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Gorton Radiator vents (one-pipe steam)

Bob W._3
Member Posts: 561
Thanks, they are quite a bit cheaper. State was that cheap two years ago but for some reason hiked their prices way up.
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Comments
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Gorton Radiator Vents (one-pipe steam)
I own a 2-family house and I live on the 1st floor with tenants upstairs. I have a burnham oil-fired boiler and one pipe steam. My floor heats pretty rapidly, and the location of the thermostat is between two rooms with large radiators. The upstairs tenants have complained that it's too cold, however it's around 70 degrees downstairs.
I'm intending to balance the radiators and found these Gorton items on-line (see link below). Does this seem to be a fair price? Also, do any of you pros have a better idea regarding balancing my system and getting more heat to the upstairs? I really don't feel like roasting downstairs...
http://www.statesupply.com/displayCategory.do?Id=1816
cheers,
Greg0 -
I am having, basically,
the same problem with my third floor radiators. Cannot seem to get the 3rd floor to remain as warm as the 2nd and 1st. I heard Gorton vents work great....as do the Hoffman's.0 -
Greg, that is the St. Paul supplier I use; have posted it in the past. Their prices seem to have gone up some, but they have been dependable. Used to buy online from Controlsdepot.com but they just went under.
Agree to using larger Gorton's (C and D) to balance your system, or you could try venting the risers and using slower vents on the upstairs radiators. I have used the D's and sometimes they work too good. Good luck.0 -
Gorton size D
thanks guys,
by saying "sometimes they work too good", did they tend to over heat the space? Should I try an intermediate size (ie, a No. 6) for those radiators on the 2nd floor that seemed to take too long to heat. Then possibly, get smaller vents for my radiators downstairs.
Will this change the efficiency of the boiler?
Cheers
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A "D" Gorton is the same size as their No. 1 main vent, from what I understand. I have used it on large 3rd floor rads with success, but it might heat the rad so fast that you get excess condensation, spitting, etc. Better to vent the riser and use a smaller vent, but that is a bigger job, since you may have to replace the angle valve with a gate valve and move the radiator. I would try the C or D; I don't quibble on price because the price of new vents is nothing compared to the gas saved and the comfort gained.0 -
Trying to balance your radiators using those vents you mentioned is a duanting task. The first thing I would do if I were you, is to buy Dan's book "the lost art of steam heat" I can't say enough about this book. You need to first rule out near piping problems & a host of other things that could cause your problem. The money you will save in fuel costs alone (Especially now) will more than pay for this book.
In the Book Dan mentions a thremostaically controlled vent
that you can attach to the hot radiators which block venting once the desired temperature is reached.If all the other causes can be rulled out, these "Thermo Vents" will do the trick.
They are kind of expensive, but well worth the price. Of course you could always just open the hallway door to your apt & led your excess heat rise up to the tennants apt.
Good Luck0 -
I know there is a section in
LOST ART, that shows how to vent a riser. But it is not easy. Might there be an easier way to do it. I have also heard you can drill and tap the riser before the valve and vent it there?0 -
Gortons Vents
I just installed all new Gorton vents , per there guidelines on all 14 rads in our 3 story home and main line .. I am very pleased. The prices seemd well worth it my only comment about the fucnctionality of the vents is that some of them leak a small amount of air once the radiator is up to temp - fully heated all the way across - there is no leakage of noticeable moisture , dripping or loud hissing, just a small release of steam. My pressuretrol was very dirty and not controling pressure well , it is now clean and functioning well... will have to see if that corrects my only issue with the vents.0 -
Just order Dan's book
Alright, so I just ordered Dan's book 'We got steam heat". Should be a fun/educational read.
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Pressuretrol cleaning
Kirk, How did you go about cleaning the pressuretrol?0 -
C and D Gortons
I also put in Gorton C and D vents that definitely work better but I also noticed that they whistle a little when they let out a little steam and condensation. Something else might be amuck here but I'm not sure where to start looking.
I also noticed that the Gortons make a loud hissing sound, I'm not sure if it is air exiting or entering, when the boiler shuts off and the system starts to cool down. Any ideas why the Gortons do this? I have a few rads that are working fine with Hoffman's on them and they never do this when the system cools. Thanks and hope someone responds because I'm curious as well.0 -
Check your main vents too, guys
Improper main venting can cause some rads to not heat well. If some of your colder rads are closer to the end of the main, that could be part of the problem.
Measure lengths and diameters of your mains and tell us what vents are on them. We can tell you what you need.0 -
Main vents (and pics)
So I did a little reconnaissance mission last night to check my main vents. I have 2 mains going in different directions from the boiler. They effectively make two "L" shapes around the house. At the end of each main was a vent. One main (roughly 25 ft of 2" pipe) had a vent connected to a 1 ft piece of 1" PIPE. The vent was covered in crap, but that branch of the system heats really well, so I think the rusty stains are from an older boiler (new burnham put in 2001). The other main is longer (35 ft of 2" pipe) with a smaller main vent connected to about a 1 ft section of 1" pipe (looks newer and has teflon tape on the threads).
The last radiator off the second main takes a long time to heat. The radiator vent is a very small, cheap chrome heaxagonal piece with a screw in the center that can be turned in or out to let more air escape. Would that be a main vent problem or radiator vent?
Other things: How do main vents operate? Do they close when hot steam finally gets to them?
Also, thanks Kirk for the description of the presuretrol cleaning.0 -
Hot Water?!
Hi Greg -
Not a pro (just for a disclaimer) but it sounds like someone put a hot water air valve in your steam radiator! They are usually used to purge air out of water systems... I would run to your local plumbing supply and buy a new STEAM air vent.I don't know what size you need but there is a GREAT resource in the library (an e-book) explaining how to properly size your air vents. Just got mine and it's very easy to follow.
That's what I'm guessing but others might have more info.
cheers
John0 -
online sources
You could always check the local supply houses for the vents. Otherwise, I think www.pexsupply.com might be cheaper. I've bought main vents and radiator vents from them in the past.
-Michael
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Your main vents look wack! do they hiss and spit steam or are they plugged up? The Hoffman vent, vents slow to begin with. Re-post your question with "main vent help needed" Hope for Steamhead to respond He is the venting maven on the Wall. Gortons vent real fast. They are not too expensive and will help. repost your length and diameter of your mains only. You need to know how much air volume the mains need to purge. You may need more than one on each main. There are venting charts available on the books section of this site. The faster you vent the mains the more even your system will heat. Best of luck.0 -
Vents
The vent with all the rust stains on it looks like a Hoffman #75. I would replace it or at least take it off and wash the dirt out of it. It looks like it's been abused. The Gorton #1 is comparable to the Hoffman #75 and is less expensive.
The other vent looks like a Vent-Rite, and it's too small for that main. Use two Gorton #1 vents on that main. Put a tee on the riser so it can hold both vents. Both vents must be positioned vertically.
The strange radiator vent is probably a hygroscopic one that is supposed to work with water or steam. And once in a great while, it does work with water. Change it to a properly-sized Gorton or Hoffman vent and watch how well it works.0 -
Thanks Guys...
I'll try to clean up that Hoffman #75 (should I boil it in water and vinegar?) and order a couple Gorton #1's for the longer main.
Are there differences in the thread sizes of these vents, or are they all standard? I saw a listing for Gorton 3/4" X 1/2" air eliminator main vent valve. Is this the correct application for my 1" riser? I guess the I.D. of the pipe would be 3/4".
Cheers,0 -
Most vents
including yours, have 3/4 inch threads.0
This discussion has been closed.
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