radiators gurgling

theinkman52

I have installed baseboard steam radiators years ago on a remodel downstairs my system is a one pipe and over 100 years old had the boiler serviced and then problems with pipe banging and water spitting from vari vent valves one was gurgling i opened the valve which i thought to let more air out because the radiatior was half hot it is 8 feet long it then started to push out a lot of water any ideas thanks

Big Ed_4

Baseboard on a steam system should be installed two pipe .. Normal mistake .

ethicalpaul

Reverse your thinking. Do not make a vent larger because the radiator is half hot.

What you've done is increase the steam velocity in this sub-optimal (as big ed correctly indicates) implementation.

You must also make sure you have dry steam in your system (as determined primarily by your near-boiler piping) in order to get success.

Jamie Hall

Also be sure that the inlet valve is fully open.

That said, finned baseboard on one pipe steam is very very difficult to get to behave properly. The baseboard pipe must have a lot of pitch -- that 8 footer you mention needs at least an inch, end to end, and two inches would not be too much at all -- and a slow vent. Much better if you could pitch it the other way and put a return dropping to a wet return below, with a vent on that.