Steam radiator vent replacement?

jesmed1

A friend rents a storefront in a 100-year old building downtown. The building takes up half a block and contains several storefronts on the ground floor, plus rental apartments on the second floor.

My friend says his store is always overheated and that he gets a lot of condensation on the windows. He's complained to the landlord, who shrugs and tells him that as long as there's heat, there's nothing he can do.

I'm wondering if one or more of the radiator vents are leaking, allowing steam into the room which then condenses on the window.

I think there are only one or two radiators in the store. Should I tell my friend to just replace those vents himself, since the landlord isn't going to do anything? I don't know whether or not the vents are leaking, but I figure it can't hurt to replace them. Or can it?

ethicalpaul

It should be easy for your friend to test the vents before deciding whether to replace them. Then there won't be wasted effort or money.

When the radiators are full of steam all the way across have him hold a spoon or small mirror around the vent to see if condensation forms on it. You know, like would happen when you breathe on it.

Or if he hears or sees the steam leaking then it's obvious. It can also leak from the valve on the supply pipe.

It can hurt to replace it, but harm is unlikely. Worst case the threads could strip or he could cross-thread the vent and have to call the landlord and admit his error.

Big Ed_4

I would always recommend a good float model vent , If tap is on the side of the radiator . Hoffman 1A which is adjustable ….

ethicalpaul

I thought you said a good float model vent 😅

(Sorry, that sounded mean and I didn't mean it to)

jesmed1

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1831090#Comment_1831090

OK, so a Hoffman 1A or a better alternative, which would be what?

And what advantage does adjustable have?

ethicalpaul

Well I like the mechanism in Maid O Mist or Gorton. But admittedly vent opinions are like earholes—everybody has a couple

EBEBRATT-Ed

Vent Rite makes a decent adjustable vent. I don't think Gorton's or MOMs are adjustable

ethicalpaul

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1831094#Comment_1831094

Sorry I missed your question about adjustability. The advantage is they are adjustable, meaning you can adjust how much venting they do in a given time period at a given pressure, which means how fast the radiator is able to fill with steam.

You would adjust it slower if the space is generally too hot, and you would adjust it faster if the space is generally too cool.

But I don't care for adjustable vents very much.

jesmed1

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1831109#Comment_1831109

OK thanks. I will look at the Vent Rite adjustable and the Hoffman 1A adjustable.

bburd

Condensation may come from very cold outside temperatures, leaking steam… Or from a problem with the venting of exhaust from gas burning appliances. I hope your friend has a carbon monoxide detector in the store.

jesmed1

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1831109#Comment_1831109

I took a look inside the store this morning. As it happens, he already has the Vent Rite adjustables installed, but they look at least 10 yrs old, I'd guess. Also, one of them has orange-ish stains on the white plastic adjuster dial that make me suspect it's been leaking rusty condensate. Does that suggest wet steam and/or a vent not closing?

I'm still waiting for the boiler to run so I can see the vents in action, but my first thought from seeing those rust stains is that maybe the vent isn't closing.

Wcurtis

if you truly want adjustibe vents Hoffman 1a are decent but if your goal is total shutoff the 1a should not be your choice

Also the newer models are very sloppy to adjust and numbers are hard to read. I bought nine 1A’s when I purchased my home (that’s what was already installed and some didn’t work and found the newer models are not very good compared to older versions) On more than one occasion I have found one or more 1A full of water when radiator stopped heating where water didn’t drain back into the radiator.

I purchased 2 Vent rite’s for the 2 remaining radiators and they seem much better and will essentially close if needed, mine are about two years old with no issues.

Big Ed_4

You mentioned the store front was overheating , which is on the ground floor . The adjustable vent will help you out turning the heat down.. I always recommend the Hoffman for radiators , They worked for me. Pricy but they last …

jesmed1

Thanks all. I checked his radiators during a boiler run and found a 5" crack along the top seam of one rad, leaking steam like crazy. Can't believe no one figured out where all the condensation was coming from.

So after all this, his vents were fine. I cleaned the crack area thoroughly and JB Welded the heck out of it. We'll see if that works.