Steam heat 🔥 uneven heat.

steam2023

I know this is a common problem but here I go. I have Dan's book and have been tinkering with my system I have some rooms that don't get hot. Mostly it's one side of my system, the longer side. Thinking the issue was venting I replaced my main vent the long run has two large gorton main vents, the shorter side 1. The main now gets hotter quicker. I also put gorton valves on all my radiators in the house even put 4s on alot of the ones on the hotter side but still have the same problem of that side being nice and hot and the other side taking awhile to get to temp and only be hot ish. I have a boiler installed in 2017 was skimmed once when it was installed. Wondering if I need to do that again as it might be my steam quality? I moved a few radiators re piped them also and they work great, around when I re did my kitchen I did not skim after that... my heating guy said I did not have too. Just at a loss also have a baseray baseboard set in a 2 pipe steam loop off my boiler of that longer run that does not help my situation as that's probably 15 feet long which is too long I also replaced the vent on the end of that before the check valve. To be fair my hot side also is the side that goes straight up wondering if steam will want to go that way first? As a respiratory therapist I understand flow and airways resistance well and thought this would be not too hard to modify but it's the art of the dead men so was looking for more advice here. Also had a small vent on the hotter side on my main before condensate return  1/8 maid o mist (not sure why it's there) that started leaking brown water so I took it out. Did not seem to make a difference anyways as that side was venting ok. Alot of information here but just not sure what my best option is probably clean the boiler water but one would thing my sister would have balanced a bit better by now!

ethicalpaul

The most likely explanation to my mind is you have a "sag" or "low spot" in the pipes supplying steam to the "cold side" of your house. This low spot creates a "trap" that holds water which blocks steam flow to that area.

At the velocities and pressures of residential steam, the steam doesn't care about turning a corner vs going straight--it will go where the pressure is lowest.

To make the pressure lowest on your cold side, and just as a temporary test, remove a vent from your coldest radiator, turn up the thermostat, and watch and listen closely to that radiator.

Since your other radiators have a very small Gorton #4 vent hole, and this one now has a massive vent port, most or all of the steam should go there. Does it?

If not, keep watching and listening. Listen for "gurgling" or banging sounds. It might take awhile, like 30-60 minutes or more. Keep that thermostat cranked up and see if eventually steam does appear at this cold radiator.

If it does eventually appear (and it may take enough time to completely fill all of your "hot" radiators) what probably happened is that with the other vents closed, pressure started to rise and was finally able to push the air and then steam through the water trap. Eventually the water will be hot enough that it will let the steam pass and you may see it appear at your cold radiator.

If this test goes as described above, then you must find the low spot and have it rectified.