how to use standing steam heater (older)

Brad White_9

That old metal silver steam heater is a radiator. The hand valve should be fully open if you want heat, never midway and only closed when you do not want heat.

I take it that you have but one pipe/valve going into the radiator? That seems to be most common: One-Pipe Steam.

The vent (1-9) is an adjustable type which adjusts the speed at which air is released ahead of steam coming up to the radiator. Generally the higher the number the larger the orifice and the faster it vents.

If the air cannot get out, steam cannot get in. You want heat faster? Open that up. If the place overheats, close it down. Midway is a good place to start.

The vent does two or really three things: Let's air out, closes to keep steam from escaping and lets air back in when the steam forms a vacuum as it collapses back into liquid water.

The steam by nature does cycle, it has to. The boiler works on pressure but has to take a break every so-often to let the condenses steam back to the boiler. This is calle cycling and is entirely normal.

Ideally the system should be working on very little pressure, a pound or less. The vents ideally should be silent, save for a barely audibly exhalation and a "tink" when the bellow closes off.

Hope this helps!

Brad

brandon_5

hey everyone. i recently moved into an old victorian building and am renting a place in it. my apartment has one of those old metal silver steam heaters that stand on the floor. i've never used one before and can't seem to get the hang of it. i turn the main valve on the pipe to fully open, and then the smaller valve on the opposite end to a number..say 4 (it goes 1-9). sometimes heat comes on though it takes a while, and when it does it will shut back off after a while. am i doing something wrong here? i'm going to contact the landlady unless i can figure out the i issue on my own. i just don't want to bother her if i'm making a stupid error on my own part. thanks!

p.s. if someone can hurry with an answer it's really cold here.. :)thanks

Paul Fredricks_3

There is probably a thermostat somewhere, probably in the landlady's space, that controls the boiler. If her thermostat is not calling for heat, you won't get any heat. Hopefully you can leave the hand valve open all the time and adjust the vent a little each day to adjust the speed with which your heat comes up. Once you find the right spot, leave it alone.

If your apartment has more outside walls, worse windows, less insulation than the rest of the house, you may have a problem as your space will cool off faster than the rest of the house.