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Steam radiator vents, maintaining and/or replacing

DanHolohan
DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
in THE MAIN WALL
I'd take them off and boil them in a pot of vinegar. That should clear them out.

And when you can hear vents venting, it usually means that there aren't enough vents.
Retired and loving it.

Comments

  • Bob Bonthius
    Bob Bonthius Member Posts: 8
    Steam radiator vents, maintaining and/or replacing

    We've got a one-pipe steam system in our old house. When we moved in 5 years ago I installed new Hoffman 40 vents in all the radiators, and a new Hoffman main vent(an 80? -- it's green, about the size of a can-o-soup). I bought them at the steam heating supply house. The old (not yet dead) guy behind the counter advised me that there's nothing I need to do to maintain the vents but that I should "just replace 'em every 5 years because they go bad." Five years later, they all still work nicely; all radiators still heat and I can hear all vents venting. (1) He was a nice guy but was it good advice? (2) Should I do anything to maintain them at the start of end or the heating season like emptying them, poking a pin in the vent hole, rattling them, boiling them, etc.? (3) Is there a rule of thumb for replacing them or do I simply replace as needed? (4) Etc.?
  • Drod
    Drod Member Posts: 59
    \"When you can hear vents venting...

    it usually means there aren't enough vents". Can you elaborate on that a little, Dan.
    Thanks,
    Dlae
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
    Sure.

    When you hear the vent, you're hearing the sound of air moving through an orifice at high-velocity. That's why it's making the sound. If you provide more area from which air can escape (as with main vents) then the escaping air doesn't have to go as fast so it makes less noise.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Bob Bonthius
    Bob Bonthius Member Posts: 8
    Steam radiator vents, more...

    (1) What's your secret recipie for boiling vents in vinegar? How many parts vinegar, parts water, per vent? Boil for how long? Boil the main vent also?

    (2) If boiling my vents doesn't eliminate the whistling, do I need to create more venting? If so, how? I've already got Hoffman 40s in every radiator and a Hoffman 80 (?)(green soup can style)main vent.
  • Hal
    Hal Member Posts: 55


    Dan,

    I too have vents that are audible. Venting is distributed among 18 rads, 2 mains and 2 vented risers ending in small rooms on the top floor. Every rad vents and heats.

    I learned much from your books:
    Venting by geography doesn't work.
    Venting too fast can cause problems too.

    I would gladly have all 22 vents in my system replaced if I knew they were spec'd correctly.
    I am currently working on an isometric drawing of the sytem including pipe length and diameter, radiator sizes, and boiler specs.

    I would expect a professional to be able to evaluate the system and know exactly how to vent. It's physics, right?

    Or is "art"?

    What do you think?
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
    If it's a

    steam-savvy professional, absolutely!
    Retired and loving it.
  • Hal
    Hal Member Posts: 55


    Great! How does the professional go about calculating the venting needs of the system?
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
    By measuring

    the piping and radiation, calculating the amount of air in both, assigning the venting of that air to different air vents, and then choosing the right vents, based on their venting capacity at two ounces of pressure. Each vent has to balanced off the others so that the system heats quickly and easily.

    I go into this in The Dead Men's Steam School, a video seminar. It's in Books & More.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Bob Bonthius
    Bob Bonthius Member Posts: 8
    can I get an answer?

    I'm still hoping to get an answer to my very mundate question about the recipie for boiling vents (see my 9:22am email). Does anyone have a recipie? If I can make my vents work as efficiently as possible I might not need to get to deal with the more esoteric questions in the threads that have followed, interesting as they are.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
    Use

    straight vinegar. In a pot, on the stove. Bring it to a boil for about 10 minutes. Hold your nose.

    How'd I do?
    Retired and loving it.
  • Hal
    Hal Member Posts: 55


    Thanks Dan, now I'm getting excited!

    Does the video explain completely how to calculate venting and specify appropriate vents?

    If so, I will buy it.
  • Bob Bonthius
    Bob Bonthius Member Posts: 8
    Thanx!

    You done good. Now I can move on. I'll boil 'em all when we get a break in the weather. If the clean vents still whistle, I'll give you a shout. But, as you say, if it ain't broke I won't try to fix it. Thanx.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
    Yes,

    the workbook that comes with the tapes has all the charts you'll need
    Retired and loving it.
  • Hal
    Hal Member Posts: 55


    First of all, let me bring this thread back to left side of my screen.

    Next, Dan, how's that for a sale? After taking your video seminar, I expect to be able tell a steam-savvy professional from a knucklehead, and to get the right vents on my rads. Not to mention the piping on my boiler.

    Anyway, I just saw a post in another venting thread about the Gorton web site. This also looks like a good resource.

    By the way, for $11.99 in shipping costs, I expect 2nd day service. ;-)

    Hal

  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
    If you have any questions afterwards

    bring 'em here!

    Thanks for the business.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Hal
    Hal Member Posts: 55


    Thanks, I will likely be back with questions.
  • Bob Bonthius
    Bob Bonthius Member Posts: 8
    and another thing...

    Should I move a vent from the top right corner of last tube of a raditor to the middle of the center tube, after I'm done boiling my vents? In my one-pipe steam system I've got one odd-ball radiator on which the vent has been installed in the tapping at the top right of the last tube. All the others have vent in the tapping in middle of the center of the last tube. I've tried unscrewing the screw (if that's what it's called)from the tap in middle tube in the odd-ball so I can move the vent down there, but I can't get the screw out of the tap for the life of me, and I've just about stripped the screwdriver slot. Once I asked a steam heating pro to do it but he couldn't get the screw out either, and wouldn't try drilling it out or drilling a new tap for fear of breaking the radiator. Should I just leave well enough alone? Is this a weekend-warrior, do-it-myselfer job?
  • Drod
    Drod Member Posts: 59
    But if I put a bigger vent on the radiator to stop the noise,

    won't my radiator heat more and more quickly? I like the way it already heats just fine.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
    Not on the radiators.

    On the mains.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Bob Bonthius
    Bob Bonthius Member Posts: 8
    move the vent?

    Dan ... still wondering what you think I might do about the vent in my odd-ball raditore (see my 1/13 12:20 PM email above)... thanx, Bob
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,610
    Yes,

    leave it alone.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Bob Bonthius
    Bob Bonthius Member Posts: 8
    thanx

    Thanx, Dan.
  • Drod
    Drod Member Posts: 59
    Thanks,

    Now I understand.
This discussion has been closed.

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