One cold steam radiator

nicholas bonham-carter

maybe a 5 dollar solution could be even more effective:4 quarters under the valve end and 6 under the upstream end. i am just thinking that, so often both ends have sunk a bit.--nbc

Chris Bain

One cold steam radiator

I'm in a 2nd floor room of a 2 story house with a gas fed one pipe steam system that works very well, with the exception of one of the rads. The pipe that comes up through the floor is hot as a pistol, the valve looks pretty new, and is hot, and the 8" of piping connecting the valve and the rad (8" then into 2 elbows) are hot right up to the rad itself. The vent is new, and even if I remove it, the big old rad itself doesn't get hot, though it's gurlging continuously as if its breathing. The rad is level, maybe pitched correctly by 1 degree, so I'm wondering if this could just be a question of propping up that end of it a bit more? Or is it more likely to be some sludge or something in the bottom of the radiator itself? Is there any harm in leaving the vent off while I figure this out? Anything else I can test myself? Thanks in advance for anyones thoughts.

Jon Held_2

Don't go by your eyeballs. Put a level on that rad. It needs to be pitched back towards the shut off valve slightly so the condensate can travel back to the boiler.

Unknown

In a single pipe steam system, a radiator needs more than a 1 degree pitch towards the intake pipe. I use 1/4 -3/8 " shims under one end to slope mine properly. As Jon mentioned check the pitch with a bubble level. I found though several of my radiators visibly looked like they had a lot of pitch, that they actually didn't due to the fact that the house had settled.

Also make sure the radiator supply valve is fully opened. They work either fully open or fully closed. Anything in between can cause problems.

Chris Bain

Used a level

When I originally used a level it was barely pitched... in fact if I built something that level I'd certainly be in the "Good Enough" category... so now I've shimmed it and it's starting to warm.... it seems to be doing the trick!

Unknown

Sometimes the old radiators develop a "sag" in the middle and this requires a little more slope so that they drain fully.

Can't say I blame them. I'm half the age of most of my radiators and am already developing "sags"!

Mark Eatherton

The two dollar solution...

Take 4 quarters, and super glue them together, in a stacked manner.

Do it again.

Let them set up well.

Lift up the non valved end of the radiator using a fulcrum, and place the stack of quarters under the legs of the radiators, and you have yourself a $2.00 pitch!

Over the years, due to continual expansion and contraction, the legs "saw" their way into the hardwood floors, and you lose the original pitch.

ME

Mark Eatherton

The good thing about change...

is that it can be spread around...

A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to get 'er done :-)

ME