Why does this one small radiator have two valves?

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TheUpNorthState88
TheUpNorthState88 Posts: 141
edited September 30 in THE MAIN WALL

Hello,

I have already had to fire up my boiler because temps have already been dipping into the low 40s in my area of Michigan and I’m not one of those people that fight turning my heating on lol. I like comfort and hate a chilly house.


In total, I have 11 CI radiators and 1 fin tube baseboard (2200 sq ft two-story colonial, built 1909). My system is 100% gravity, connected to my 1937 Ideal Boiler No. 7, I even have a Honeywell Heat generator connected to my system and attic expansion tank. (You can look through my old posts to see more on my well preserved system).

One thing that has always made me curious is why my small front vestibule radiator has two valves on it? This radiator, along with my dining room radiator, both branch off of the same supply and return lines in the basement.


Another weird one for everyone, four of my CI rads on the first floor have no valves at all. They are just always “on” piped into the system. Have any of you seen a radiator system setup like that with no valves on some of the radiators? And no, there are no valves in the basement to these radiators. Just your standard supply and returns lines to and from the boiler .

I am having zero issues with my system and everything works beautifully. This is merely just my curiosity and wanting to ask pros who have worked on 1000s of residential systems over the years.

Thank you!

IMG_7540.jpeg IMG_7541.jpeg

Dining room rad, no valve.

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One of my under the window Living room rads, no valve.

IMG_6311.jpeg

Kitchen Rad, no valve.

IMG_8260.jpeg

The Green Beast running the operation.

IMG_7745.jpeg

Lifelong Michigander

-Willie

Mad Dog_2

Comments

  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Posts: 4,617

    My guess is they ran out of elbows. Interesting it appears some radiators have no valves. Maybe the installer was a bit under the weather.

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Posts: 7,744

    Are the 4 radiators downstairs plus the vestibule radiator the total of the first floor radiators? Then 6 upstairs with valves? I'm just throwing darts but if thats the layout, maybe valves upstairs to regulate over heating if the thermostat is on the first floor? If that's not the layout, then I have no idea.

    As far as the vestibule, is it original to the house? Is that bleeder key part of the bleeder, or you just stuck it there? Nice rads BTW.

    PC7060
  • TheUpNorthState88
    TheUpNorthState88 Posts: 141

    @HVACNUT

    Floor 1 ( 7 CI rads, 4 with no valves)

    Floor 2 (4 CI rads, 1 fin-tube baseboard, all CI rads have valves)

    Everything except the fin-tube baseboard (early 2000s CI rad swap out per previous owner) are all original CI rads to the house. I ordered bleeder keys from Amazon which came in like a pack of 12 (they were dirt cheap) so I stuck one on every rad.

    Thank you!

    Lifelong Michigander

    -Willie

    HVACNUT
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Posts: 18,974

    It's possible more than one contractor was involved. The vestibule rad is an American "Rococo". The Dining Room rad is some other model, and the Kitchen appears similar. All these are column-type rads. The window rad appears to be a large-tube type, which came out about 1925 or so.

    Co-Founder, All Steamed Up, Inc.

    Semi-retired

    Baltimore, MD, USA

    stevenlee
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Posts: 4,617

    I can understand why some of the primary radiators not having valves so there is always a load on the boiler. Someone can't inadvertently shut them all off. Although in some situations it may make balancing difficult. Why a small radiator needs two valves, no clue, other than it was convenient (for some reason) at the install time.

    Maybe for some building maintenance issue the second valve was added so the radiator could be removed and reinstalled without draining the whole system.

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
    EdTheHeaterManstevenlee
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Posts: 21,169

    Most jobs with 2 valve on the rads are '2 pipe air vent systems" and all the rads I see have air vents.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,231

    given where you're at i'm guessing it wasn't exactly a contractor that installed the system but just someone that kind of knew what they were doing or a owner that had someone help them so there may not be a lot of logic to why it was done that way. the 2 valves do allow you to remove the radiator without draining the system so maybe they moved it in the summer or something.

    what is that time? it doesn't quite look like pewabic, kind of looks like that tile delco made during off hours.

    TheUpNorthState88
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Posts: 7,744

    I saw these today on Main St. in Southampton. They're not in use anymore as the space is now CAC with a hydro coil. The one with the removable top is in a bathroom. Pretty cool. Valves on both though.

    20261001_102514.jpg 20261001_102406.jpg 20261001_102417.jpg
    mattmia2TheUpNorthState88
  • jesmed1
    jesmed1 Posts: 1,614

    Love the Honeywell Heat Generator with the gold paint. That is art right there!

    TheUpNorthState88PC7060
  • TheUpNorthState88
    TheUpNorthState88 Posts: 141

    @mattmia2 I’m unsure of who made the tiles but I love them. Especially after getting them cleaned and polished up again. One of my favorite features of my old house. Vestibules need to make a comeback. This is an old house feature that made so much sense. And I can close the door to block any draft. This is an older picture before I had painted the walls and radiator.

    IMG_9204.jpeg

    Lifelong Michigander

    -Willie

    CLamb

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