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Is this a hot water radiator?

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maybeitssteve
maybeitssteve Member Posts: 6
in Strictly Steam
A person in my building has this radiator installed. It doesn't get very hot and so she complains about her apartment being cold, causing me to have to raise the thermostat and make all the other units too hot. It's a condo building, so I have no idea when the radiator was installed or by whom. I suspect the radiator is vented incorrectly. The steam goes right to the top of the radiator, so that the upper left-hand corner where the air vent is gets hot immediately, cutting off the vent and not allowing cold air in the body of the radiator to leave. Hence the radiator takes forever to heat up. Am I correct in that assessment? She is on the third (top) floor, but steam is getting to the radiator right away, it's just not filling up. I'm trying to convince her that the vent either needs to be installed lower or the radiator needs to be replaced. Please let me know if I'm on the right track or if you see anything else potentially wrong. Thanks so much in advance!



Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,662
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    That vent is in the tap for a bleeder if that radiator were set up for hot water. The radiator can be steam or hot water but the vent needs to be moved lower either by removing a plug or drilling and tapping a new hole.
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,739
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    I answered on your other thread, but yes whoever put that in vented it wrong. It can be fixed without replacing the entire radiator.

    There should be a small boss on the end that needs to be drilled and tapped for the 1/8" pipe threads. The top connection would then need a plug installed.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,662
    edited November 2019
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    I think that nipple and coupler is going to make the vent have trouble draining water as well, get rid of it when you move the vent.
  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
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    Moving the vent lower might help some, but if the sections are connected at the top, you'll notice that the whole radiator doesn't get hot. It will heat mostly the first section and the top, but the vent will still close before the radiator fills.
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,700
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    > @Hap_Hazzard said:
    > Moving the vent lower might help some, but if the sections are connected at the top, you'll notice that the whole radiator doesn't get hot. It will heat mostly the first section and the top, but the vent will still close before the radiator fills.

    All 10 of my radiators are connected across the top and I've seen every one of them fully heated and cooking.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
    Hap_Hazzard
  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
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    ChrisJ said:

    All 10 of my radiators are connected across the top and I've seen every one of them fully heated and cooking.

    That's good to hear. I suspect some of mine might be that way too, but they all heat adequately.
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,322
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    Only the earliest steam radiators were not connected across the top.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
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    > @Jamie Hall said:
    > Only the earliest steam radiators were not connected across the top.

    And they seem to work better. My 2 window radiators are the only ones that sometimes hiss at the vents.

    I think it happens on cycles where the main vents are still Hot and closed But air has entered the main after a cycle. Might be The downside of having upstairs and downstairs independently call for heating.

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