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Why does one of my steam radiators only come on on high and bang loudly

I have a one pipe steam system

This one heater in my sister’s bedroom only turns on when the heat is on high but it bangs LOUDLY enough for the whole house to hear and doesn’t get hot at all.
Winter 2020, It was cold, the heat was on 77 (according to them) My sister’s bedroom heater was banging loudly like usual but then the hissing always sounded like it had blowing air then sucking air like in out in out but then the gorton air vent fell off out of nowhere, no steam was coming out, as of what i saw, But the hissing noise was really loud. I told them I thought the heater was exploded. They replaced the air vent to a maid o mist 6 but it was still doing the same banging loudly and hissing weird. I always hear a gurgling sound downstairs right below the heater. This heater only comes on on high, But the rest are completely fine, the downstairs hallway Bangs like my sisters heater RARLEY but doesn’t anymore for some reason. Its bangs really loud up till this day come someone find out what’s wrong

Comments

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 999

    Just from what I'm reading I would suspect that there is a belly in the piping leading to that radiator and that belly is full of water, hence the hissing and sucking of air at the vent. You could try lifting the radiator up on some blocks to remove the belly. Or see if you can identify any improperly pitched pipes in the cellar.

    Pictures of the radiator from a few feet away would help us.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

    Kayden_1015
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 26,515

    I suspect @Grallert 's got it. Somewhere in the piping leading to that boiler the pitch is wrong — from the sound of it very wrong! — or there is a sag in the piping.

    The banging, the hissing, the no steam — it al points to condensate trapped in the piping.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 18,050

    This.

    @Kayden_1015 , where are you located? We might know someone who can help…………………

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Kayden_1015
    Kayden_1015 Member Posts: 4
  • Kayden_1015
    Kayden_1015 Member Posts: 4