Air Valves

Jen

This is my first winter living with steam heat.

My contractor installed Dole 1-A Vari-vent air valves on all of the radiators (8 in varying sizes) in my 2 story cape. Only one seems to be working properly; it releases air then closes. The rest hiss constantly when the boiler is running. The vent on the largest radiator actually releases enough steam to create condensation on the wall and floor. What is going on here?

What is the best way to determine if these are the proper vents for my system, or what valve numbers to use for each room? Should I be making adjustments at the main valve on each radiator? BTW, the upstairs rooms are much warmer than the downstairs.

-- Jen

Hal

Jen, you're not alone. I'm a homeowner with a four story row house. I have twenty cast iron radiators on eight risers. The one the one thing I know for sure is that the steam valve must be either all the open or all the way closed. Also, if you start closing a lot of radiators, you may be effectively oversizing your boiler. It sounds like your new vents are either defective (less likely) or badly chosen (more likely). I would certainly inform your professional that you are still having problems.

I have spent quite a bit of time reading and reviewing Dan's books about steam, and find them very helpful when talking to the heating professionals. I too need help sizing the vents for my system.

I am anxious to read the pros' response to your query.

David Efflandt

Dole success and failure

I have some Dole 1-A vents that appear to be old enough that they may have been made by Dole (which went out of business long ago), but they seem to work, so I have not touched them. I also have an old Dole D vent that I boiled out with vinegar and works fine.

However, another Dole 'D' was sticky so I tried a Dole 1-A made by Invensys set to #10 which only lasted a week or two before it stuck closed. It was on my most distant upstairs radiator and alternately made breathing and sucking sounds. And the rush of steam into a cold radiator on a possibly undersize 1" riser caused sloshing sounds (condensate fighting steam) and may have gotten water and gunk into the vent.

I put a Hoffman 1A on it and had to set it down around #3 to minimize water sloshing, which has worked fine since early last winter. Heating it more gradually minimizes the sudden condensation (largest upstairs rad in little used room anyway). A 'D' vent on the living room radiator under it releases most of the air from that long line (no main vents) and some of that heat can go up the open stairwell, so it all balances out.

One of these days I have to get main vents installed.

Thad English

From one homeowner to another: go to Gorton-Valves.com and read the page on the site about which vents to use where. Then call Ken Kunz at Gorton (the number is on the website) with any questions you might have. The Gorton Website and he helped me get the proper vents for all 16 of my radiators.

Many of the pros on this site will tell you that Gorton steam vents are the best. I have to agree with them.

-Thad

chuck_6

Air vents

Jen:
I agree totally with Thad's comments. Use Gorton vents. We have them in our home and they are the best. As Thad said, Ken Kunz at Gorton is terrific and he can tell you which vents to put on which radiators. Gorton's phone number is (908) 276-1323.