Radiator Disharmony
A couple questions for Master Plumber and any one else. I have several radiators that emit an “shhhhhh” sound, like it’s telling me softly to be quiet. Is that normal or do you think I need to replace the air valves? And last, I have a radiator on the third floor that has a small…
A couple questions for Master Plumber and any one else. I have several radiators that emit an “shhhhhh” sound, like it’s telling me softly to be quiet. Is that normal or do you think I need to replace the air valves? And last, I have a radiator on the third floor that has a small leak from one of the section joints, along with a gurgle sound that is transmitted through the riser that runs through our bedroom, any thoughts on what I should do to get some peace at night? TIA
The sound is caused by air moving under pressure. The more pressure the more/louder the sound.
Most every boiler comes from the factory with a pressure regulating device, called a pressuretrol, that allows the boiler to cycle to the lowest high setting of 1.5psi.
Another option is to replace it with something called a vaporstat which is a more sensitive pressure regulator that allows the boiler to run at ounces of steam pressure before it even gets to 1 pound psi.
Having a vaporstat installed on your boiler quiets things down significantly and immediately. It also green’s up the system by allowing the boiler to use less fuel to make less pressure.
I’m sure there is no reason your home can’t be heated with 6-14 ozs per square inch of steam pressure.
This is me:
http://www.GatewayPlumbing.com
A soft Shhhh is normal, the gurgle and any dripping isn’t, meaning the vent needs to be either cleaned or replaced.
A leaky radiator section can be repaired or replaced depending on the type of radiator. Although I’d recommend having the entire radiator sent out for this. A thorough cleaning of the interior works wonders for a century of gunk buildup.
In a steam system it’s normal to have the shhhhhh….. sound. It’s air being pushed through the system and out the vent. Once the radiator heats up, the vent should close and stop the “shhhhhh” sound. No need to replace the vent if it’s working. The radiator with the leak should probably be replaced if it’s an antique. It’s very hard to repair old radiators with leaky sections.