Water pooling in radiator and squirting out of air vent!!

TheBeholder1805

I'm a tenant on the second floor of a pretty old building. We have steam radiators in 4 of the rooms. About a month ago water started squirting out of the air vent of one of the radiators. I turned off the valve (since the occupant of that room complained it was always too hot anyways) and forgot about it. Fast forward to about 30 minutes ago and suddenly I wake up to the sound of my bedroom's radiator squirting water out from the air vent (this is a different room from the one that previously squirted water, which still has the valve closed). I turned off the valve but after a few minutes, the valve started leaking (dripping once per second or so). After the heating cycle ended I opened the valve again and I could hear a sound from the valve that sounded like water draining out of the radiator. After a couple of minutes the draining sound stopped, as did the drip from the valve. It appears to me to be a single-line system. So far as I can tell these are not new vents and have been functioning just fine for years. What do I need to do? Replace the air vents with slower ones? Talk to my super? A picture of the radiator is attached. Thanks everybody! I'm really new to these steam systems and any help would be appreciated.

On a possibly related note, yesterday was our first big snow of the season and tonight it's dropped into the 'teens for maybe the second time this season.

JohnNY

Water spitting out of a radiator is most often a symptom of a systemic problem and not an issue with the radiator or air vent itself.
It's more likely you've got a main pipe that is holding water for one reason or another: back pitched pipe, clogged return, excessive pressure, etc.
It's always fixable.
You've just got to find two things:
1. someone capable of identifying the problem
2. someone willing to pay for the repair

Good luck to you.

BobC

That looks like a Hoffman 40 vent, they are usually a very good vent but nothing lasts forever. Use a level and make sure that radiator has some pitch so water can drain back to the boiler. The vent end might need to be shimmed up to get good drainage.

How far from the boiler, do you know if any of your neighbors are having this problem? The buildings steam pressure may be too high. Tell the super about the problem and see what he says, it could be many things but as a renter there is only so much you can do.

Bob

MilanD

If your valve is still closed, you are possibly waterlogging the radiator. Old valves won't seat 100% and with each heating cycle, steam will push in but the condensate won't drain out. Eventually, water will be at vent level and next steam cycle will pish water oit of the vent like the Old Glory.

Turn off the system, and when pressure dropps to 0, open the radiator supply valve at that radiator all the way. Water should drain out. Take the vent off, shake any excess water out of it, blow through it pointing down. Of it closes, it's probably still ok, but do get a replacement to have just in case.

If rad is too hot, throw a blanket over it, but.leave the valve on.

MilanD

Oh, and call your landlord.

TheBeholder1805

Ok, thanks everybody! I didn't know I could put a blanket on the radiator. I thought it would burn the blanket and maybe start a fire. The situation seems to be under control right now so I'll wait till tomorrow to talk to the super when he gets in.

MilanD

Anything with a flash point above 212 degrees, plus 50 for good measure, will arrest the radiation. Essentially, you are insulating the radiator. Heck, you can use a large card board box and cover it whole, or some part of it, to dial down the heat output. Paiting rad with sivler or gold metalic paint (after system is off, like next summer) will also reduce btu output by 20%.

MilanD

Here is a thread just now discussing this very thing, designed by one very smart guy, and his solution that's taking off in NYC.

http://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/160675/this-is-a-silly-idea

Fred

If you want to shut that radiator off, until you get the landlord to fix the problem (which most likely is a system problem and not at your radiator) leave the supply valve fully open so any water can drain but turn the vent upside down. That will close the vent holding air in the radiator and preventing steam from getting in. The first section or two may still get warm to hot but that's it.

Steamhead

MilanD said:

.......Eventually, water will be at vent level and next steam cycle will pish water oit of the vent like the Old Glory.

You mean "Old Faithful"?

TheBeholder1805

Is it possible this could have been caused by an apparently-misguided attempt to control the temperature by having the valve half-closed?

MilanD

@Steamhead

Faithful, yes... Lol...

MilanD

@Fred I always forget to mention this trick, and currently have 2 rads on a single riser dripping somewhere in a wall that I did this "flip the vent" thing on. This is a great way to turn off the rad.