The radiators won't heat all the way across

Daniel_3

Did this happen suddenly or over time? I know that after I changed all the vents on my rads to varivalves that one smaller basboard burnham rad with 3 sections(on their website) had trouble heating all the way through but this was due to other vents being wide open on larger rads and the fact that this one rad was placed recently after a renovation on a 1" copper line(no no)by the PO's contractor off of a horizontal riser so hence the steam didn't want to go from high pressure to high pressure . . .I fixed the venting and it's much better. That gorton n0.4 is non-adjustable meaning you can't set the venting more open or more closed on it.

Tareq Hasan

THE RADIATORS WON'T HEAT ALL THE WAY ACROSS

It's a one-pipe radiator. Got new vent. Radiator's pitch ok. Radiator in the other room heat all the way across. Any idea how to troubleshoot this problem?
How buildup of sludge in the horizontal runout to the radiator's riser could be cleaned?

Thanks,
TH

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Is the space heated by that radiator underheated?

Daniel_3

What kind of vent? Could be a vacuum or like you said a buildup of corrosion in the radiator. Best way is to take it off the angle valve and remove the plug on the other side to look through , when it's cold of course. Vent would be the first check. I don't trust those non-adjustable ones from Home Cheapo, they're useless. It's quite possible that one rad is wide open while that trouble one is further from the main and the vent is partially closed. Could also be some things going on with the piping/sizing that I don't know much about. You'll find the answer here though . . .

Tareq Hasan

Yes, that room is underheated.

Tareq Hasan

I got Gorton D vent. This is a located on the second floor. It's a good size radiator with 12 column. Only first 2 column gets hot. This building got three floors. Even third floor radiators are working fine.

TH
Brockton, Mass.

Matt Undy

Could take off the vent temporarily and see if it heat all the way/ if steam makes it to the vent taping. Thgis would tell you if you simply need a bigger vent

The valve is wide open, right?

gary k

I have the same problem as TH, 18 col, 3 tube, only 4 sections heat, pitch ok, no inside crud build up, a gorton #1 on approx 25 ft long main, but having the air vent on or off (had gorton D, use hoffman #1) only 4 sections heat max. any suggestions? from Albany,NY it's 5 deg outside as I post this. thanks- GR

Daniel_3

You could try what Matt said about taking off the vent completely to see if steam makes it through all the way. Most problems could be due to lack of balanced venting, taking into consideration all the other rads in the residence, their size and location. I have an eighteen section 5 column at the very other end of the first floor from the boiler and it gets hot just as fast as all the other rads regardless of floor and their size. This was most likely due to the size of piping on my mains and that I have all adjustable venting. Pitch and angle valves are good plus the fact that I just installed this one in lieu of a 12 section moved to another room. I had removed all the reducing bushings and the plug at the far end and it was clean all the way through.