| Author |
Message |
    
amh
Citizen
Username: Amh
Post Number: 11
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 9:23 am: |     |
Having recently converted from oil to gas and having had a new boiler installed for on our 1-pipe steam system, we fired up our heater for the first time this weekend. Our old system was always old and inefficient, and certain rooms never heated up. Now all of the radiators seem to be heating up well, and even the coldest room is warm, but we seem to have a new problem. The old vents were replaced with vari-vents, and at least 2 or 3 of them make a constant "shooosh....shooosh....shoosh" noise when the boiler runs, as if they're not closing properly when the system builds up the pressure. If it stopped after a minute or two, I probably wouldn't worry about it, but it keeps going on and on. Because it's happening to more than one of the vents, I've ruled out a malfunction with the vents. Also I tried to adjust the opening in those vents, but nothing seemed to help (short of closing them all the way, which kept those radiators from heating up at all). Is it just an overall balancing of all the vents in the house that needs to be done? Could there be a pressure problem that needs to be addressed on the boiler? The contractors idea of balancing seemed to be to open all valves on the first floor half way and all valves on the second floor all the way. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 993
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 11:41 am: | |
I'd definitely check the pressure settings--lower is better. .5 and 1 methinks.
Also, did you get the same size boiler--in terms of BTUs? |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3216
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 11:48 am: | |
The radiators and the vents will do exactly that! The radiator is breathing and will do so the entire heat cycle as the steam fills, seals the vent, the condenses to water and drains back. The the vent will re-open, may suck in some air the vent air out and it re-fills with steam.
In the Attic a couple of use wrote the entire sequence and provided some drawings last year.
I do not have time this second, but post if you want to read it and I will search it out later. |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 997
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 11:55 am: | |
OK, (says the novice to the master) but should they be making such a concert of it? Or maybe it just seems that way to amh with a newly functioning system? |
amh
Citizen
Username: Amh
Post Number: 12
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 12:22 pm: | |
Thanks to both of you for your quick responses. I did search through a lot of the old "steam" threads before posting, but I didn't see quite the same question/problem in past postings (I may have just overlooked it, since there are so many). There is a part of me that wonders if I just never knew what a properly functioning system was supposed to sound like. I don't think that's the case, though, because not all of the vents make this much noise (jfburch's--your description is perfect--it is a concert in our bedroom/master bath). I understand that the noise is a normal part of the steam system, but I was under the impression that it would last for a minute or two, and that I should be able to hear another noise when sufficient pressure is reached and the vent closes. Instead, it seems to me like the vent just never closes at all (the radiator definitely is heating up though). If it is normal for the noise to keep going for 10-15 minutes, maybe I just never noticed it because the old fixed size vents were quieter than the vari-vents? |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 998
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 12:38 pm: | |
Well, it's normal, as jgberkeley says, for the air to be venting for at least 10-15 minutes as the radiator fills--you just might not always hear it, or hear it so much.
So it might be an issue of dirt, since dirty vents can get loud. I took some advice and lessons from the heating gurus and jgberkeley last year and cleaned my system--also after getting a new boiler. It helped quite a bit with the noise. The pressure settings on the new boiler were also a bit high and adjusting them down may also have helped (since high pressure steam is likely to hiss more). And of course, your new boiler is likely delivering lots more steam than you had before.
I'm not sure vari-vents are any noisier, though I think they do fail more often because they are a little more complex--but it shouldn't be an issue really with new vents. |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3219
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 1:58 pm: | |
Jfburch had a good suggestion.
If this is a new boiler, have you checked the pressure settings?
Do you have something that looks like this?
If so is it set to .5 lbs? |
Master Plvmber
Citizen
Username: Master_plvmber
Post Number: 106
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 7:32 pm: | |
The fixed capacity vents are indeed quieter, but that's probably not your problem. It sounds to me like your main vent needs replacement or is undersized. The radiator vent valves behave like animals when they're asked to do the job for the whole system.
Please ask your contractor not to touch your heating system.
Master_Plvmber
|
|
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page