Advice to balance these radiators? (Tracked my radiator performance)

Gorton D is too large for any radiator. With all those massive vents, you can't control where the steam will go. It will find the easiest way and go there. You have to make the steam go where you want it, and that is not with these massive vents.

It's like putting wild horses onto a 400 acre farm and hoping they will go to one particular spot. You need to install some fences.

Buy three MoM or Gorton #5, and three #6, then see where the heat goes and adjust from there.

That's what I would do anyway.

4 apartments, 32 rads almost all 4s a few 5s and one 6.

For comparison. 😉

D is just too large. It is for maybe a 3rd or 4th floor radiator, far from the boiler

It’s exactly the same size as your main vent

Then you have complexities that relate to the piping and sizing of your individual system's components. If sloppy piping practice, undersized or improperly pitched piping or a poorly designed boiler gives you wet steam, you may need slower vents. In those cases, large vents can produce more condensate than the system can handle at startup and spit water or hammer.

As was mentioned, a undersized boiler or piping peculiarities with fast venting can have radiators competing for steam with some not getting hot at all.

If you are looking at consumer-quality vents, don't waste you money. The original,eighty year old ones are probably better.

It took me a couple of Hours, but i believe I found someone that can balance your radiator. The trouble is that she is in SeaWorld in California. So there may be an expense getting her here.

Her name is Sarah the Seal

She works for fishies!

it’s not dangerous, but changing the main vent will affect balance.

But your radiator vents are so inappropriate it won’t hurt to go ahead and do them now

In my opinion. Of course everything I say is in my opinion

It's funny you say that. Here's how my internal cheapskate conversation went:

"Those D vents could be converted to any size by taping over the vent hole with aluminum tape and then poking an appropriately-sized hole in the tape"

Edit: Here ya go

I tend to agree, but IIRC he does have a working main vent, it's just maybe a little small, and his radiator vents are outrageous so there is a lot to be gained, including experience.

I want to reach through the internet and show him how to wrench off that main vent.

Why buy the book, when you can get all the information here from us for free? It just takes a couple of months to compile it. …and it won't have all that other stuff that does not refer to his system🤣

You grab the main with one hand and heave into the wrench with your other hand/body. Or pull from the other side while pushing on the main with your other hand/body.

Opposition is the flip side of leverage (and rock climbing)

If you can fit the wrench lower on the nipple it will be better too.

Oh and you have to know you can do it—show it who's boss as my neighbor used to say growing up

Try a LADDER. Brace foot on main and PULL.

Well done! Be sure to get your friend a beer!

The reason it takes so long to heat the main is because you still have overly-large vents on your radiators.

if your radiators were already heating evenly then why did you come here asking for help? 😂

Not being mean, but you ask so many hypothetical questions and maybe some real ones too, that no one can tell what you are seeking

I feel like several people have explained why the main is good to fill first

I think he says 35mph but that’s not true, certainly not at the start of a call for heat. Anyway, if your system is comfortable enjoy it