Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.
If our community has helped you, please consider making a contribution to support this website. Thanks!
Best Of
Re: Rusty NEW MoM main vents
Hello @Jim_X,
Maybe this will help.
Deep Dive Into Gorton #2 Main Steam Vent Construction & Failure Modes
https://youtu.be/s-g0YSu8Bbo
Gorton #2 Main Steam Vent With Nothing To Hide
https://youtu.be/LeYDZvD7NmI
Gorton / Maid-o-Mist Single Pipe Steam Radiator Air Vents
https://youtu.be/0ugIrg9bquk
Maybe this will help.
Deep Dive Into Gorton #2 Main Steam Vent Construction & Failure Modes
https://youtu.be/s-g0YSu8BboGorton #2 Main Steam Vent With Nothing To Hide
https://youtu.be/LeYDZvD7NmIGorton / Maid-o-Mist Single Pipe Steam Radiator Air Vents
https://youtu.be/0ugIrg9bquk2
Honeywell Power-pile VS8187A1203
Hi All,
My boiler is starting intermittently. I traced the issue to a loose PP terminal on the power pile. I replaced the terminal on the wire end, but seems the terminal is loose in the terminal strip, as is the entire terminal strip loose to the unit. Are these power pile's serviceable (maybe an internal solder joint broke?)? Are these valves still available, or is there a suitable replacement that anyone know of?
Thanks Much!
JP - Winnipeg, MB Can
My boiler is starting intermittently. I traced the issue to a loose PP terminal on the power pile. I replaced the terminal on the wire end, but seems the terminal is loose in the terminal strip, as is the entire terminal strip loose to the unit. Are these power pile's serviceable (maybe an internal solder joint broke?)? Are these valves still available, or is there a suitable replacement that anyone know of?
Thanks Much!
JP - Winnipeg, MB Can
1
Re: Well that isn't going to work (outdoor unit iced over)
So, what was there 1st?
if the heater exhaust than the condensing unit gets moved. I’d the A/C then the heater exhaust gets moved.
The boiler exhuast was put in first. I'll likely move the AC Compressor around the corner this upcoming summer to avoid problems.
For anyone wondering about performance, I did kick the heat pumps in for the bedrooms which uses a different compressor (same model/size properly located) and even at -15F it's keeping up in the bedrooms. I suspect it's not very effecient at these temps so I'll kick the hydronic heat back on shortly but I do want to move to a air to water heat pump for the hydronic eventually (2-5 year), so it was worth seeing how they performed on design days...
iced98lx
2
Re: Hauling A Furnace In The Back Of A Pick-up Truck
kinda comes to a point that , if installed, it must idle all winter season, can't be used to just warm the shop on a random weekend , or work day,
you still have the same condensate concerns freezing up,
but you knew that, , , ,
you still have the same condensate concerns freezing up,
but you knew that, , , ,
1
Re: Hand held ultrasonic flow meter? Water differential pressure gauges/ Hydronic manometers?
Testo 550 are rated for r-718, probably most others are also. get a selection of different gauges depending on the pressures.
Probably find these cheap at pawn shops, CL, FB marketplace, e-bay, etc.
From HVAC-talk
Probably find these cheap at pawn shops, CL, FB marketplace, e-bay, etc.
From HVAC-talk
hot_rod
1
Re: Leaking air vents on steam baseboard raditors and banging noise in pipes
A "C" vent is a fast vent and that type of convector is usually happiest with lower vent rates because of all the condensate the convector produces. Are the other convectors venting at that same rate?I need to do more research on convectors to better understand you feedback
You can get vent kits that come with a vent and 5 different vent orifices for that single vent, this lets you dial in the correct venting rate.
Generally you want to vent the mains slowly and the radiators slowly. Keep in mind this is a heating system and it has to be balanced so it comes up to heat at about the same time.
Bob
Re: Radiant Heating Pump pulling power, 0 GPM output. Advice Appreciated
Here is a better illustration of @hot_rod"s diagram. This shows the radiant floor tubing not in the picture. The instructions are the same. Close valve at the circulator pump (#3). Attach the hose from the water heater darin to #2 purge valve. let the water out at #1 purge valve.
Once that is all done, close the valve #1 first.
Then close the valve at the bottom of the water heater second.
Next close the valve #2
Now open valve #3
Check the pressure gauge. if the water pressure is over 50 PSI (or 115 feet) lower the pressure to about 20 PSI or so by letting some water out of valve #1. Then you should be good to go for the rest of the winter. .

By the way.. you still need a relief valve and other components on that heating system closed loop, if it has the heat exchanger coil inside the tank. Please let us know the model number so I can determine if you have the Combi Core® or not.
Once that is all done, close the valve #1 first.
Then close the valve at the bottom of the water heater second.
Next close the valve #2
Now open valve #3
Check the pressure gauge. if the water pressure is over 50 PSI (or 115 feet) lower the pressure to about 20 PSI or so by letting some water out of valve #1. Then you should be good to go for the rest of the winter. .

By the way.. you still need a relief valve and other components on that heating system closed loop, if it has the heat exchanger coil inside the tank. Please let us know the model number so I can determine if you have the Combi Core® or not.
Re: shut off valves turn but don't work
Hi, I see wrench marks on the newish-looking valve. Any chance someone removed the internals? 
Yours, Larry
Yours, Larry
Re: Hand held ultrasonic flow meter? Water differential pressure gauges/ Hydronic manometers?
Ultrasonic has its place in large diameter pipes with laminar flows like central plants or distribution pipes. That's really the only time i've seen them used. I'm looking at the price of the B&G or Winters meter I would invest a little more for a Alnor or go get a Shortridge hydrometer. Often places will rent these meters out for a monthly basis, which you can easily carry in the cost of a job. For quick down and dirty use an old JB refrigeration manifold with a quality gauge and get the peet's plug adapters like the pic Hot_rod posted. It gets you pretty darn close using the manufactures data sheets
Re: Hoffman 2 Vents?
The argument the dead men make is that open vented all the steam must be delivered against atmospheric pressure so the boiler must generate something over 14.7 psi to get it to move to the radiators. With sub-atmospheric delivery that 14.7 at the header is not needed so obviously the delivery is accomplished with a lot less effort.
I don't have any figures for how much this saves. But I can say for sure it does save. Igor published numbers with a pumped system and the savings was very significant.
But I will say it one more time - the real benefit to vacuum operation is on the comfort side. Radiators stay very noticeably warmer longer between burns which evens things out considerably and natural balancing occurs because radiators in the colder areas pull more of the available steam from the mains between cycles. My upstairs/downstairs difference which was significant (and a pain) disappeared altogether with vacuum operation. Steam returns much faster to the radiators on the next burn because every burn starts with the system at the deepest vacuum. Remember, all this happens every cycle and that adds up to a lot of steam travelling against less resistance mostly to the coldest places (wherever they are today) in real time.
If you haven't experienced this first hand then you really don't know.
One other thing, as Hoffman explained, in a one pipe system just one vacuum vent on one radiator will cause that radiator to pull a greater share of the total system steam than without it. Why? Because at boiler shutdown all the other radiators will instantly cease to pull steam from the main while that one won't stop. It isn't that much each time.....but it is every damn time, and it adds up.
I don't have any figures for how much this saves. But I can say for sure it does save. Igor published numbers with a pumped system and the savings was very significant.
But I will say it one more time - the real benefit to vacuum operation is on the comfort side. Radiators stay very noticeably warmer longer between burns which evens things out considerably and natural balancing occurs because radiators in the colder areas pull more of the available steam from the mains between cycles. My upstairs/downstairs difference which was significant (and a pain) disappeared altogether with vacuum operation. Steam returns much faster to the radiators on the next burn because every burn starts with the system at the deepest vacuum. Remember, all this happens every cycle and that adds up to a lot of steam travelling against less resistance mostly to the coldest places (wherever they are today) in real time.
If you haven't experienced this first hand then you really don't know.
One other thing, as Hoffman explained, in a one pipe system just one vacuum vent on one radiator will cause that radiator to pull a greater share of the total system steam than without it. Why? Because at boiler shutdown all the other radiators will instantly cease to pull steam from the main while that one won't stop. It isn't that much each time.....but it is every damn time, and it adds up.
PMJ
3

