Leaking Steam/Water - Steam Air Vents on Free Standing Radiators

hhardy20

Our gas boiler (Burnham) is requiring constant water refilling, almost once daily on the coldest days in New England. The free-standing radiators are releasing steam from the air vents and sometimes also dripping water every time the heat kicks on. We have replaced the vents multiple times and the issue persists. The radiators are also extremely loud and make banging noises whenever the thermostat calls for heat. The system itself is likely 30+ years old, and has never been serviced to my knowledge. I don't know much about anything related to this but am just looking for some opinions and insight.

ethicalpaul

You definitely want to eliminate leaks of steam and/or water.

What kind of vents did you use to replace your old ones?

Watch the water level in the gauge glass to see if the water level drops dramatically when the boiler is making steam and especially when it is banging. If this occurs, it's likely carryover which is when the boiler throws water up into the system along with steam and it's usually caused by poor water quality.

Have you ever considered calling a steam technician or contractor to look at this? It's a lot to learn all at once from an online forum.

Jamie Hall

You might want to buy the little book "We Got Steam Heat" from the store on this site or Amazon… good primer on how it's supposed to work.