Steam system out of whack?

bob young

if the system is so unbalanced , you might consider individual thermostatic control valves.

Tony_44

Hi all - I am not an expert but am trying to learn about steam heat as I find there aren't many professionals who have been of help in my area. We have a 200 year old house with a single pipe steam system off a gas boiler. There are 5 radiators. The first radiator on the circuit is in the room with the thermostat. Even with the vent closed entirely, this radiator heats up and, when testing, there is about a 14 degree difference between the temp in this room and the room where the last radiator on the line is - whose vent is open all the way (and which does get warm eventually). When we set the heat to 70 degrees, the last radiator on the line doesn't even heat up. We actually have to shut the value altogether to get the system in any kind of balance, and even then the first radiator on the line gets warm. The vent is new, so I don't think that's the problem. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Unknown

I also have a 200 year old house and my steam system was messed up for years. I gave up on the local "experts" and found Dan's books and finally got my system straightened out. (See "A Steamy Deal" at the bottom of this page) I would very strongly suggest that you get them. Start with "We Got Steam Heat". Easy Reading and crammed full of facts and what you need to know to understand your system and get it running properly.

Steamhead (in transit)

Is there a vent

at the end of the steam main? If not, that's your problem. If so, it might be stuck shut or too small.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

David Nadle

Vent sizes

The books sold on this site will be immensely helpful.

As Steamhead said you need to have a large vent at the end of the mains so steam can fill the whole mains first. Then it will be available to each radiator at about the same time.

Also, the vent in the room with the thermostat should be one of the slowest if not the slowest. It sounds like you may have a fairly fast vent on there and a fairly slow one on the last radiator. Are they different? Have you tried swapping those two?

Tony_44

some more on my out of whack steam system ...

Thanks all for the responses - I'll try and answer the questions as best I can. First, I've heard of individual thermostatic controls but assumed they simply monitor the heat at the individual radiator level and then shut the vent off when the set temp is reached. Since I've already shut the vent as far as it can go I didn't think a thermostatic control would help. Is that not correct? In terms of whether the vent is fast or slow I don't really know - though they're are all the same make and of about the same age. They are 'Varivalve Quick Vents'. And yes, there is a vent at the end of the main - doesn't seem particularly big though. I have wondered if - after a malfunction of my pressure gage last year, which sent some gunk through the system and actually out some of the radiator vents (in the form of hot brown sludge) - that some of the radiator vents and/or the main vent have become clogged but I can still hear some whooshing from them and can feel cool air flowing out when they're open - so I'm still a little in the dark. Thanks much all!

David Nadle

Try turning the varivent all the way down on the hot rad and all the way open on the cold rad. I would pick up a few new vents to replace any that are in doubt. Post a pic of the main vent.

rich on heat

I would put a Gorton "D" vent on the cold radiator(s). Even wide open, the variable vent you have might not mach the venting rate of the Gorton. I put "D"s on my furthest upstairs radiators and it speed up their heating quite a bit.