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Please Help! Need advice re: Freezing Kitchen

Petey Pete
Petey Pete Member Posts: 13
So how did you make out?
What was the verdict?

Comments

  • Ellis Richman
    Ellis Richman Member Posts: 22
    HELP! Our Kitchen is FREEZING! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Please Help!

    We have a Gorton one-pipe steam system, running very well after a professional tweaking of the system a year ago. All our valves are vent-rite, all about a year old.

    This morning, our kitchen/family room was “freezing;” all the radiators in the home are working well and this one large radiator is ice-cold.

    I thought maybe the vent-rite valve is stuck, so I boiled it a few minutes in vinegar, and re-installed the vent-rite. Still no steam. Tried another valve, still no steam entry.

    Checked the main supply valve on the radiator (it’s a Gorton) and the position is on full open.

    Can anyone please help with a suggestion for me to try? The pro I used has been unable to get back to me yet, and our kitchen is really cold for our infant to be in.

    THANK YOU!

    Ellis
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,162
    brr

    is there any possibility -- I'm not sure where you live -- that the pipe to the radiator froze in some way? I've had that happen on two pipe systems, at the traps in very cold rooms. When it does, no heat, and you have to use an electric heater to thaw the blockage
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Petey Pete
    Petey Pete Member Posts: 13
    Freezing in Kitchen

    To eliminate the possibility of a bad air vent, simpily remove vent from radiator while system is running to see if the radiator heats up. If so then install a new air vent. If the radiator does not heat up then it could be possibly a blockage somewhere. But it sounds like a vent problem if it was just working recently
  • kevin coppinger_4
    kevin coppinger_4 Member Posts: 2,124
    are all..

    of the pipes to the rad insulated...by chance is the valves either shut off or has it broken to the point that it won't pass steam...kpc

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  • Ellis Richman
    Ellis Richman Member Posts: 22


    thanks Jamie; I'm in MD, and it's possible they froze, but they are properly insulated. It's pretty cold in that crawlspace and I'll check that out too. Appreciate the response! Ellis
  • Ellis Richman
    Ellis Richman Member Posts: 22


    thanks Pete; I'll check this out right away, but i changed the valve to another valve with no luck so far. Appreciate the help though. Ellis
  • Ellis Richman
    Ellis Richman Member Posts: 22


    not sure kevin; i'll go in the crawl space and check that out. thank you for your response! ellis
  • Steamhead (in transit)
    Steamhead (in transit) Member Posts: 6,688
    I talked to Mr. Richman this evening

    we'll be going to see him sometime this week. It sounds like wet steam- the boiler water is filthy.

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  • Petey Pete
    Petey Pete Member Posts: 13
    Outcome?

    > thanks Pete; I'll check this out right away, but

    > i changed the valve to another valve with no luck

    > so far. Appreciate the help though. Ellis



    So how did you make out?
    What was the verdict?
  • kevin coppinger_4
    kevin coppinger_4 Member Posts: 2,124
    Ellis buddy...

    you are lucky to get Steamhead to look at your system...one of the best! Keep us updated please...kpc

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  • Ellis Richman
    Ellis Richman Member Posts: 22
    Outcome resolution

    Thank you all for your suggestions. Steamhead and Gordon arriived today; They are indeed at the epitome of thier field. They had to replace the electronic water-filling regulating mechanism and the pressure device, but the main problem turned out to be a boiler that had not been cleaned in over ten years that had clogged the pipes. After fitting the new electronics and a good drainging over and over to clear the system, a few extra tweaks and the system works better than ever. All radiators are heating evenly now, and the room temperatures are excellent. A very special thanks to team All Steamed Up for coming to the rescue of my family. It's cold out there tonight! Best to all, Ellis
  • Ellis Richman
    Ellis Richman Member Posts: 22
    resolution

    Thank you all for your suggestions. Steamhead and Gordon arriived today; They are indeed at the epitome of thier field. They had to replace the electronic water-filling regulating mechanism and the pressure device, but the main problem turned out to be a boiler that had not been cleaned in over ten years that had clogged the pipes. After fitting the new electronics and a good drainging over and over to clear the system, a few extra tweaks and the system works better than ever. All radiators are heating evenly now, and the room temperatures are excellent. A very special thanks to team All Steamed Up for coming to the rescue of my family. It's cold out there tonight! Best to all, Ellis
  • Tombig_2
    Tombig_2 Member Posts: 231
    Gunkbusters!

    Ten years is an awful long time for a steamer to go unserviced. Even if an HO is religious about blowing down the LWCO the water jacket and returns still need to be flushed annually. Best to be done by a pro who knows what he's seeing come out of there.

    To all you air scorchers out there. Close to 90% of service calls could have been avoided with regular filter changes. It's kinda funny to go on a call with a filthy blower compartment, hi-limit failure, and a brand new filter in the rack. The clogged filter is out of the basement, out of the house, and on it's way to the dump by the time the service tech arrives becouse the HO's too embarrassed for the tech to see it. An ounce of prevention...
  • Steamhead (in transit)
    Steamhead (in transit) Member Posts: 6,688
    Thanks for the kind words, Ellis

    this is "what we do", so they mean a lot.

    Clarification- the cold radiators were the result of a partially flooded system. The rads in question were at the end of the long steam main. We replaced the probe-type low-water cutoff and the electric feeder valve, as both were almost ten years old. The feeder is a Hydrolevel VXT with the counter display that shows how many gallons have been fed to the boiler. This unit has become our standard type of feeder. We also replaced the bypass valve around the feeder since it was a brand we know leaks sometimes.

    Then we flushed out the boiler, refilled and fired it four times to get the mud out of it. There was so much caked-on mud that the only way to loosen it was to fire the boiler again after flushing out the previous layer.

    It took a while, but Mr. Richman's Gorton One-Pipe Vapor System is back on line and keeping his family warm- just in time for the snow.

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  • kevin coppinger_4
    kevin coppinger_4 Member Posts: 2,124
  • Steamhead (in transit)
    Steamhead (in transit) Member Posts: 6,688
    Nope

    we avoid these if at all possible, since most of them require that you flush them out completely after use. This can be difficult if some of the stuff gets out into the system.

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This discussion has been closed.