Failed Heat-Timer Vents

Daniel_3

I found that when they fail you can shake it and hear the pin moving around in there. On a normal functioning vari-valve you can shake, but no movement of parts. I have had 2 fail out of 15. When the time comes I will replace them all with gortons.

Long Beach Ed

All failed...

Three years have passed and I believe the last of a binge of about 475 Heat-Timer Vents we installed have failed.

They fail closed as the valve pin pops out of the syphon bellows and drops down, plugging the seat.

When we saw this begin happening after about three months we wrote to Heat-Timer with pictures and data of the failures. Three years later, still no response. Calls aren't returned.

This is quite a pity, as the design is nice, the materials are fantastic, but the internal component mounting is horribly flawed.

SpeyFitter

Try this contact

I have had a number of them fail on me in this house as well. I guess I've replaced about 6 so far in 2 yrs.

I have had some of my questions answered by them. I sent the following emails and got the following responses:

Question:
Could you please tell me what the drop away pressure rating of
your VARIVALVE Radiator vents is? I am trying to adjust the pressuretrol
cut out and cut in settings on my steam heating system and I need to
know at what pressure the vents are able to resume venting so I do not
exceed this amount in the system. Thanks.


Answer:
We are not affected by drop away pressure as some other valve's are.
Our valve is a bellows type that is affected by the temperature of the
medium in the radiator. The pressure in a residential system should not
normally be higher than 2 psi. Raising the pressure in your system will
only have negative affects on it's operation.


Kevin Gabelmann (KGabelmann@Heat-Timer.com)
Heat-Timer Technical Support
973-575-4004 xt.127


Question:
Thanks again for your help previously. I have my pressuretrol set to
cut-out at 1.5 psi and cut-in at 0.5 psi. now and it is working well. I
was getting a false high reading from a clogged snubber on my factory
equipped 0-30 psi gauge (fixed now)

I have several old varivalves that I removed from various radiators over
the past few years, because they were questionable. Was not really sure
if they were bad or not. Now I am trying to test them. I cleaned them
with some CLR (anti lime cleaner) and I am trying to test them by
submerging them in a saucepan full of water and raising the temp while
trying to blow through the valve through a hose (with varivalve fully
open).

So far I have tested 3 and got the following results: Varivalve #1
closed at 160 F, Varivalve #2 closed at 177 F, Varivalve #3 closed at
130 F.


What would be a proper closing temperature in the fully open position?
What about fully closed - is it the same? I realize that it may be
pressure dependent, but by blowing you can only generate about 1 psi or
so, so it should be fairly close to the conditions in the radiator.

Thanks a lot.


Answer:
The only closure there could be an issue with is the 130. Closure
starts around 155 but there is no set temperature it is dependant on the
bellows. I would not condemn the valve unless they do not function
properly on the system not in a pan with flame under it that the valve
is affected by heat from the flame and not only by the temperature of
the water.

Kevin Gabelmann (KGabelmann@Heat-Timer.com)
Heat-Timer Technical Support
973-575-4004 ext.127

Long Beach Ed

Thanks...

Thank you Captain.

The valves work very well on a good system that is not blowing around lots of wet steam. On an overly wet system, their absence of a float is troublesome.

They wouldn't have a drop-away pressure because steam pressure does not hold the valve closed. The valve pin is inverted, and pressure would tend to push it open instead of holding it closed. The internal syphon pressure would overcome a tremendous amount of steam and could easily hold the valve closed against 15 pounds. Actually great pressure would tend to push the valve open.

They vent very well -- that is until they fail and don't vent at all. In our experience that happens way too quickly.

bruhl_2

heat timer vents

I recently bought 4 of the heat timers. Two haven't even arrived yet.
Do you think that these failures mentioned are from an old manufacturing issue? Or are the brand new ones subject to the very same failure potential as those produced 3 or 4 years ago?
Thanks.
bruhl

stamato_4

Damn it I just bought 7 of these.

Is there another adjustable valve out there? I have just now seamed to get even heat buy using these, although someone said that turning back a radiator could cause heating problems down the line to the other raidiators. Is this true. I had asked this before but no one ever realy said if it could or not. Also the other brands like Maid o mist just seam poorly built but what do I know. Are they replacing the Varivalves under warranty or are you guys buying your own.

bruhl_2

Does anyone have that kind of failure rate [475 pcs over 3 years?] with current production heat timers? Could it be possible that heat timer has made internal changes to improve the current production vent and it isn't visible to us without destructive testing?
Or does it appear to be a case of those vents will fail at some early point period.
Thanks
bruhl

Daniel_3

Well, I've installed 24 of their newer version. The older versions had a red stamp on top instead of green. Of all these; 15 a year old and 9 a few months old, only two have failed me. One of these was pulled of an old radiator in New England Demo and Salvage. They work great but the claim that they "outlast the bi-metal type" is hogwash. They sputter more than any other vent I've used. If I knew now what Ed had told me a year ago after I made the purchase I would have gone with all vent-rite no. 1's, made here right in MA.

bruhl_2

Hi Daniel, thanks for the feedback. I don't have a choice with these 4 now, so I'll hope for the best and have some Gorton's ready to go if needed.
Are you by any chance Daniel in Woosta? Are you dealing with a three story building? I am in Marlborough.
Thanks for the reply Daniel.

Daniel_3

No three story, just my home and another's.