Vent the main steam lines with large vents ( ie Gorton #2). Then, the radiators can be vented relatively slowly and quietly. Check the pitch of the run-out to the radiator to make sure there is no water-pocket blocking the steam. Check the valve to make sure it is fully open. The Empire State Bldg only needs 3-1/2 psi on the coldest day. Most bldgs only need 1/2 psi max, if properly vented. Steam UP. Air OUT. Water BACK. It's NOT the pressure that heats, it's the "hidden" heat in the steam.
hi, man, I bought a 137-year-old house from watching your video I now know it is a hot water system I did not know this till I saw your video I have the cheap vents on Radiators, now I know what to get as far as the Automatic vents the guy who I hired to service my boiler gave me all garbage parts the only way to get things done right is to do it myself. Thanks Again very Informative video.
I enjoy these type of videos especially well done ones like this. I'm just tryna determine is it efficient to get rid of a big old steam boiler system and replace with one of them hot water boilers but keep the combination cast iron radiator in the home. I heard you risk polluting the new hot water boiler with rust from them old radiators.
I have a large steam-only radiator in my attic (3rd floor on a one-pipe steam system with a 5-year old boiler). This radiator never really gets hot, though all the others do. I have an adjustable air vent on it and the main valve is also about 5 years old (same main valve as all the other radiators, as they were all changed when I bought the house). We had a mild winter last year, so it didn't need to come on, and I did increase the pitch, but is there anything else you'd recommend I do? Thx.
Also are you aware that the Empire State Bldg dosnt make its own steam, that they buys steam from and out side surce? well I'll leave it at this steam holds a consistant temperature from a equal balance of pressure and properly sized piping, the greater the pressure the hotter the temperature how do I know this? I've done test on this, so yes it is about adequate pressure, it might not be a lot but you do need consistant steam pressure to keep a balance temperature trust I know what Im saying.
i have a very basic question that i wasnt able to find the answer to anywhere. i have a hot water radiators in my apartment. they have two pipes with vents, one at the bottom one at the top. if i wanted to make them heat up as much as they can what should i do? turn both vents (the bottom and the top one) all the way? or the top vent all the way and the bottom vent off?
how do I know if I have a hot water or steam system? I have steam radiators. but looking at the furnace, how do i know. I am a renter with a persistantly absent landlord. I know how to bleed the furnace... does that mean it is a hot water furnace?
You still havent told me much about hot water system. How do they connect does it need to have one in and one out, does it matter which side is the in or the out can i invert them?? How do i go about connecting a 2 pipe hot water into a one pipe steam? Thanks!
Does anyone know how to test old radiators with air instead of water and any tricks to disconnecting old radiators and how easy is it to install new convectors. I have searched for help online and have to do my own fix Thanks
Thank you very much for the information you provided, the steam radiator in my room was spewing a lot of water through the steam vent and i just opened up the valve like you said and to my surprise it worked perfectly. Thank You again for such wonderful and technical knowldge.
In my building there are steel element convector radiators and in my apartment we hear a gurgling/bubbling noise when the heat is on. The room doesnt get as warm. What could bethe problem, or is this normal? Also, the super told us the boiler is on heat watch control but when it is cold our heat is only turned on for about 2 minutes, could something be wrong with the sensors? Lastly it doesn't seem like each raditor in the apartment puts out an equal amount of heat
If my radiator has only one pipe connected to it, does that mean it is definitely a steam system? (100 year old house, old cast iron radiators) Thanks!
10:04 Years ago, my parent's house had what I thought were valves like that, with the downstairs loop that was of 1.25 inch copper pipe that literally snaked through all of (Tuttle & Bailey) baseboard radiators, so they were all in series. The upstairs had box convectors that were fed from 1/2" pipe that was venturi-tapped off the downstairs loop, and these needed to be bled constantly. I put brass automatic bleeders on these, and for the first time since they bought the house, we had reliable upstairs heat. But I later noticed that the only automatic valve that ever released any air was on the first convector to be tapped off the loop. After that, a plumber told me that the "manual" valves I took off were actually some sort of self-bleeder (I think he called them geizer valves) with a rubber washer that, with the tension adjusted properly, were supposed to shrivel up when an air pocket hit them and let the air out, then swell up to block the water. So it's possible that I could have solved the problem by just adjusting the original valves (my instinct was to just close them as tightly as possible). But I also could have fixed it by installing one automatic bleeder on the first convector, and assume that the others would only need to be bled if the system were drained. So, it's possible that one automatic valve on each loop, or if these "geizer valves" are still available and any good, those could be used to avoid the expense of an automatic valve on each radiator or convector.
But lets face it the Empire State Bldg is old and Im sure the system is not perfect, Now I just so happened to be at that Bldg back in February of this year and 3-1/2 psi may be all it takes to heat the place but they were using much more then that, most big Bldgs operate at about 5/7/10 psi because in big buildings they dont wanna take chances by playing with steam pressure they wanna make sure the steam is heating the Bldg accurately and sufficiently, to be continued.
1/2 psi should be the lowest operating cut in pressure for any steam heating system. #3 the air vent you mentioned is a Straight No.1 Gorton air vent NOT a No.2 and they should only be used on steam mains or risers. #4 when venting a steam heating system you always vent the radiators that heat up the fastest with the smaller vent and the radiators that have the have a harder time heating with the larger vent, its all about balance and consistancy, to be cuntinued.
I gave him the my advice for a reason #1 a house that uses a steam heating is most likely is an older house and older houses shift causing an improper pitch meaning that 1/2 psi might not be enough to heat the entire home. #2 1/2 psi should never be set as a max cut out of steam pressure because most boiler gas and oil burners have a pre and post purge before they can reignite 1/2 psi will drop completely by the time the burner cuts back in the heat cycle. to be cuntinued
akwesi100, beautyful seam radiator at the 1 minute mark, decorative casting is reminder of days gone by. i bet when that was first insalled it was coal fired heating in that house, you got cold you have go basement shovel coal into furnace, probally the coal was delivered horse wagon lived building 150 st & 41 ave in flushing in 80's , it had single pipe steam, it was warm and cozey when it was working. problem building 100 years old, floors setteled, steam not level, i had to shim every rad
#5 In most heating systems the run that your talking about is usually branched off a riser which if correctly constructed leads to an expansion which more then likely is in between the floor and the ceilling so unless your prepaired to rip open the floor or ceilling good luck with that one. Now you say the Empire State Bldg needs no more then 3-1/2 psi to heat the entire Bldg! well that would be correct in a perfect system in a perfect world, to be continued.
I've got a question. I want to install a thermostatic valve onto a steam water radiator pipe but I don't want to use a radiator at all. I have removed the old steam radiator by sawing it off along with the valve. However I cut the valve wrong and cut into the main pipe so putting another steam valve would probably not work. I will probably have to cut off some more of the intake steam pipe so I can use install the thermostatic valve as seen here at 6:00 ruclips.net/video/2aLBOzqvosE/видео.html Do you think its possible?
Try using a larger air vent I normaly use a gorton D vent for ratiators furthest from my boiler but if that dosnt work then try using smaller vents on the radiators that heat up the fastest, now if non of the obove works then you might need to see how much steam pressure your boilers operating at I recomend a operating pressure no greater or less then 2 to 2-2/1 psi. let me know if that helps you.
You are giving brilliant advise about installing air eliminator on hot water system. I found this way myself a couple years ago and am very happy about the results. You should just say that you used Bell&Grosset valve. Many professional plummers don't have any idea about even their existence. Thanks
First off, great video! It was both insightful and informative. Question: I live on the 2nd floor of a two family house and have steam 1 pipe system I believe. It takes about 1 hour before my radiators to warm up and about 2 hours for my unit to be completely warm (70F). I dont know why it takes this long. Do you have any suggestions? Any comment would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Hi Akwesi100, I answered my own question by watching your other video "Tips on a one pipe steam heating." The washers under the radiator really did the job. Thanks for these videos!!!
Thank you for the information. I watched a couple of your videos and I am still having difficulty figuring out what is wrong with my heating system. I have a steam heat system. I followed your suggestions, as well as other videos on bleeding my radiators, but I am not having any luck on getting heat to some of my radiators. There is a small radiator in my half bath on the first floor that is cold most days in the winter. On my second floor, two rooms heat up with no issues, but the other two one is completely cold and the other the top half is cold and the bottom half is slightly warm. I am also having difficulty getting heat up to my finished attic where my oldest daughter resides. I did get heat in them on the coldest days of the winter, but on days that it was not as bitter cold they were not heating up. Is there something I should do that I am clearly not doing right? Do I need to have the heat on to bleed the air out or the heat off and do I need to bleed each radiator or just the one at the very top in the attic? Thanks again for the informational videos.
Yes. A gentleman came through home depot where I work and he said that given that they are old I should clean each of them out. He said he would walk me through how to do it. I'm pretty handy. I will call someone in to look at the boiler and make sure it is set to the right pressure. I got the finished attic heaters working by removing the valve. They are heating up well. In fact it appears that any of the heaters I removed that valve are heating up at least half way. I will take the heaters apart over this summer and pressure wash the insides and see if that works. Thanks so much for getting back to me though. That was very nice of you.
Vickie Shucofsky Hi! The person that told you to "clean your radiators out" is probably not giving you good info. You will most likely be wasting your time. Please post your questions and problems on "The Wall" at "heatinghelp.com" as well as posting pictures of your boiler "near boiler piping" and your radiators. You should get good answers there.
If you are asking about steam heat systems, in a one-pipe system the steam and the condensate share a single pipe. The condensate returns to the furnace along the same pipe as the steam rising to the boiler. In a two-pipe system, the condensate returns to the boiler along a separate pipe. For obvious reasons, you generally can't run a one-pipe water heat system.
Vent the main steam lines with large vents ( ie Gorton #2). Then, the radiators can be vented relatively slowly and quietly. Check the pitch of the run-out to the radiator to make sure there is no water-pocket blocking the steam. Check the valve to make sure it is fully open. The Empire State Bldg only needs 3-1/2 psi on the coldest day. Most bldgs only need 1/2 psi max, if properly vented. Steam UP. Air OUT. Water BACK.
It's NOT the pressure that heats, it's the "hidden" heat in the steam.
hi, man, I bought a 137-year-old house from watching your video I now know it is a hot water system I did not know this till I saw your video I have the cheap vents on Radiators, now I know what to get as far as the Automatic vents the guy who I hired to service my boiler gave me all garbage parts the only way to get things done right is to do it myself. Thanks Again very Informative video.
I enjoy these type of videos especially well done ones like this.
I'm just tryna determine is it efficient to get rid of a big old steam boiler system and replace with one of them hot water boilers but keep the combination cast iron radiator in the home.
I heard you risk polluting the new hot water boiler with rust from them old radiators.
Those are good quality vents.
I have a large steam-only radiator in my attic (3rd floor on a one-pipe steam system with a 5-year old boiler). This radiator never really gets hot, though all the others do. I have an adjustable air vent on it and the main valve is also about 5 years old (same main valve as all the other radiators, as they were all changed when I bought the house). We had a mild winter last year, so it didn't need to come on, and I did increase the pitch, but is there anything else you'd recommend I do? Thx.
Also are you aware that the Empire State Bldg dosnt make its own steam, that they buys steam from and out side surce? well I'll leave it at this steam holds a consistant temperature from a equal balance of pressure and properly sized piping, the greater the pressure the hotter the temperature how do I know this? I've done test on this, so yes it is about adequate pressure, it might not be a lot but you do need consistant steam pressure to keep a balance temperature trust I know what Im saying.
@sugar44120) Thanks for the complement I try to give all around advice on any topic that I have knowledge of thanks for watching.
i have a very basic question that i wasnt able to find the answer to anywhere. i have a hot water radiators in my apartment. they have two pipes with vents, one at the bottom one at the top. if i wanted to make them heat up as much as they can what should i do? turn both vents (the bottom and the top one) all the way? or the top vent all the way and the bottom vent off?
how do I know if I have a hot water or steam system? I have steam radiators. but looking at the furnace, how do i know. I am a renter with a persistantly absent landlord. I know how to bleed the furnace... does that mean it is a hot water furnace?
You still havent told me much about hot water system. How do they connect does it need to have one in and one out, does it matter which side is the in or the out can i invert them?? How do i go about connecting a 2 pipe hot water into a one pipe steam? Thanks!
This video should explain more of what your asking about, How to sufficiently install a cast iron radiator.
Does anyone know how to test old radiators with air instead of water and any tricks to disconnecting old radiators and how easy is it to install new convectors. I have searched for help online and have to do my own fix Thanks
Thank you very much for the information you provided, the steam radiator in my room was spewing a lot of water through the steam vent and i just opened up the valve like you said and to my surprise it worked perfectly. Thank You again for such wonderful and technical knowldge.
I just installed a Gorton 4 in my kitchen and it started spitting water like a mini water hose.
In my building there are steel element convector radiators and in my apartment we hear a gurgling/bubbling noise when the heat is on. The room doesnt get as warm. What could bethe problem, or is this normal? Also, the super told us the boiler is on heat watch control but when it is cold our heat is only turned on for about 2 minutes, could something be wrong with the sensors? Lastly it doesn't seem like each raditor in the apartment puts out an equal amount of heat
If my radiator has only one pipe connected to it, does that mean it is definitely a steam system? (100 year old house, old cast iron radiators)
Thanks!
Yes
10:04 Years ago, my parent's house had what I thought were valves like that, with the downstairs loop that was of 1.25 inch copper pipe that literally snaked through all of (Tuttle & Bailey) baseboard radiators, so they were all in series. The upstairs had box convectors that were fed from 1/2" pipe that was venturi-tapped off the downstairs loop, and these needed to be bled constantly. I put brass automatic bleeders on these, and for the first time since they bought the house, we had reliable upstairs heat. But I later noticed that the only automatic valve that ever released any air was on the first convector to be tapped off the loop. After that, a plumber told me that the "manual" valves I took off were actually some sort of self-bleeder (I think he called them geizer valves) with a rubber washer that, with the tension adjusted properly, were supposed to shrivel up when an air pocket hit them and let the air out, then swell up to block the water. So it's possible that I could have solved the problem by just adjusting the original valves (my instinct was to just close them as tightly as possible). But I also could have fixed it by installing one automatic bleeder on the first convector, and assume that the others would only need to be bled if the system were drained. So, it's possible that one automatic valve on each loop, or if these "geizer valves" are still available and any good, those could be used to avoid the expense of an automatic valve on each radiator or convector.
But lets face it the Empire State Bldg is old and Im sure the system is not perfect, Now I just so happened to be at that Bldg back in February of this year and 3-1/2 psi may be all it takes to heat the place but they were using much more then that, most big Bldgs operate at about 5/7/10 psi because in big buildings they dont wanna take chances by playing with steam pressure they wanna make sure the steam is heating the Bldg accurately and sufficiently, to be continued.
Can a convecter radiator be bleed?
1/2 psi should be the lowest operating cut in pressure for any steam heating system. #3 the air vent you mentioned is a Straight No.1 Gorton air vent NOT a No.2 and they should only be used on steam mains or risers. #4 when venting a steam heating system you always vent the radiators that heat up the fastest with the smaller vent and the radiators that have the have a harder time heating with the larger vent, its all about balance and consistancy, to be cuntinued.
I gave him the my advice for a reason #1 a house that uses a steam heating is most likely is an older house and older houses shift causing an improper pitch meaning that 1/2 psi might not be enough to heat the entire home. #2 1/2 psi should never be set as a max cut out of steam pressure because most boiler gas and oil burners have a pre and post purge before they can reignite 1/2 psi will drop completely by the time the burner cuts back in the heat cycle. to be cuntinued
It's obvious that you know your stuff.
akwesi100, beautyful seam radiator at the 1 minute mark, decorative casting is reminder of days gone by. i bet when that was first insalled it was coal fired heating in that house, you got cold you have go basement shovel coal into furnace, probally the coal was delivered horse wagon
lived building 150 st & 41 ave in flushing in 80's , it had single pipe steam, it was warm and cozey when it was working. problem building 100 years old, floors setteled, steam not level, i had to shim every rad
#5 In most heating systems the run that your talking about is usually branched off a riser which if correctly constructed leads to an expansion which more then likely is in between the floor and the ceilling so unless your prepaired to rip open the floor or ceilling good luck with that one. Now you say the Empire State Bldg needs no more then 3-1/2 psi to heat the entire Bldg! well that would be correct in a perfect system in a perfect world, to be continued.
212° water boils at.
I've got a question. I want to install a thermostatic valve onto a steam water radiator pipe but I don't want to use a radiator at all. I have removed the old steam radiator by sawing it off along with the valve. However I cut the valve wrong and cut into the main pipe so putting another steam valve would probably not work. I will probably have to cut off some more of the intake steam pipe so I can use install the thermostatic valve as seen here at 6:00
ruclips.net/video/2aLBOzqvosE/видео.html
Do you think its possible?
Try using a larger air vent I normaly use a gorton D vent for ratiators furthest from my boiler but if that dosnt work then try using smaller vents on the radiators that heat up the fastest, now if non of the obove works then you might need to see how much steam pressure your boilers operating at I recomend a operating pressure no greater or less then 2 to 2-2/1 psi. let me know if that helps you.
TheBrotherOfLogic AndCommonSense can you send me your phone number please
Do you have a "how to refinish a cast iron radiator" video? How to get rid of the old paint and repaint.
You are giving brilliant advise about installing air eliminator on hot water system. I found this way myself a couple years ago and am very happy about the results. You should just say that you used Bell&Grosset valve. Many professional plummers don't have any idea about even their existence. Thanks
My friend the firs thing you need is a camera men to hold it
First off, great video! It was both insightful and informative. Question: I live on the 2nd floor of a two family house and have steam 1 pipe system I believe. It takes about 1 hour before my radiators to warm up and about 2 hours for my unit to be completely warm (70F). I dont know why it takes this long. Do you have any suggestions? Any comment would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Hi Akwesi100, I answered my own question by watching your other video "Tips on a one pipe steam heating." The washers under the radiator really did the job. Thanks for these videos!!!
Thanks for all of your information Akwesi100....
info like yours is what helps people all over the World.
Thank you my brother !
Hey great job with the video. Helped me out a lot. Also great job explaining the difference between both radiators.
HI is there a way I can hire you to educate me on boilers altogether
answer please
You really know your stuff...
Great job!
good video, thanks for all the information!
Like these kinds of videos.
Thanks. Great and needed advice.
Thank you for the information. I watched a couple of your videos and I am still having difficulty figuring out what is wrong with my heating system. I have a steam heat system. I followed your suggestions, as well as other videos on bleeding my radiators, but I am not having any luck on getting heat to some of my radiators. There is a small radiator in my half bath on the first floor that is cold most days in the winter. On my second floor, two rooms heat up with no issues, but the other two one is completely cold and the other the top half is cold and the bottom half is slightly warm. I am also having difficulty getting heat up to my finished attic where my oldest daughter resides. I did get heat in them on the coldest days of the winter, but on days that it was not as bitter cold they were not heating up. Is there something I should do that I am clearly not doing right? Do I need to have the heat on to bleed the air out or the heat off and do I need to bleed each radiator or just the one at the very top in the attic? Thanks again for the informational videos.
Are you sure you have steam?
Yes. A gentleman came through home depot where I work and he said that given that they are old I should clean each of them out. He said he would walk me through how to do it. I'm pretty handy. I will call someone in to look at the boiler and make sure it is set to the right pressure. I got the finished attic heaters working by removing the valve. They are heating up well. In fact it appears that any of the heaters I removed that valve are heating up at least half way. I will take the heaters apart over this summer and pressure wash the insides and see if that works. Thanks so much for getting back to me though. That was very nice of you.
Vickie Shucofsky Hi! The person that told you to "clean your radiators out" is probably not giving you good info. You will most likely be wasting your time. Please post your questions and problems on "The Wall" at "heatinghelp.com" as well as posting pictures of your boiler "near boiler piping" and your radiators. You should get good answers there.
thanks
nicely done.
Great advice Thanks !
What's the difference betWeen 1 pipe and 2 pipe system
If you are asking about steam heat systems, in a one-pipe system the steam and the condensate share a single pipe. The condensate returns to the furnace along the same pipe as the steam rising to the boiler. In a two-pipe system, the condensate returns to the boiler along a separate pipe. For obvious reasons, you generally can't run a one-pipe water heat system.
homer2101 thank you
homer2101
Water can only flow one way, so yeah, it needs 2 pipes.