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Steam baseboard

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mmc239
mmc239 Member Posts: 81
edited November 2022 in Strictly Steam
I recently changed my air vent in my steam baseboard to a Hoffman 40. It was working great, very quiet. But it stopped working and radiator was not getting hot. I loosened it and a bunch of air and water spit out of it and it started heating up. What can I do to have that not happen again? 

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  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 7,834
    edited November 2022
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    Does the pipe inside that radiator cover (the one with all the fins) have any low spots? Another person posted a similar problem and I sent him this drawing
    To illustrate that the condensation needs to be able to get out of the radiator. If there are dips in the pipe that can trap the water, then the steam may not be able to get past it.

    Look inside the cover and make sure all the supports are in place and that the pipe is strait with a 1" slope per 20 feet. No dips, No high spots, no missing supports.
    Edward F Young. Retired HVAC ContractorSpecialized in Residential Oil Burner and Hydronics
    ethicalpaul
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,524
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    Baseboard works better on steam if you hook it up with a supply and return line. But I have seen it work ok on 1 pipe steam. It is best to pitch the baseboard with the low end at the supply valve.

    You also need to keep the pressure at the boiler low. You might also need to experiment with different vents. Venting slower may help.

    Also check the pitch on all your supply pipes
  • mmc239
    mmc239 Member Posts: 81
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    The fins are on a slight slope, then it levels out. I have a block of wood under the end of the pipe where the air vent is. Can I put wood under the fins to gain more if a slope?
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 7,834
    edited November 2022
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    YES. If you don't have a riser at each end of the radiator, then the condensation is going to travel in the opposite direction of the steam. If that is the case, then your slope must be 1" for every 10 feet or run. Here is the illustration updated for your situation.
    Edward F Young. Retired HVAC ContractorSpecialized in Residential Oil Burner and Hydronics
    Long Beach Ed
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,639
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    mmc239 said:

    The fins are on a slight slope, then it levels out. I have a block of wood under the end of the pipe where the air vent is. Can I put wood under the fins to gain more if a slope?

    Yes. Note there are little plastic slides the element sits on so it doesn't make expansion noises so you might want to try to make your blocks so it can slide.

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