heat output. Stop heating exterior walls with no insulation! Are basement pipes insulated ? Insulate. The list goes on and on .

I own a 12 unit one pipe Chicago . Best is you lean what’s going on and DIY. What I needed to do took years since I don’t live there and I had some apartments gutted and walls brick foam insulated . If I hired a pro it would have cost many many thousands and I would not be happy. Old buildings systems were not always designed right as Coal was cheap. So you just heated it. Gorton D only belong on a few coldest radiators . Hottest get 4 , some I can cool get aluminum tape and a pin hole making it a 3. Average normal is a 5 to start. First get a one or two certified glass thermometers from Grainger for about 30$ , then I got Taylor glass thermometers that I can loosen the glass and calibrate all to the main known thermometer and glue down. A multi room wireless thermometer can help also. So you know what you have . All radiators need a Pitch not level . Old buildings settle and mains need a pitch - not level. Then figure most old vents are clogged and not good. If they don’t completely seal when hot you loose heat and waste energy and boiler water. Do valves leak? Repack them, then start with Gorton 5 . Coldest I sometimes double vent D, one top one middle. Top vent gives of less heat change . Hottest radiator gets 4 on top or foil tape and pin hole making it a 3. Coldest a Double vent one top one middle remember, a middle vent gives more heat than top vent. Write down temperature before you start , keep track of it. There is alot to do and this explanation is way to short at 3am but I’m taking the dog for a walk it’s 15f out, zero wind chill Chicago. It Will never be 100% at all temperatures outside . But it can be real close.