Water rushing sound in radiator

cmd

Let me start by saying I don't really know much about steam heating and I am not the most handy person in the world.  I live in a townhouse with about 10 radiators and everything is working fine but the one in the bedroom is incredibly noisy.  Once or twice a night there is the sound of water rushing through it, I feel like I am standing next to Niagara Falls.  It lasts for about 10-20 minutes.



I looked around a bit and it seems like I should bleed it but it has a varivalve on it and I don't know how to bleed it if one of those is on there.  Isn't that supposed to take care of that?  Should the valve be all the way open?  All the way closed?  In the middle?



Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Steamhead

You don't "bleed" steam radiators

they do that on their own.



First check to see if the shutoff valve on that radiator is all the way open. It should be, otherwise water will back up in the radiator and cause the noise.



Then try closing the Vari-valve slightly. This will slow down the air release from the radiator, so the steam won't enter so fast. This can also cause water to back up.