One radiator doesn’t heat. Is it imbalanced venting?

jlbk

there are two massive radiators on the first floor, on two separate risers. The right one heats halfway when the left one has a gorton 4 on it. It doesn’t heat at all when a no 6 is on it. The mains heat roughly at the same time but it seem all the radiators on the left riser heat super fast and all the ones on the right struggle to heat. Is it possible there’s so many radiators and vents on the left it pulls all the steam to that riser leaving nothing for the right riser?

mattmia2

the riser that isn't heating either needs more venting or has water sitting in it somewhere or possibly has more restrictive piping. what happens if you close a couple radiators on the riser that is heating? what happens if you run a long cycle?

Steamhead

Improper near-boiler piping can cause this- post a pic of yours.

leaking

I use 4- D Gortons on radiators , even double venting if needed . Check radiator has a pitch to valve , old vents do go bad , if it’s your house try a Varivent , or Dole adjustable or other brand of adjustable vent . Only top venting gives less heat than a middle vent , both together give the most . Check steam feed pipes below to see if there is a sag, but you don’t mention noise or nocking , it’s probably a bad vent on radiator.

neilc

slow down the warm riser rads

jlbk

I actually removed the vent on the slow radiator and it helped only a little. I also removed the main vent in the basement for that line and it didn’t help speed up the heating much either. It’s like all the pressure is going to one riser leaving nothing for the other riser. Is it possible the boiler is too small

neilc

why don't you show the near boiler piping, and the 2 mains coming off,

removing the vents just let's steam pressure escape, control where it's going, slow the hot rads,

jlbk

82b666a2-45cd-4dcd-8b32-467fa9ef273d.jpeg

delcrossv

Ok. As neilc says, you have to slow the fast heating rads to get steam to the slower rads. Steam will take the easiest path, your only control is radiator venting.

jlbk

it looks like there are 3 mains coming out of the boiler. Might that be the issue

mattmia2

If that is a relatively large boiler with risers on both ends, the riser to the main between the risers is incorrect. The risers to the mains have to be between the boiler risers and the equalizer. if those 3 pipes going up are 3 separate mains, those have to come off the boiler header separately, not be combined to one riser like that.