Changing pitch

subaru400

I have a weird 'frying' sound in the bottom of a 3rd floor radiator, so I'm guessing I need to tilt it more toward the valve (the pitch is currently about 2 degrees). What is the best device/technique to raise the vent end of this radiator that is recessed into a wall alcove such that there is only about 5" clearance on either side and back? I'm leery of using a bar to leverage it, for fear of compromising a joint or connection.

mikeg2015

Could also be the pipes on the lateral that connects it. Sometimes you need to no only pitch it, but also raise it entirely as some of hte connecting pipes are now lightly downhill. The laterals often make 2 or 3 turns off the main before a radiator so if any of those pipe nipples are horizontal or downhill, the pooled water will “sizzle”, especially I find on larger radiators. I had to raise mine almost 1” on the far end and 1/2” at the connection ot fix it. It’s a huge 500+ lb radiator so I had to use a hydraulic floor jack.

Hap_Hazzard

Sounds like a leak. Are you losing any water?

subaru400

Hap_Hazzard said:

Sounds like a leak. Are you losing any water?

Interesting. Yes I am, but I think the leak is under the basement floor at the other end of the house. No (visible) evidence of water anywhere near this radiator, nor the wall it runs down, nor the joint where it connects to the main...

gfrbrookline

I think @Hap_Hazzard is on the right track. The frying sound could be the steam burning off of a hot fitting. Try wrapping the floor valve in tissue paper through a heating cycle and see if it stains.

Hap_Hazzard

That's a good tip, @gfrbrookline. Try the same approach between the radiator sections too. Sometimes the push nipples between the sections go bad.

Fred

Is it a frying sound or a slight gurgle ? If it sounds more like a gurgle, it is likely water pooled in the radiator and increasing the pitch a little will fix that. Use a 2X4 for leverage to lift the vent end just a little. It doesn't take much so don't go crazy thinking you have to raise it a lot. Maybe a quarter inch or so more than it is currently.

ethicalpaul

I'm with @Fred. The sound is important. "Frying" or a high-pitched "sizzle" would be strange because our steam systems don't really get hot enough to make water sizzle like that.

gurgling with some small "popping" sounds would have me looking at pitch issues exactly as Fred described.

Hap_Hazzard

ethicalpaul said:

"Frying" or a high-pitched "sizzle" would be strange because our steam systems don't really get hot enough to make water sizzle like that.

Imagine water and steam being forced through a small gap, like the crack between two adjacent radiator sections. That would sound like a sizzle.

KC_Jones

Leaks on a steam system can be a challenge as people are always looking for water, that in many cases won't be there.

I've heard this "sizzling" on my system, it's basically steam/water coming through a tiny leak and it typically evaporates and never shows water. Need to catch it in the act and then act accordingly to fix it. In my case it was leaking valve packing.