cold steam heat radiators

jerry_25

I have a single pipe system. PSI set at 2.5 recently changed low water cut off. that helped abit. However, I still have two radiators at the end of the system that do ot heat more than 1 or 2 columns. All air vents have been replaced, all valves fully opened.The thermostat works and the room temp doesn't shut off the thermostat before the radiators in other rooms heat up. Radiator #1 in question sits at the end of a 32 ft. run of pipe, two feet before it is a pug in the pipe. Working back toward the boiler, At appx. 16 ft. there is a main vent type of vent. just before that vent there is a branch of pipe that takes off up stairs where another vent sits about three feet from the radiator. Neither of these 8 and 12 column radiators heat up more than two colunms and the rooms are cold. Could the main vent tpye vents be the problem? When I remove the vents on the radiators cold are does flow out. The supply valve pipes do get hot. One time we had a water backflow, so that is why I was wondering about the vents on the runs of pipe.
Thanks.

Brad White_203

Some thoughts

Hi Jerry

Firstly, your pressure could and should be lower, see if you can drop it a pound.

Now, that plug in the main? May well have once contained a vent, a main vent, one designed to do what your lagging radiators are trying to do. I suggest uncapping it and installing a proper vent, at least 6 inches above the main.

The size of your mains might be well served by a Gorton #2 or a pair of Gorton #1's by my estimation.

If the venting is not generous, it may well be that the burner is shutting down on pressure (even that high) and the steam gains to that radiator are temporarily lost.

Remember, the goal is for all radiators to heat at the same time. If these lag, then the others either need to gobble less, or the end ones gobble more.

mark ransley

Whose radiator vents do you use, Dole has an adjustable, Gorton are numbered, In an apt on some radiators far from boiler I need even double vents, Balancing a system takes time and the use of different vents. I try to start with Gorton 4 then change cold radiators to larger sizes. Return vents could also be bad. Are Radiators angled up, raised,to drain back to the feed, carper installers, floor refinishers forget this and leave them level.

Leigh Estelle

Banging, claning, pipes that wake us up at night

Hi,
What can we do to decrease the baning and claning our pipes are making? It is waking up my family at night. We have been in our house for 6 years and have never had this problem to the point of what it is doing this heating season. We need to sleep!!! Please help.
Thank you,
Leigh Estelle

[Deleted User]

Hi- It would help a lot if you could give us more information. Is it a one pipe or two pipe system? When does the "clanging & banging" happen? Is it when the boiler first heats or in the middle of the heating cycle? or at the end of the heating cycle? Has anyone worked on the boiler since last winter and if so what was done?

EasilyFound_2

You Need Your Own Post

You are more likely to get replies to your question if you put it in its own post with an approprite subject heading. Your's is lost here.

nicholas bonham-carter

clangin',n bangin'

i strongly advise you to get a copy of "the lost art of steam heating" from this website. reading that, and asking questions here, will enable you to diagnose [and sometimes repair your system yourself!]
as suggested please start your own posting under a new heading and include the following information:
make and capacity of boiler
type of system-steam[1-pipe or 2pipe], water
if any work has been done lately.
the information on this site is invaluable, and comes from a combined total of 600 years of cumulative hydronic knowledge.support for this site comes mainly from sales of books so get your copy today!--nbc