Steam Radiator Won't Heat

melissa_2

I have an older home and have steam heat. I have 3 raditors upstairs only one works....the other 2 when u release the air heat comes up but then fills right back up with air and then doesnt work again....I hope someone has an answer

jcmoretti

I have a single pipe steam system, and one radiator in the upstairs is cold to the touch while the others are hot. It is fed from a pipe that runs through the room just below it, and that pipe is very hot up to about 4' from the floor. Then, up near the ceiling where it feeds the radiator in question, the pipe is dead cold. I pulled the vent out of the radiator, but I haven't noticed a change, and the vent seems clear. Any advice would be great.
PS. As I sit here and type I realize that I recall this radiator spitting water in the past.

ed wallace

rad wont heat

souds like the rad needs to be tiltes abit try raising the end of rad opposite theinlet pipe could also be that rad has water in its base might have to undo union and raise far end of rad to drain water out

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Dale

You have an air block

somewhere the air is trapped. You should first make sure the pitch is good, ie, back to the inlet valve, sounds like you have checked that the inlet valve is in the full open position , then I would remove remove the inlet valve stem packing nut to remove the stem, if air and then steam comes out the block is in the rad, no steam run a snake down the inlet pipe. Let us know what you find. Good luck

tp tunstall

no heat rad

break the union in the rad valve supplying the rad and stand back and wait for the steam!!!

Steamhead

Sounds like you have

some bad or undersized vents.

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melissa_2

steam heat

Like i said before 2 of 3 raditors work upsatirs...the pipe going up to the one only gets a little warm and the other one stays totally cold......as soon as u bleed and let the air out the heat comes out then right away fills back up with air

paul_20

UNEVEN HEATING


The system is a two pipe system. It has O-E Specialty valves, ball check returns and had two O-E improved air exhauster and vacuum valves. They replaced the air exhauster and vacuum valves with a different valve and it seems to be AIR coming from there. Is this correct?

all the radiators have correct pitch.
The heat anticipator is adjusted so the furnace runs longer to get steam to most of the system without that adjustment halve the radiators got hot.
the furnance up and running main concern is two things

#1 system is on and set at 60 degrees constant and one radiator( 2nd floor last radiator in the loop) does not heat, usally not any heat even to the pipes that feed it the steam, but if the furnace is on longer due to turning up the thermostat 5-10 degrees they all get hot as hell. The themostat is new not in a different location. The anticipator is turned up on the thermostat to make the furnace stay on longer is this correct? if i don't bump up the thermostat 5-10 degrees it does not get hot or luke warm. some radiators only heat half way if temp is left a constant temp.

#2 Should I have to add water
I still question the new valves on the return pipes vs the old ones as far as air/steam loss? the old system did not have an auto water feed because of the two pipe system should the new on need it?

#3 The first boiler cracked 3-4 months into the season still don't know why any ideas there.

Dennis - Reliable Services

> somewhere the air is trapped. You should first

> make sure the pitch is good, ie, back to the

> inlet valve, sounds like you have checked that

> the inlet valve is in the full open position ,

> then I would remove remove the inlet valve stem

> packing nut to remove the stem, if air and then

> steam comes out the block is in the rad, no steam

> run a snake down the inlet pipe. Let us know

> what you find. Good luck

Dennis - Reliable Services

> somewhere the air is trapped. You should first

> make sure the pitch is good, ie, back to the

> inlet valve, sounds like you have checked that

> the inlet valve is in the full open position ,

> then I would remove remove the inlet valve stem

> packing nut to remove the stem, if air and then

> steam comes out the block is in the rad, no steam

> run a snake down the inlet pipe. Let us know

> what you find. Good luck

Dennis - Reliable Services

If you have not removed the inlet valve yet

then I would caution you about doing this with the boiler steaming. Steam and hot rustty water will shoot out so hard, hot, and fast that you could be burned. You will not be able to put the valve back! Buy the time you run down stair to shut off the boiler the room will be trashed.
This happened to a rental property I take care of, the tenent removed the paint blocked air vent. He said he couldn't believe steam traveled that fast. He had to move.

Dennis - Reliable Services

If you have not removed the inlet valve yet

then I would caution you about doing this with the boiler steaming. Steam and hot rustty water will shoot out so hard, hot, and fast that you could be burned. You will not be able to put the valve back! Buy the time you run down stair to shut off the boiler the room will be trashed.
This happened to a rental property I take care of, the tenent removed the paint blocked air vent. He said he couldn't believe steam traveled that fast. He had to move.

Dennis - Reliable Services

These air vents

are they halfway up the radiator or at the top? If you need a radiator key to open them then they are the wrong kind and must be replaced with a steam air vent.

Eb Barth

steam radiator

I have a situation with a steam radiator in a sauna. This thing is 52" long 20" high and 12" wide and is not able to heat a 8' x 10' room. The system is an old radiator 2 pipe with a new thermostatic trap. Can these rads clog up? The trap seems to be working fine. Eb

Steamhead

You have an O-E Vapor System

What type of vent did they replace the originals with? If it's too small, air won't vent out of the dry return as it should and some radiators may not heat.

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Steamhead

Eb, does that radiator

heat up all the way to the trap? If so, it may be too small for the room. If not, check the vents on the dry return- if these are undersized or not working, some radiators may not heat.

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