Thermostatic radiator valve install

Dave_22

In one of your other posts you asked if you could adjust the vent valve- you can adjust it and I would before I spent the money for another valve. Close it to stop heat to that room, open all the way for max heat-try to find a medium setting.

John Harvey

Basic questions on installing a thermostatic radiator valve

I'm an apartment owner in a 1930s era apartment building with steam radiators. Our bedroom is significantly overheated, so I'd like to install a thermostatic radiator valve. However, I don't really know what I need to know to make the right product choice and whether or not I can install the valve myself. My super is happy to help me out, but he's never worked with these valves before either.

Here's what I do know:

1) I think (based on the radiator's behavior) that I have one pipe steam heat but I don't know how to verify this
2) Each radiator is mounted inside a metal casing, so I know I need an external sensor to measure temperature

Can someone give me some basics?

Thanks,
John

Bob W._3

You might not need a TRV. First, is there only 1 pipe to each radiator? If so, its one pipe steam. Second, what is the make and model of the vent in the radiator that overheats? Perhaps you could install a Hoffman 1A, a good quality adjustable vent, and try that first. If it doesn't throttle the heat enough then get a TRV.

BTW, I think one pipe TRV controls mount directly on the TRV valve assembly. There are remote TRV controls, but I've only seen them for hot water. The major brands are Danfoss, Macon, Taco and Honeywell-Braukman. I have four of the latter on backorder right now.

John Harvey

Finally got the answers. It is a 1 pipe system. Our vent is a Hoffman 1/4" "43 air valve". I'm not as familiar with vents, but I know that our bedroom has one and we've still had problems with overheating. Is there a way to adjust the vent?

Brad White_9

TRV Vent Valves

are available. They intercept the vent (screw into the radiator vent tapping) and the vent in turn screws into the valve body. A thermostatic head slows the air path to the vent in response to room temperature. The best ones are made by Macon and Danfoss; what is key is that they need to have vacuum breakers which allows the air to get back in (to let the condensate out). No fussing with the steam-side this way.

DWood

One Pipe Steam

I've attached the Danfoss data sheet for our one pipe steam valve which has the built in vacuum breaker. If your rads are in a cabinet, you will require a remote sensing operator to get proper control, any of our RA 2000 operators will fit the one pipe steam vavle. A couple of things to be aware of, the steam pressure should be as low as possible, usually in ounces instead of pounds, definitly lower than 2 psi. It is necessary for the boiler to cycle down to 0 psi at least once an hour to allow air back into the system, if the air doesn't get back into the system, the one pipe steam valve will not control temperature. The Danfoss one pipe steam valve must be installed with the vent at the 12 o'clock position for the vacuum breaker to work and you will need a straight shank vent, not an angle like you currently have.
Hope this helps and good luck.
DWood

John Harvey

Confirming configuration

Thanks for the information. I have a couple questions regarding installation.

If I've read this correctly, the thermostatic valve goes between the radiator unit and a "normal" air vent. Given this, is it safe to install the unit just by turning off the heat via the manual dial at the base of the radiator and waiting for the unit to cool? Or will there remain a steam pressure risk?

Another question comes from the Danfoss data sheet. What is the difference between a convetor and an enclosed radiator? Does an enclosed radiator imply two pipe heat?

I'll do some digging on the steam pressure.

Regards,
John

John Harvey

One last question

I live in NYC. How can I get pricing on the valves as well as ordering information?

DWood

safe

If the manual vavle on the inlet of the radiator works, you can safely use it as a shut off and replace the vent with the one pipe steam vavle and new vent. In older systems and as a one pipe steam system, your's is, many of these old vavles don't work for one reason or another.
The difference between a convector and an enclosed radiator is the cover for the radiator is an add on or field built encloser while the convector is a factory enclosure. You can get infomation on the Danfoss 1 ps from your local supply house or contact our local representative, Wallace Ennis in Plainview.
Good luck.
DWood