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Single pipe steam vent question.

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Shimon
Shimon Member Posts: 3
in Strictly Steam

Hi all I work in HVAC but never work on steam so here for some help:

My landlord just extended my radiator by connecting another in series.(it was undersized)

Not sure thats right i would have thought parallel better.

But more suspiciously he changed out the vents for a tiny one that seems to be constantly open?

My understanding was that they should shut when the radiator is full of steam

Pictures attached.

Thank you

1000178602.jpg 1000178603.jpg

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 26,884

    Cute. Neither the plumbing nor the vent is correct for steam. If it heats at all, it won't heat even as well as a small single radiator.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Shimon
    Shimon Member Posts: 3

    Question is what can I do about it.

    Replace the vents with regular radiator vents. Anything else?

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 26,884

    You might get away with several changes. First, make sure that the second radiator in that sequence is slightly higher than the first one. I think there is enough flexibility in the pipe connecting them to do that. Second, get rid of the vent on the first radiator in line entirely — take it off and plug the hole. Third, take the vent off the second radiator in line there and plug that hole, then locate the correct location for the vent on that radiator — it will be a boss about half way down the last section — and drill and tap it for a correct steam radiator vent.

    Not saying that that will work… but there is a fair chance that it might. Very unconventional — but steam is odd that way.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    ethicalpaul

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