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Steam Radiator - Will this ever work?

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bobby_1820
bobby_1820 Member Posts: 1
in Strictly Steam

Hi everyone. Recently discovered this site after moving to a new apartment with steam heating. Our apartment was renovated before we moved in and they redid piping, flooring, and electrical. Ever since we moved in we have been having issues with our single pipe steam radiator water hammering and barely being warm. Maintenance has come by multiple times and replaced the air vent, valve, and flushed the radiator with no changes. After some research I think that this setup in the pictures will never work correctly due to condensate being unable to drain. Thanks for any possible help!

20251208_135550 (Large).jpg 20251208_135556 (Large).jpg

Comments

  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,907

    You are correct, they need to open the wall (at minimum) and fix the pipe. Either that or raise the entire radiator up until the inlet is above the piping coming out of the wall.

    Re-piping of some kind is your only fix here. Everything else is them either ignoring it until you go away, or pure ignorance of what they are working on, maybe a combo of both.

    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    mattmia2ethicalpaulSTEAM DOCTORdabrakeman
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 18,186

    Just goes to show you can't fix stupid!

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 15,517

    Either replace it with a wall hung radiator that is above the valve, put the radiator on a platform, or pipe it 2 pipe with a return pipe that is below the radiator and connects to a wet return somewhere. Or add a drip right before the valve that connects to a wet return.

    The water needs to drain out of the radiator by gravity. The way it is now steam will enter, condense to water, fill the bottom of the radiator and the bottom of the pipe and block any more steam from ever getting in to the radiator.

    dabrakeman
  • STEAM DOCTOR
    STEAM DOCTOR Member Posts: 2,506

    Will never work as currently piped. Water flows downhill

    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 15,517

    it looks like it has been there long enough to get a couple coats of paint so it hasn't worked for a while.

  • patrykrebisz
    patrykrebisz Member Posts: 52

    get some recycled wood (to match the vintage rad) to raise the radiator so it can drain properly.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,497

    What @KC_Jones said. "Maintenance" doesn't have a clue about steam.

    Steam enters the radiator and condenses into WATER.

    Ask them how the water drains out

    mattmia2ethicalpaul

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