Radiators only hot halfway through?

jtanevismom06

I have a question about my steam heating system. When I turn the heat on the radiators in most of the rooms only get hot about halfway the rest of it stays ICE COLD! I have no idea what the cause of this is and any sugesstions would be helpful. Thank you.

Joe V_2

It could be

clogged vent(s)

thermostat

Boiler control issue

If you are not familiar with boilers, or at least technically inclined enough to troubleshoot, you may want to consider calling in a service tech.  It will be the least expensive yet most expeditious and safest route to take. 

 

BobC

radiators not heating fully

Does the heating system satisfy the thermostat and does the house heat up? How did the system perform last year during the cold? During weather like this radiators will often not heat all the way across because it is cool but not really cold out.



I agree with what Joe V said about possible issues and that calling a good steam man might be your best bet if your not familiar with the system. If you do call someone in watch what he does and learn. Also if you look under the SHOP heading of this web page you will find some books offered for sale. If you are new to steam you should look at -



http://www.heatinghelp.com/products/Books/5/61/We-Got-Steam-Heat-A-Homeowners-Guide-to-Peaceful-Coexistence



That book will give you a good understanding of steam heat. Then you can look at "Greening Steam" and "The lost Art of Steam Heat" if you want a deeper understanding of the system.



Bob

Jamie Hall

Half hot...

as BobC kind of implies, the first question to ask is -- do you have a problem?  A steam radiator will start heating at the inlet end, usually at the top.  As the boiler runs, further sections across will get hot, and the heat will progress down the radiator.  In a correctly operating system, this will keep going until either the whole radiator is hot -- or the thermostat is happy and the boiler shuts off, whichever comes first.



The question then is: do the radiators tend to do this more or less together?  (No matter how good your system is, the ones closer to the boiler will tend to heat a little faster than the ones farther away, but you really shouldn't have some which are hot all the way across while others are still stone cold, unless you want it that way).  And, if so, does the heating system supply enough heat for the various spaces?  If it does, you don't have a problem -- it's normal!



On the other hand, if there are some radiators which just don't get hot, even though the boiler is still running and the space is chilly, then you do have a problem in getting steam to them.  You don't say whether this is a one pipe or a two pipe system.  In a one pipe system, this could be a bad (stuck closed oe partly closed) vent on the radiator.  In a two pipe system, it could be that the valve is partly (or almost completely) closed, or that the radiator trap is stuck closed (assuming that it is the sort of system with traps).  In either type of system, it could be related to inadequate venting on the steam mains -- or to a boiler which is too small (although that usually results in practically no heat at all!).



But before you start fixing things, be sure that what you're seeing isn't normal.