Please Help!: Radiator Stopped Heating

DanT

One Pipe Steam. Was one of the better (sooner) heating ones in the house. Dole 1a valve. Likely original.



It has been an extremely warm "winter" here in Michigan until last week we had a few days in the single digits. Some of the radiators that hadn't heated well sprung to life but this one stopped heating. I can also hear a distinct tapping or expansion type noise coming from it now.



THanks guys! My wife is freezing!



Dan

BobC

Probably clogged shut

Ar the other radiators on the system behaving normally?



Is that Dole air valve expelling air? Boiling a clogged vent in white vinegar for 20-30 minutes might well revive it, just make sure the system is off when you take it off and while it is removed from the radiator.



Old valves can and do fail, the easiest thing would be to try a new air valve and see if that works, good ones can be had for $25 or less.



Bob

Rod

Radiator Problems

Hi Dan- Follow Bob's advice. You could also swap the non working radiator's vent with a vent from a radiator that you know is working. (Don't do this unless the system has been turned off and the radiators cool -no steam inside!) If when swapped the radiator now works you know you have a bad vent. As Bob mentioned boiling the vent in vinegar may clear it out or you need to get a new vent.

Another possibility is that you need to  check the slope on the radiator. On a 1 pipe stream system the radiators should be slightly sloped towards the inlet pipe. This encourages the condensate (water) to leave the radiator and return to the boiler. Use a carpenter's bubble level to check this. I use quarters ($0.25) as shims and stack them under the feet of the radiator on the opposite end from the pipe.

- Rod

DanT

boiling valves

I thought boiling a valve like a dole 1a could damage it? WHat is a good replacement valve and where can I buy it? maybe a link? I am in Metro Detroit. I like that the dole is adjustable.



Thanks,

Dan

BobC

Won't hurt them

A Ventrite #1 is best and a Hoffman #1 is good but a bit finicky to adjust. The bigbox stores tend to sell the cheap Watts SVA which is Chinese junk but it will do untill you can get a new one.



Boiling the vent won't hurt anything except the plastic knob on the bottom of some adjustable vents. Soaking them in CLR overnight works but the boiling would be faster in your case.



Rod's advice on checking the level on the radiator is right on the money, I've had to shim a couple of mine over the years.



Bob

DanT

sizing vent

how do I determine the size of the vent. the most common I am seeing is 1/8".



Thanks so much for your help. I really can't thank you enough.



Dan