How much venting is needed?

Steamhead (in transit)

to equal one Gorton #2. And the price of the Hoffman is roughly the same as the Gorton. You do the math.

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Steve Garson_2

How much venting is needed?

My neighborhood club has a one-pipe steam system that no one has maintained, although the boiler is pretty new. I'm the new boiler main:) I noticed that there is effectively little venting on the mains. One main has a 1-1/4 inch fresh cap on a ceiling radiator that was recently removed that is at the end of one main, so it's the perfect place to add venting.

One main is a total of around 150 feet of 4-inch pipe. What should I use for venting this pipe?

The second main is around 100 feet of 3-inch pipe.

Can someone suggest the vents that I should use at the ends of these mains?

Ken_40

It would appear...

Any venting would be better than what's there now.

Three and four inch mains contain LOTS of air! I would install two vents per main. Gorton being my all-time fave; I's opt for a short nipp. at least 3/4" going into a bull-headed tee and two Gorton # 1's per main. I believe Gorton makes even larger sizes. If so, use 'em!

It is essential that the vents not be installed at the end of the mains, but minimally, 12" from the end. Near the center third between the last take-off and the end (as long as that point is NOT closer to the 12" from main-end) is ideal.

Steve Garson_2

I thought that I'd need more venting than that. Last year, Steamhead suggested two of the Gorton #1 on each main of my home system, which is tiny by comparison: 0.75gph versus 2.5gph.

Ken_40

Steamhead is the

quintessential source of all things steam.

I agree with him on almost everything related to steam. One of the thingswe agree on most is:
"It is impossible to have too much venting on a main."

However, two Gorton # 1's on each main is a lot of venting by any measure. Steamhead would suggest ten Gorton # 1's is better.

Sadly, I would agree (:-o)

Steve Garson_2

Thanks. By the way, how many cubic feet per foot of 3" and 4" pipe?

Ken_40

Too lazy to look it up but...

pi R squared X length = volume of pipe.

Steamhead (in transit)

Not quite ten

but seriously, two Gorton #1 vents wouldn't do much good on those mains. The Gorton #2 will vent about 3-1/2 times faster than the Gorton #1, so that's the vent of choice.

For the long main you will need eight Gorton #2 vents.

For the short one you will need three Gorton #2 vents.

It would probably be best to have a welder attach thread-o-lets in the proper sizes to the steam mains near the end. You then build manifolds of pipe to hold the vents. Use two 1-inch thread-o-lets on the long main and one on the short one. The result will look something like the attached pic, which we installed in a big apartment house in Baltimore.

This setup will get the steam to the ends of the mains in a super hurry, so all radiators will get steam at about the same time.

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Steve Garson_2

Wow. I understand how important venting is, but the scale of this system is quite different from residential.

Ten vents cost around $900+ before labor. What kind of ROI is there? I will have to sell this idea to the board of this place. Right now, the heat "works fine" but I realize that a lot of money is being wasted. I hear the boiler come on and go off while pressure builds before heat comes on.

Casinojunkie

Gorton #2 vs Hoffman #75

Which is the better vent for main line?
Which vents fastr? Thanks

Steamhead (in transit)

You can't do this halfway

or you won't get results. You really need those eleven vents for it to work right.

Here is a job where we used a lot more than ten Gorton #2 vents. We tracked their fuel consumption and recorded a 32% reduction while distributing the heat evenly thru the building for the first time in 90 years. The system vents quickly at a few ounces pressure. If you wish, you can print out the thread and show it to the board.

http://forums.invision.net/Thread.cfm?CFApp=2&Thread_ID=29563&mc=53

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