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The radiator makes unbearable noises throu out the night, which drives her insane. We think that this is due to air pockets in the pipes, we can hear crackling and water drops.
The heating system is common to the whole building, and I cant turn off hot water.
How do i open this shit
I have no idea why everyone here is saying to not do jack shit. Like, is the us system so different than what im used to?
Here is an information dump of what i know, and what my experiences is from 9 years of being the handyman in an elderly home. And yes, i called in experts enough times on heating issues. I know my ( local ) shit.
Would you describe the sound like a knocking, rumbling sound? If so, turn it all off, check the pressure of the heater and get a plumber. Youre pushing steam or nothing through the system and the piping doesnt like it. Scary sound if its bad tbh. Also a serious issue you need a plumber for, as the heater or preassure tank is likely fucked.
Would you describe the sound like blub blub, airbubbles popping or a waterfall? If so, there is air in the closed loop of the radiators. It happens, and its recommended to check all radiators once a year when it gets colder. Nothing bad about it, easy to fix/remedy.
You can also validate this by turning on the heating system and noticing, on top of the sound, that only part of the radiator heats up.
This is usually a problem with the highest radiator of your system, or the farthest radiator of your loop.
If it happens more than once a year -> you might have a leak somewhere ,if water pressure remains the same, get a plumber to check on the system or radiator system.
The later can easily be remedied. Go to the radiator that makes sound and try and find the following :
collapsed inline media
It is an release valve intended to let air in, or out, of the system. It is on the top side of the radiator, on the opposite side of the knob. Turn on the heating system, wait a bit for it to heat up. Then use the special key, or screw driver to very very slowly turn it open. You will hear air escape at one point, or drips of water coming out of the small hole you see in the picture. If you can no longer hear air escape, or a steady small stream of water comes out, all air is released and you can close it again.
I'm with you there. Sure, if you get stupid and screw the valve all the way out, you are fucked and flooded. But to unscrew it completely, you'd have to exercise an overwhelming amount of stupidity.
Degassing radiators is a really simple operation - you either have a special square inverted key, which fits the valve or just use a flat screwdriver and slowly turn the degassing valve until it starts hissing. You let it out until the air turns into a very small stream of radiator water - but the stream is extremely mild and if you close it after a seond it does so, there's usually no more then couple of drops of water.
I have no idea why there should be some sort of superheated steam like anyone is freaking out. Radiator water is usually around 50C if you have an old system or even lower if your heater uses new fancy equiterm curves. Nothing that would burn you.
What is important to say: only turn the little round bolt with the slot in it, do not screw out the whole valve.
The other comments sound really scary, does the US have another system? Why should there be steam coming out?
I don't have first hand experience, but I think NYC and possibly some other large US cities do actually operate on a steam network. It's not a closed loop hot water system like I have in my house, from what I understand you purchase hot steam like you would buy electricity.
Take all of that with a grain of salt until someone that knows more can chime in.
Whoa, what the hell? Id like to know more if true!
EDIT: what the actual living hell???
https://www.reddit.com/r/Brooklyn/comments/1gjdpug/someone_explain_to_me_how_radiators_work_in_nyc/
Fascinating, thanks
Oh, I know this!
Radiators run at different temperatures, radiators could run at around 80 C which is enough to "steam". In my part of the world, we've lowered the water temperature to not scald people neither on the radiators nor if they'd start leaking. OTOH we now have more radiator surface area and insulation.
Oh valid point. Dont unscrew the whole valve haha. Only the slotted key hole!
Steam might come out if you have a very major pressure issue or water temprature is way way too high. Either case, slowly opening the valve solves all off that
Was going to say this exact thing, good thing someone else of sound sense has typed the correct answer. Just turn the screw pictured open (counter-clockwise) ever so slightly to let air out (makes hiss) and tighten once water comes out (makes no sound).
Source: Nordic man of the house. I did this a lot until we put in a new heating system with an automatic valve at the main heat reservoir.