One Slow Radiator??????

Jeff_130

Oh Wise Ones-

I have one radiator that is very slow to heat... and will not heat all the way across even when I remove the air vent.  To make things worse it is the one in my 7 year old daughter's room.

I pulled the radiator the other day and ran a dowel thru to the far end to make sure that it isn't blocked.  I've also did the calculations and sized the vent (Gorton D) appropriately (I think).  I've vented the mains as well.  I'm getting steam to the rads at 20 mins and have much larger rads in the house that are both quicker to heat and heat further across... I'm stumped.

Happy Holidays.

Jeff

jpf321

another too fast?

as has been said on this board before .. it is possible to vent a rad too fast ..

have a look at the worksheet I developed and see if the D is appropriate.. you can download a copy here: http://www.ypgmedia.com/heatinghelp/heating_system_calculations.xls drop me a line directly if you need tech assistance with the sheet.

Patrick McGrath

tried a new thermostat? Heattimer varivalve?

Hi -

I had the same problem on one side of my house, and it turned out partly to be that my old thermostat was screwed up.  I replaced it with the Honeywell VisionPro TH8110U1003.  I got it from pexsupply.com for about $110 plus shipping, which is far cheaper than local stores ($175 in a small hardware store), and they don't seem to be available at Home Depot or Lowe's.  Suddenly, the house actually started balancing! 

As you had, my slowest rad had a Gorton D on it (I have Gortons all over my house now, and they have a chart on their website on how to set your home up), but it still wasn't fast enough to get it warm.  I ordered Dan's ebook on this site on balancing steam systems for $10, and I found that the Heattimer Varivalve was the fastest one available (faster in straight than angled, but I had to use angled).  It's really small, too, so it is good for tight spots.  Anyway, the rad will never be the fastest one in the house, but it now heats up well enough to keep the room warm.

The Honeywell helped a lot, too, as it cycles your system on and off once an hour.  The long cycle actually sends a good deal of steam through the system, so the whole gorton setup of valves worked great.  I have Gorton #2s for mains, one on my short main and two on my long one in a "menorah" fashion.  I was fortunate to have clearance for such a setup.

I asked for lots of help on this site, too - look to Nicolas Bonham Carter and Steamhead for help if you can.  I found a steam heat professional for the Rochester, NY area if that is of any help.

Good luck. 

nicholas bonham-carter

slow rad

if you tried the radiator with the vent off, then the constriction must be upstream. bear in mind that a sag in the main can allow condensate to pool, and restrict the steam. have a look below that room for any low spots, which really must be checked with a level.--nbc