Radiator problems....Help! :)

[Caution]

OK i've got a steam based radiator heating system in my house. Weirdly the bottom floor gets nice and toasty warm and the upper floor...well icebox is a good way of describing it. We bought the house last march and have tried "balancing" the system by turning off some of the lower level radiators and still nothing. The really strange thing is that very occasionally the upstairs will heat properly. I'm having a heating guy come in today because last night was the last straw. Anyone have any ideas? I'll post an update with what the heating guy says as well.

[Jersey Devil]

1. Are the steam vents on the radiators clear?

My first house had a similar problem, heat downstairs OK but cold upstairs. I replaced the steam relief valves on the upstairs radiators (actually, all the radiators) and it cleared up the problem. Seems previous radiator paint jobs had included the openings on the valves and thereby prevented the free flow of air through the system.

Of course it goes without saying that this should be done when there is no pressure in the pipes or whoever screws off the valve could get seriously scalded.

[Steven_S]

2. Sorry I missed this.....

I install, service and repair steam systems. By now your "heating guy" will have found and taken care of the problem.

Generally a good idea to leave the valves at the rads in the open position. Fully open. By now you should know that you don't balance a system by closing off the service valves.

I hope he used a good quality equalzing valve(vent)if, in fact, that was the problem. The imports are crap and don't last very long. Most reputable companys won't use them because of the liability issue.

PM me if you have any questions.

[Caution]

3. What happened...

Well the guy finally came and it turns out that most of the radiators in my house weren't leveled appropriately. They were all leaning towards the air vents rather than the steam valve. So he leveled them all appropriately and this has mostly alleviated the problem. The downstairs is still warmer but not by the 10 degrees or so that it was at before. he also put new air vents on all the the offending radiators (and I'll probbaly replace them all at the next "checkup").

The whole thing has been a huge learning experience for me as a new home owner. The biggest lesson was not to overfill the furnace which caused incredibly loud pipe banging! Next to that was the concept that radiators should lean one way and not the other and shouldn't be exactly level.

Any experience or recommendations as far as balancing the heat even further? Should I try to close off the air vents on the lower floor to about half open and fully open the upper floor? Or should I just learn to live with about a 3 degree difference (which doesnt seem like much until you walk upstairs from being nice and cozy on the couch to go to bed!)?

[Jersey Devil]

4. Your problem may not be only with the radiators

Since you had a professional in and he fixed the problem I would guess that your heat IS being evenly distributed but that you might be losing heat upstairs through the ceilings. If it's an older house (which it must be if you have steam heat), I wonder if your attic is properly insulated? If the ceiling upstairs is not insulated (or underinsulated), that certainly could account for a 3 degree temperature difference.

[NMDemDist2]

5. glad it's better. I prefer my sleeping room a few degrees cooler

that way I can bundle up in blankets to get all cozy

good luck, but the insulation in the attic sounds like a good place to check next

I saw a thing on HGTV they are now making insulation out of recycled denim, which is nicer to work with and very earth friendly

[Steven_S]

6. To balance a steam system...

You need to put the slower vents in the room with the thermostat, on the first floor or rooms that tend to be warm.

Faster vents should be placed on the steam main, and on the upper floors or the farthest rads from the boiler. It's called a boiler, not a furnace.

American mfg's use numbers and letters to designate what's fast or slow, with 4 being the slower and D being the faster.

Try using a faster vent upstairs and see what happens. Be careful when you remove and install the new vents because it's easy to cross-thread them.

If you are using the adjustable-type vents then it's just a matter of trial and error.

There is a guy in Long Island that wrote some books that might interest you. Check out http://www.heatinghelp.com/ I even bought a couple of his books, they're that good.