How a Steam Radiator Air Vent Works
When the steam boiler is not in a heating cycle, the radiator air vent is open, allowing ambient air to fill the radiator. As a heating cycle begins, steam flows up through the supply pipe to the radiator. As the radiator fills with steam, it pushes the air out through the open vent. This replacement of cool air with hot steam heats up the vent, which is a heat-sensitive valve, until the vent closes, trapping the steam in the radiator to capture its heat. This “breathing” is responsible for the characteristic hissing sounds of a one-pipe steam boiler system. (You may also find a variation of this valve in the supply lines of one-pipe systems and in the supply and return lines of two-pipe steam boiler systems.)
Steam Radiator Air Vent Types and Sizes
Radiator air valves come in a variety of sizes that provide different rates of airflow. By adjusting the airflow to an individual radiator, you can affect how quickly the radiator heats up. This fine-tuning allows you to balance the heating system so that radiators get the right amount of heat for the rooms they serve. More airflow means more heat; less airflow means less heat. The names given the different sizes of air valves, from smallest to largest, are #4, #5, #6, C, D, and #1. Common applications of the different valve sizes include:
#4: Used on radiators in rooms with thermostats and on radiators affecting a thermostat#5: Used on radiators near the boiler and in warm rooms#6: Used on radiators farther from the boiler and in cold rooms (such as rooms on upper floors)C: Used on radiators farthest from the boiler (e.g., third floor)D: Used on radiators needing a lot of venting (e.g., long branches or extra-large radiators)#1: Used at the end of steam piping mains
In general, larger valves are used at the end of long pipe runs (mains) and in colder rooms. Smaller air valves are used nearer to the steam boiler and in rooms that have a thermostat.
