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.

Steam Supply line vents

Options
Are they necessary 

Comments

  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,062
    Options
    You may not need them if you are still burning coal. This was a continuous fire that would slowly vent air thru the radiators and remain fired for most of the heating season. If your coal fire went down to zero then it would be a long process to remove all the air again thru the small radiator vents.

    But if you have a boiler that cycles on and off (oil or gas) then it behooves you to have massive steam main air vents. It will get the air out of the large pipes quickly on each cycle.
    And the rad vents will have to only vent themselves.

    Going from coal to on/off burners changed the paradigm of steam heating, it has taken about 50-70 years for most of the industry to recognize this, IMO.
    AldebaranAf10