Hoffman vacuum steam vents

Ken Field

I too have (2) Hoffman #6 "Vacuum" Valves located above where my returns drop into my new boiler. (See attached.)

Apparently these are from the old days of coal and now serve no purpose?

Should these be removed and plugged?

I am in the process of installing Gorton #2's at the ends of my mains where nothing was before. Could I install these here instead?

Dan_43

I am re-posting this question. I am Hoping to gain some insight to these Hoffman vacuum vents. Does anyone have experience with these vents?
I have dropped the pressure to 1.5
I have just installed a IN-7 gas fired standing pilot-low water prob boiler. The house is a 1 pipe system. I still have all the old vents on the system. The vents are Hoffman #2 vacuum type. and the mains are Hoffman#16 vacuum vents.
All radiators are getting hot, and the system is quiet. I kept the old pressure gage which reads vacuum. On a cool down cycle I can read (-6 to -8)lbs of pressure (vacuum), the PressureTrol is set at 2 lb /1.5 lb. Is this the most efficient system to operate the new boiler on?

Tom Hopkins

Vacuum Vents

Should be replaced with regular steam vents. Vacuum vents were good in the days of constantly burning coal, but in these days of on-off burners, they usually cause uneven heating issues.

And for extra added fun, these "issues" occur intermittently, because the little check valves will sometimes not hold on each cycle and the vent acts like a "normal" vent.

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Tom Hopkins

You can do either

But some would say that to add the Gortons on the dry returns in place of the #6s brings steam into them without any real need. Let the steam heat your radiators and not your dry returns. Add the Gortons to the ends of the mains and remove the the #6s and plug.


Are the rest of your steam mains insulated?

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Ken Field

Insulated Returns

One main is insulated up to the return. The other I did not insulate the last 20 feet so as to get more heat in the laundry area. This section feeds (4) rads upstairs plus one wall type mounted to the ceiling. Should I insulate this last section?

Surprisingly, each 1 1/4" un-insulated return measures almost exactly the same; 20 feet. One has a plugged off tee where it transisions from main to return. Pretty easy to put a vent there.

The other branch end either needs some serious pipe work (no union anywhere near) to install a tee. Although drilling a hole in the reducing ell at the end is possible, it's in an ackward spot.

This is why I am eying the vacuum valve location for maybe both.

What if I insulated the returns?
Shouldn't that be standard practice?
Or, would that screw up the design of the near piping which is apparently critical with new boilers?

Tom Hopkins

I think I understand your dilema

Then, yes, add the new vents in the dry return tees in place of the #6s and insulate the bare return pipe.



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