Whistling Steam Radiator System

Michelle_9

I've hear a lot about steam radiators making banging noises as but I have been unable to find anything on steam radiators that whistle in the night.
My landlord says there's nothing that can be done about this. Has anyone come across this before?

Al Hendrickson_36

Copper Tube

If you have single pipe steam, the problem could be that the radaitor vents are whistling when the boiler shuts off, the steam condenses, and air is drawn back into the system. Some brands of vents seem to be worse than others. I originally had Watts vents on my radiators and they almost screamed when the system went into vacuum. I cut some 3/8" long pieces of 1/2" copper tubing and placed over the little pip at the top of the vent. They fit loosely enough that they didn't interfere with venting, but disrupted the airflow enough thet the vents didn't whistle under vacuum.

I now have Heat Timer Varivalves and Hoffman vents on the bedroom radiators . . . a little more expensive but much quieter.

FJL

Happens to Me

Sometimes the vents whoosh when the boiler turns off, and it is definately from air being sucked into the vent. I have Gorton 6 valves. I assume this is normal and not a malfunction of the system.

Dale

vents

The fix is usually new and working main vents, all the air shouldn't be coming into the rads, only the riser and rad volume.