Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Oversized radiator

fxrgrunt
fxrgrunt Member Posts: 157
This bad boy is way oversized for the room it is in. Primarily because they built it for a larger room and at some point someone walled off a walk in closed taking about 100 sqft away from the room. I even tried shutting the vent all the way and this thing is still piping. What are my options to get it where I need to be? Keep in mind I haven't built the top of the cover yet but it will still not be enough being this thing is ridiculous. I'm talking 82 degrees in that room right now.

Comments

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    Throw some insulation over it inside the box
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
    fxrgrunt
  • motoguy128
    motoguy128 Member Posts: 393
    The insulation is a good idea. Radiators are actually mostly slow convectors if you slow or block the airflow, they put out a lot less heat while the boiler is running.

    IF its one pipe, you could put a slower vent on it.
    fxrgrunt
  • Zipper13
    Zipper13 Member Posts: 229
    Friends of mine from NYC use wool blankets.
    New owner of a 1920s home with steam heat north of Boston.
    Just trying to learn what I can do myself and what I just shouldn't touch
    fxrgrunt
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,455
    Block the airflow
    ethicalpaulfxrgrunt
  • fxrgrunt
    fxrgrunt Member Posts: 157
    Block the airflow
    I shut the hoffman 1a completely and it's still getting extreme heat. I dont want it all the way off because then there wouldnt be any heat in the room.
  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 2,692
    flip the vent upside down just to see if you can stop the steam from getting in that rad,
    what pressure are you running at?
    and is rad close to boiler?
    a higher boiler pressure could be forcing steam into the larger area of the large rad, and setting up a vacuum cycle (?)
    known to beat dead horses
    fxrgrunt
  • fxrgrunt
    fxrgrunt Member Posts: 157
    neilc said:
    flip the vent upside down just to see if you can stop the steam from getting in that rad, what pressure are you running at? and is rad close to boiler? a higher boiler pressure could be forcing steam into the larger area of the large rad, and setting up a vacuum cycle (?)
    I will have to try that with the vent. The pressuretrol is set at .5 with 1 cut in. Rad is 4th radiator on 66ft main line about halfway down the main. It is a 2nd floor radiator as well.
  • motoguy128
    motoguy128 Member Posts: 393
    I don’t care for the 1A. It’s a little touchy. I’d just put a Maid o Mist 4 on it and see how that does.
    ethicalpaulfxrgrunt
  • Dave T_2
    Dave T_2 Member Posts: 64
    Insulating within the cover is an easy low cost way to stop a hot radiator from heating the room and with the cover you are building it will be hidden, so thats a solution. But I find it hard to believe you cannot slow or stop the radiator from fully heating by closing the vent. It sounds like your steam system is running longer than it should. Perhaps the vents on the other radiators need to be opened more to allow the other radiators to heat quicker and satisfy the thermostat sooner. If that's the case, it would be a better solution.
    fxrgrunt
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,455
    @fxrgrunt

    When I said block the airflow I wasn't talking about the vent.

    Block the airflow coming into the bottom and front of the radiator. Block half of it off. Too cold take some off. Still too much heat block some more
    fxrgrunt
  • Neild5
    Neild5 Member Posts: 167
    Years ago I read a Tenants Guide for Chicago apartments.   It said if your apartment has steam heat a blanket is essential.  If you are cold, wrap yourself in it, too hot wrap the radiator. 
    JUGHNEfxrgruntDave T_2
  • fxrgrunt
    fxrgrunt Member Posts: 157
    @fxrgrunt When I said block the airflow I wasn't talking about the vent. Block the airflow coming into the bottom and front of the radiator. Block half of it off. Too cold take some off. Still too much heat block some more
    Got ya. I will try this! And take into account what everyone else has suggested