Radiator Not Hot Enough? A Radiator Air Vent Could be your Solution.
Folks with steam radiator heating systems are quite used to the familiar sound of “hissing” that occurs as their radiator fills up with steam. To the uninitiated, the sound has led many a child to consider the possibilities of monsters in the closet, and others literally can’t sleep without the comforting sounds of their hissing radiator. Whatever your predisposition, this radiator “breathing” is characteristic of a one-pipe steam boiler system where air is being released from the radiator. You may also find a variation of this radiator air valve in the supply lines of one-pipe systems and the supply and return lines of two-pipe steam boiler systems. How does a Radiator Air Valve Work? The radiator’s air valve, or radiator air vent or steam valve as it is sometimes called, is used only in one-pipe steam boiler systems . It is usually located at the end of the radiator opposite the supply pipe, about halfway up or higher towards the top. Many air vents are bullet-shaped, or o...