Re: [Chat] Radiators
I too love my radiators. I grew up in California and no one had radiators. When a new family moved from the east to our neighborhood, they insisted on putting in steam radiators. We thought them very eccentric but they sure loved those steam radiators. I moved to Baltimore many years ago and bought a house with steam radiators..and discovered how wonderful they are. I've lived in a lot of places and had forced air heat, in floor radiant heat, baseboard heat, and wood stove heat.all have advantages, but radiators are coolest. However, they do need adjusting to function properly. When I first bought my house I bought a book by Dan Holohan called The Lost Art of Steam Heating and besides explaining how they work and how to adjust them, it contains a wonderful history lesson on steam heating. It's an incredibly complex SYSTEM. According to the author, a properly working steam system should be perfectly quiet. - but everything from the boiler, the pipes, the vents and the radiators themselves have to be perfectly balanced for that. So find a plumber who knows these systems because the clanking (water hammer) and hissing are not normal although I find some radiator noise comforting - it's like knowing an old friend is alive and kicking. In the meantime, Eric's hints in an earlier message are excellent first steps to take. Lifting one side of the radiator solved many of my original problems. One hint from an old timer - make sure all the radiator vents are from the same manufacturer because different valves have different venting rates and you need to be able to balance them based on the distance the radiator is from the boiler. Karen Morley kdmorley at yahoo dot com From: Kathleen Wilsbach kwilsba...@gmail.com To: The Charles Village Chat List chat@charlesvillage.info Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 11:24 PM Subject: Re: [Chat] Radiators I have to disagree with Eric. I love our steam heat. When we had ducts put in for the central air, we left the radiators right where they were. Although the air in our house is still somewhat dry during the winter, I'll take steam over forced air any day. SS! I do agree that it's a good idea to hire an expert to deal with problems. When we've had trouble with our radiators, we've had very good service from Saffer plumbing. Faulty valves do need to be replaced if they're not working right. Also if the valve near the floor is leaking, it might need some new lamp wick which works as a sort of gasket. Sadly we had a leaking radiator that had to be replaced. Of course, you can't buy new but Saffer tries to keep a stock of used ones on hand for just such situations. When we first bought our house, David Saffer was very helpful in explaining the ins and outs of the steam heating system and giving it an initial tuneup. Kathleen Wilsbach On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:32 PM, Eric Dymond ericdym...@gmail.com wrote: In short, it's sort of voodoo and it's best to hire someone to do it, rather than doing it yourself. I haven't really found anyone that I'd recommend. It's really a terrible way to heat a house. On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:18 PM, Jeanne Knight jeanneknig...@msn.com wrote: Is it steam or hotwater? If hotwater, get a radiator key from the hardware store to turn the valve. It costs very little. Bleed the radiator of the air that has accumulated. Have a bowl with you to catch the water that will come out after the air is drained but before you retighten the valve. Start with the one furthest from the furnace. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:02 -0500 From: casey.e.mil...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: [Chat] Radiators Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info
Re: [Chat] Radiators
I've also had great interactions with David Saffer, both for plumbing and radiators.Kathleen HruskaOn Jan 19, 2012, at 08:24 PM, Kathleen Wilsbach kwilsba...@gmail.com wrote:I have to disagree with Eric. I love our steam heat. When we had ducts put in for the central air, we left the radiators right where they were. Although the air in our house is still somewhat dry during the winter, I'll take steam over forced air any day. SS! I do agree that it's a good idea to hire an expert to deal with problems. When we've had trouble with our radiators, we've had very good service from Saffer plumbing. Faulty valves do need to be replaced if they're not working right. Also if the valve near the floor is leaking, it might need some new lamp wick which works as a sort of gasket. Sadly we had a leaking radiator that had to be replaced. Of course, you can't buy new but Saffer tries to keep a stock of used ones on hand for just such situations. When we first bought our house, David Saffer was very helpful in explaining the ins and outs of the steam heating system and giving it an initial tuneup. Kathleen Wilsbach On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:32 PM, Eric Dymond ericdym...@gmail.com wrote: In short, it's sort of voodoo and it's best to hire someone to do it, rather than doing it yourself.I haven't really found anyone that I'd recommend. It's really a terrible way to heat a house. On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:18 PM, Jeanne Knight jeanneknig...@msn.com wrote: Isit steam or hotwater? If hotwater, get a radiator key from the hardware store to turn the valve.It costs very little. Bleed the radiator of the air that has accumulated. Have a bowl with you to catch the water that will come out after the air is drained but before you retighten the valve. Start with the one furthest from the furnace. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:02 -0500 From: casey.e.mil...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: [Chat] Radiators Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: chat@charlesvillage.info/'http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: chat@charlesvillage.info/'http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: chat@charlesvillage.info/'http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillageinfo archive: chat@charlesvillage.info/'http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
[Chat] Radiators
Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
Re: [Chat] Radiators
Is it steam or hotwater? If hotwater, get a radiator key from the hardware store to turn the valve. It costs very little. Bleed the radiator of the air that has accumulated. Have a bowl with you to catch the water that will come out after the air is drained but before you retighten the valve. Start with the one furthest from the furnace. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:02 -0500 From: casey.e.mil...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: [Chat] Radiators Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
Re: [Chat] Radiators
If they're bubbling/gurgling, the condensed steam may not be draining back to the boiler. The end of the radiator opposite the incoming pipe (assuming it's single pipe) should be elevated slightly so it can drain back. The steam vents do need to be tuned properly so that air is purged from the radiator and it fills up with steam. If it vents too quickly, the hot steam isn't able to fill the radiator, condense and release heat. If it vents too slowly you're spraying steam into the room. Non-functioning vents (either open or closed) need to be replaced. Also, radiators will require different sized vents depending on the size of the radiator and how far they are from the boiler (assuming you don't have a main vent). In short, it's sort of voodoo and it's best to hire someone to do it, rather than doing it yourself. I haven't really found anyone that I'd recommend. It's really a terrible way to heat a house. On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:18 PM, Jeanne Knight jeanneknig...@msn.comwrote: Is it steam or hotwater? If hotwater, get a radiator key from the hardware store to turn the valve. It costs very little. Bleed the radiator of the air that has accumulated. Have a bowl with you to catch the water that will come out after the air is drained but before you retighten the valve. Start with the one furthest from the furnace. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell -- Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:02 -0500 From: casey.e.mil...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: [Chat] Radiators Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.infoarchive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
Re: [Chat] Radiators
Eric is right in assuming steam. Hot water ones like I have bang and don't bubble and gurgle. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:32:15 -0500 From: ericdym...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: Re: [Chat] Radiators If they're bubbling/gurgling, the condensed steam may not be draining back to the boiler. The end of the radiator opposite the incoming pipe (assuming it's single pipe) should be elevated slightly so it can drain back. The steam vents do need to be tuned properly so that air is purged from the radiator and it fills up with steam. If it vents too quickly, the hot steam isn't able to fill the radiator, condense and release heat. If it vents too slowly you're spraying steam into the room. Non-functioning vents (either open or closed) need to be replaced. Also, radiators will require different sized vents depending on the size of the radiator and how far they are from the boiler (assuming you don't have a main vent). In short, it's sort of voodoo and it's best to hire someone to do it, rather than doing it yourself. I haven't really found anyone that I'd recommend. It's really a terrible way to heat a house. On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:18 PM, Jeanne Knight jeanneknig...@msn.com wrote: Is it steam or hotwater? If hotwater, get a radiator key from the hardware store to turn the valve. It costs very little. Bleed the radiator of the air that has accumulated. Have a bowl with you to catch the water that will come out after the air is drained but before you retighten the valve. Start with the one furthest from the furnace. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:02 -0500 From: casey.e.mil...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: [Chat] Radiators Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
Re: [Chat] Radiators
If there's only one pipe leading to the radiator, it's steam. If there are two, it's probably hot water. From: langwi...@comcast.net langwi...@comcast.net To: The Charles Village Chat List chat@charlesvillage.info Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:21 PM Subject: Re: [Chat] Radiators Jeanne, How can I tell whether my radiators are steam or hot wwater. Mine too make noises and hammer horribly. Christine From: Jeanne Knight jeanneknig...@msn.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:18:12 PM Subject: Re: [Chat] Radiators Is it steam or hotwater? If hotwater, get a radiator key from the hardware store to turn the valve. It costs very little. Bleed the radiator of the air that has accumulated. Have a bowl with you to catch the water that will come out after the air is drained but before you retighten the valve. Start with the one furthest from the furnace. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:02 -0500 From: casey.e.mil...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: [Chat] Radiators Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
Re: [Chat] Radiators
It's just the one pipe, so I guess it's steam. As for bleeding the radiators, I thought that's what the newer valves screwed into the upper-side of the radiator were for. Aren't they supposed to release extra air? It really does seem like voodoo. On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 7:52 PM, Jonathan Wetmiller jwetmil...@yahoo.comwrote: If there's only one pipe leading to the radiator, it's steam. If there are two, it's probably hot water. -- *From:* langwi...@comcast.net langwi...@comcast.net *To:* The Charles Village Chat List chat@charlesvillage.info *Sent:* Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:21 PM *Subject:* Re: [Chat] Radiators Jeanne, How can I tell whether my radiators are steam or hot wwater. Mine too make noises and hammer horribly. Christine -- *From: *Jeanne Knight jeanneknig...@msn.com *To: *chat@charlesvillage.info *Sent: *Thursday, January 19, 2012 6:18:12 PM *Subject: *Re: [Chat] Radiators Is it steam or hotwater? If hotwater, get a radiator key from the hardware store to turn the valve. It costs very little. Bleed the radiator of the air that has accumulated. Have a bowl with you to catch the water that will come out after the air is drained but before you retighten the valve. Start with the one furthest from the furnace. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell -- Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:02 -0500 From: casey.e.mil...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: [Chat] Radiators Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.infoarchive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
Re: [Chat] Radiators
I have to disagree with Eric. I love our steam heat. When we had ducts put in for the central air, we left the radiators right where they were. Although the air in our house is still somewhat dry during the winter, I'll take steam over forced air any day. SS! I do agree that it's a good idea to hire an expert to deal with problems. When we've had trouble with our radiators, we've had very good service from Saffer plumbing. Faulty valves do need to be replaced if they're not working right. Also if the valve near the floor is leaking, it might need some new lamp wick which works as a sort of gasket. Sadly we had a leaking radiator that had to be replaced. Of course, you can't buy new but Saffer tries to keep a stock of used ones on hand for just such situations. When we first bought our house, David Saffer was very helpful in explaining the ins and outs of the steam heating system and giving it an initial tuneup. Kathleen Wilsbach On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:32 PM, Eric Dymond ericdym...@gmail.com wrote: In short, it's sort of voodoo and it's best to hire someone to do it, rather than doing it yourself. I haven't really found anyone that I'd recommend. It's really a terrible way to heat a house. On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 6:18 PM, Jeanne Knight jeanneknig...@msn.com wrote: Is it steam or hotwater? If hotwater, get a radiator key from the hardware store to turn the valve. It costs very little. Bleed the radiator of the air that has accumulated. Have a bowl with you to catch the water that will come out after the air is drained but before you retighten the valve. Start with the one furthest from the furnace. Jeanne Knight 2513 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 410 366-2849 410 977-8851 cell Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:29:02 -0500 From: casey.e.mil...@gmail.com To: chat@charlesvillage.info Subject: [Chat] Radiators Does anyone have experience with steam radiators? I know they're supposed to make some noise, but I've got a few that bubble, gurgle, and whistle all night long and I'd rather not be forced to make the choice between being warm and getting a good night's sleep. I've heard that the system may need to be balanced, but I'm a complete novice to this stuff. Thanks, Casey ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/ ___ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/chat@charlesvillage.info/
