Air vent question

ansky

I have a Hoffman HS-115 air vent. <a href="http://www.bellgossett.com/literature/files/7245.pdf">http://www.bellgossett.com/literature/files/7245.pdf</a>



The instructions say to vent air automatically, I should turn the knob clockwise until it seats completely. Does this mean the knob should be about halfway between Manual and Automatic? If I turn the knob completely clockwise it closes up the vent and the radiator doesn't heat.

nicholas bonham-carter

air vent

is your system steam or hot water? that appears to be a vent for a hot water radiator, which will not work on steam. if you have a hot water system, then i suggest you repost on "the wall", and not in "strictly steam".--nbc

crash2009

Ansky, you have a steam system don't you?

 That vent is for a hot water system.  Can you post a picture of where you are installing it?  Maybe we can help you figure out what is the correct vent to put there.

ansky

Two-pipe

Yes, I am using a steam system. I'm using the Hoffman vents at the end of each two-pipe baseboard radiator. My heating guy put these vents on. He thinks the system was once hot water that was later converted to steam. So I have one 13-foot baseboard and another 10-foot baseboard - both are two-pipe with a steam trap at the bottom end of the radiator, and the hoffman vent at the top end of the radiator. The vents do seem to work ok. Problem is, if I turn the vent completely towards the 'Automatic' setting it takes forever for the rads to heat up. I'm finding they work best if I turn the knob just a bit.



I attached a picture of the type of rad I'm talking about. If you look in the picture, the bottom hole on the right goes to the steam trap and the top hole on the right has the vent attached. Is it normal for these rads to take about 10 minutes to heat up (once the supply end starts receiving steam)? Is there a better type of vent I should be using?