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Infrared Video of a Single-Pipe Steam Radiator Heating Up

HeatingHelp
HeatingHelp Administrator Posts: 635
edited April 2018 in THE MAIN WALL
Infrared Video of a Single-Pipe Steam Radiator Heating Up

An infrared video of a pure, single-pipe, steam radiator heating up

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CLambGBart

Comments

  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    I hope to make another infrared video of a single pipe steam radiator heating up in time lapse.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
  • Motorapido
    Motorapido Member Posts: 307
    Why do my one-pipe steam radiators -- on very cold days when they heat the whole way across -- get very hot on top of each section, reduce to medium-hot at the 1/3-way-down area of each section, and stay only warm all the way across the bottom? If the inlet is at the bottom and one-pipe radiators are connected only at the bottom, shouldn't the bottoms be very hot, since the steam must pass across each section along the bottom? Is this a sign that I am vented too fast on the radiators? I have more-than-needed main venting with multiple Big Mouths on antlers, all main and runout pipes insulated. My boiler is a little more than 50% oversized, I should note, and not a candidate for two-stage burner or downfiring, based on what steam pros have told me from this site. My radiator vents throughout the house are Maid-O-Mist vents with the smallest orifice installed, some Hoffman #1 adjustables turned down to the lowest setting on radiators closest to the thermostat, and Maid-O-Mist vents with the largest orifice on radiators a room with three radiators served by a long branch main that serves a room far away from the boiler. Whether close to boiler and independent of the brand of vent or vent rate, the bottom of all radiators does not get very hot even when all sections left to right have become very hot at the top, with the heat reducing as you move from top to bottom, with just slightly warm at the bottom of each section.
  • the_donut
    the_donut Member Posts: 374
    edited April 2018
    Are your radiators for two pipe steam too?

    Steam is lighter than air. Residual air is trapped at bottom and insulates metal keeping temps lower.
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 856
    Another rather strange thing I've seen with some radiators on some steam systems is the steam, when it first enters the radiator, shoots across the bottom and then up to the vent, shutting it. As the system continues to run, the vent opens, and the radiator starts to heat "normally".

    Almost all thin tube radiators do this, but a few traditional single pipe steam radiators can do it too.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc