balancing steam radiators

Raj

I'm using Gorton air vents on my radiators:

1)If I use a slower vent in one of my upstairs bedrooms that tends to be warm room on its own, am I forcing more steam into the other radiators upstairs b/c less is making its way into it the one I slowed down?

2)If I use a fast vent like a Gorton D,C,or #6 on a radiator in a colder room, can it result in TOO fast a venting that leads to the radiators over-heating and starting to make a knocking noise b/c they're warming all the way across before the thermostat downstairs shuts off the boiler?

Thanks in advance for any input.

nicholas bonham-carter

radiator speed

remember the vents can only control the speed of steam arrival. once the steam is in the radiator; the vent, having done its job, has no control over the steam.
so you can only slow down the start of the radiator warming up with different capacity of vents.
if this is quite an old house it is possible that the radiators were perfectly sized for the rooms. if they get too hot then i would look at your system pressure, which should be under 16 oz.--nbc

Brad White_191

Some thoughts...

Instead of a slower vent on a room that is too warm on it's own, I would opt for a thermostatic radiator valve (Macon OPSK is one brand I like). That will solve the overheating issue in that if the room is satisfied, it will slow or stop the venting. The vent should be an appropriate vent, but a slower one in your case cannot hurt I suppose, if it works now.

Yes, in so doing, it will "force" steam to other radiators, but more accurately, it will at least force that radiator to not contribute to condensing and lowering the pressure system-wide.

In the case of using a faster vent in a colder room, I assume you mean that it is cold because it lags behind in the heating race? Or is the radiator under-sized?

The goal is not to speed or slow any particular radiator relative to the others, but to have them all get hot at the same time. Start from that perspective and have them all cross the finish line as a team.

Keith_13

Use the Hoffman #1A vents. They will make your life a lot easier.