Single Pipe Steam-4 Questions...

jOhn_225

All the radiator heats up.
I have 3 main vents on my mains.

jOhn_225

Single Pipe Steam-4 Questions...

Can someone please explain the cycle to steam and radiator.
1. Are the vents suppose to get hot first then the radiators or vice versa? What is normal? I ask b/c some radiators at the house, the vents got hot first then the radiators, and I have a radiator where vent is cold until all sections of the radiators get hot.
2. Per Dan's book, I know a hissing vent is trying to tell me something. I just replaced these vents with heat timers, do I risk damaging it while it gurgling with water?
3.If I pitched my radiators back towards the supply valve and checked it with level all the way across, why does the vents sounds like its gurgling?
4. Lastly, short of tapping my largest radiator, what do the pros recommend for the best venting? I have 1 heat timer in it, but it still hisses. Im guessing its not enough venting. Is there something with larger venting capacity then the heat timer? The radiator is about 62" long and 24" high. I dont have the column accounts, but i would say its about 35 columns.

Thanks in advance for your insights. I have been a looong time lurker on this forum and am still continuing to learn day in and day out.

Fred Harwood_2

Questions

A small, well-vented tube radiator may let steam quickly cross the bottom to the vent, which suggests that you may be overfired, or that radiator over-vented, or others under-vented, etc.
How closely does your boiler match your radiation, and what pressure do you have. Also, I assume that your mains are well vented and that you have even heat in most rooms?

David Nadle

Answers

1. If you have a vent that is mounted near the top of the radiator, sometimes the steam can run right across the top and close the vent before the rest of the radiator is full. That's why the vent should be mounted lower. Ideally the vent should be the last thing to get hot.

2. If your vents are hissing early in the heating cycle (as the air leaves) you don't have enough main venting. If they are hissing when hot and passing steam or gurgling, the first thing you should look at is your pressure limit and make sure its cutting out when it should. You are probably accumulating condensate in the radiators and it's getting pushed into the vents.

3. In my (very limited) experience if multiple radiators are gurgling you can't fix it by pitching. The problem probably lies elsewhere.

4. If the room with the big radiator is comfortable you shouldn't add too much venting. See #2 on whether to add more main vents.

jOhn_225

David, awesome. Thanks!
1.vents are on the toward the bottom of radiator, Dan suggest this on his book.
2.I will definately check my pressure.
3.Thanks!
4.Thanks!

Thanks again!