Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

radiator vent flow rate

dabrakeman
dabrakeman Member Posts: 594
in Strictly Steam
Which has a lower flow rate, a Hoffman 1A set on low ('1") or a Maid-O-Mist with a #4 orifice.

Basically I am looking for the slowest venting radiator valve I can find. Welcome anyone's input that has data.

Comments

  • Dan_NJ
    Dan_NJ Member Posts: 254
    Check out the chart here:
    https://heatinghelp.com/systems-help-center/balancing-steam-systems-using-a-vent-capacity-chart
  • Gsmith
    Gsmith Member Posts: 439
    Vent rite #1, adjustable. Can get down to very very slow, and easily adjustable
    ksd99
  • Dan_NJ
    Dan_NJ Member Posts: 254
    I have to agree, Ventrite #1 is the best I've found for adjustable. I've used them all - Dole 1A, No-name, Vari-vent and Hoffman 1A and settled on Ventrite (mainly becuase you can't get Dole 1A anymore).
  • dabrakeman
    dabrakeman Member Posts: 594
    Wow. Thank you Dan. What an impressive comprehensive study of the vent rates. I will be sure to bookmark this.

    From the table Gary it looks like I would agree, the Ventrite #1 may be best in that it also basically can be closed off. May be able to find a setting that behaves then like even a smaller orifice than the #2 setting. The non-linear results at 1oz pressure are a bit perplexing and I wonder how repeatable that data is.

  • Gsmith
    Gsmith Member Posts: 439
    sometimes its easy to overanalyze. Try it, adjust for your desired comfort in the space, that's way more important and any other measure.
  • dabrakeman
    dabrakeman Member Posts: 594
    Yes, but even with two different Hoffman 1A's set at the lowest setting the bedroom during this cold snap (below zero) heats up to over 70F. Unbearably hot for us. Hopefully I will be able to throttle down further with the Ventrite.
  • SteamingatMohawk
    SteamingatMohawk Member Posts: 1,025
    VentRite #1 is the only one in the chart that is OFF (setting #1).
  • dabrakeman
    dabrakeman Member Posts: 594
    DIY is sometimes best. Clipped the edge of a vinyl washer and used a standard electrical wall plate screw and this setup gave me fine enough control on the orifice size to find that perfect setting between fully closed and 1 on the Hoffman 1a valve.
    Photo attached.
  • gfrbrookline
    gfrbrookline Member Posts: 753
    You would be better off long term with a vent rite #1 as that screw will rust or crud up quickly. It is not designed to interact with moisture.
  • dabrakeman
    dabrakeman Member Posts: 594
    Can get #6/32 in stainless.
  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
    why not a thermostatic radiator vent?
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

    SuperTech
  • dabrakeman
    dabrakeman Member Posts: 594
    Thermostatic vent would certainly be a logical approach however it has cost and install associated with it with still some level of risk as to whether it could truly control to a low enough level for my specific situation. I will give them some thought but right now this simple method that I am using works. Basically I get 0-1 sections of heat to the radiator on most normal winter days and 1 - 4 sections of heat on the coldest longer cycling nights (10 section rad).
  • delta T
    delta T Member Posts: 884
    With a thermostatic vent, the vent will not open at all unless the room is below the setpoint, and installation is pretty much the same as a standard vent.
  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
    Still n to put a slow vent on it so the system remains relatively balanced when it is open. can still use a MoM or Gorton #4. I have them on all my thermostatic vents.

  • dabrakeman
    dabrakeman Member Posts: 594
    Don't get me wrong these thermostatic vents have been proven to work very effectively in a lot of similar situations and your suggestion I believe is a very valid one. My main point for posting the last post was just to show that sometimes there are very simple solutions at near zero cost that can also work.

    Not sure if I might have a bit of a space limitation as well for that type of valve. I only have about 4" between the wall and the end of the radiator. Sounds like they should have a vacuum relief as well and the only one I could quickly find that has such was a Taco that was almost $140. Would you have a brand suggestion?

Categories