Macon TRV not allowing heat

BJP

I recently installed 3 MACON OPSK TRVs in one of my residents apartments. All three radiators are barely producing any heat. The valve is hot, so steam is reaching the unit, but it seems that the vent is not releasing pressure to allow the steam to enter the actual radiator. The vent has a vacuum breaker on it and the thermostat is turned up to 9. Was there a possible mistake I made during the install?

ChrisJ

The TRV body is hot but the radiator isn't?

This is single pipe steam?

Can you share some pictures of the installs?

BJP

Yes single pipe. Thermostatic vent is not hot, but the valve is. I'll get some pics when the resident returns

BJP

Here are some pics of the install

Jamie Hall

I would troubleshoot this way...

First, make sure that the steam inlet valve is really and truly all the way open. Oriented horizontal like that, it isn't likely that the seat is the problem -- even if the seal fell off, it should allow some steam to pass!

Second, take the TRV back off and blow through it (really!). If it's cold, and set to provide heat, air should pass freely. If it doesn't, there's a problem with the valve.

Third, put a known good angle vent that elbow on the radiator (I'd suggest just leaving the whole assembly off, but in an apartment... no. Because you'd have to run down to the boiler to shut it off which would take too long if steam showed up.) Run the boiler. See what happens when the boiler fires.

KC_Jones

Uh this is easy, that’s never going to work...ever.

The thermostat that is intended to read the room temperature is inside the convector housing.  I would speculate the valve is giving enough heat into the cabinet to keep the TRV closed all the time.

You need a remote actuator, I don’t know if Macon makes those, as I’m not familiar with their products.  I do know Danfoss makes remote actuators to work with their TRV vent.

ChrisJ

Macon has all kinds of options including a direct mount operator with a remote sensor.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@BJP
Check wit Tunstall Associates or your Macon supplier.

Tunstalls # is 1-800-423-5578 @KC_Jones is correct about needing a remote operator

BJP

@KC_Jones @EBEBRATT-Ed @Jaime Hall @ChrisJ Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I just went by their apartment as they asked me to remove the TRV for now and reinstall the old Hoffman vents. One thing I noticed when I removed the TRV assembly was that the vent was full of water. Is that normal or could that be a sign of an issue?

KC_Jones

BJP said:

@KC_Jones @EBEBRATT-Ed @Jaime Hall @ChrisJ Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I just went by their apartment as they asked me to remove the TRV for now and reinstall the old Hoffman vents. One thing I noticed when I removed the TRV assembly was that the vent was full of water. Is that normal or could that be a sign of an issue?

Getting water into a vent is not uncommon, the system has water (steam) in it after all. That said if it had a measurable amount of water after a short install time that suggests something else could be going on, either wet steam, or improper pitch causing water to pool somewhere.

Was the water in the actual vent, or in the TRV body? Water up in that vertical vent would be kind of weird to me.

BJP

@KC_Jones Water was in both the vertical vent as well as in the TRV body. I had to remove the vent first in order to remove the rest of the body. When I did water poured out. It seemed like a lot to me, enough to stop air from passing through. The TRV has only been on the radiator for a few weeks.

KC_Jones

Who's idea was the TRV, and what specific problem was trying to be fixed?

Indications are some system issues here that may need to be looked at. There shouldn't be significant water in the vents with the system working properly.

BJP

@KC_Jones The resident asked for the TRV to be installed because they felt it was too hot in the apartment with the heat on. We do not have any other issues in the building such as banging radiators or risers. The floor under one of the radiators has rot away so that corner of the radiator is a little lower, the radiator is generally pitched in the right direction though.

ethicalpaul

I'd put an old blanket over the convector

ChrisJ

BJP said:

@KC_Jones The resident asked for the TRV to be installed because they felt it was too hot in the apartment with the heat on. We do not have any other issues in the building such as banging radiators or risers. The floor under one of the radiators has rot away so that corner of the radiator is a little lower, the radiator is generally pitched in the right direction though.

So,
It was too hot in there, and then after the TRV which, was literally over the convector it was cold in there.

So, the proper remote operator would fix all the issues, no?

KC_Jones

To be clear, lack of banging doesn't mean everything is fine. Water of that volume and overheating do indicate a problem, at least enough indication I’d be doing a system evaluation.

The heat should be fairly even without a TRV. That is unless the building layout was changed dramatically from what was original.