MAIN VENT question??

Eric L._2

vent on the furthest-highest rad in the house which doesn't ever seem to get hot all the way across? I've tried the whole balancing thing and even with #40's on the closest rads it still doesn't get hot all the way. This rad has Maid Mist D on it. Can I take out a plug on the rad and put a main vent on it like a Gorton #2?
I can't put a main vent on th main itself for a few reasons but trust me I can't easily do it. Thanks for any input.

Brad White_203

Why not

give it a try? I have done it on a church job, put on a pair of Gorton D's to speed things along. It improved things and for what you want to do, is about 2/3rds of a Gorton #2. We started with only one then retrofitted it with another.

I cannot say it was ideal, but there was no other choice. This "last to heat radiator" never really had a shot and now it does. The first vent started it to get warm for the first time in anyone's memory, but it took a half-hour to 45 minutes. The second vent took that down to about 25 minutes as a snapshot of performance. I was ready to reach for a vacuum pump, half in jest.

But go ahead and try it. I cannot see a reason why it would not work except that it may take the lead ahead of other radiators. But it is better than what you have.

I am curious what others think.

kpc_45

the other option...

is to place a tee where the rad vlve is and bush the top down to create king vent... the valve would need to be changed to a straight valve.... but try it your way 1st. let us know how it works.

Billy_12

I did this on a very slow heating baseboard rad and it worked like a charm. Came off the end with a 3/4" elbow. Just remember, it will only vent as big as the tap is.

Eric L._2

Thanks everyone

for your input. Just a question though, how many air valves are a #1 and # 2 equal to?

Brad White_191

Air valves

Go to Gorton Air Valves web site and they give you equivalencies to how many "ordinary air vents" their various sizes will equate to. Of course, I have never seen what they define as "ordinary air vent"...

Anyone know?

Phil_17

I've done this too...

Using a large radiator vent not a main vent. There often is a tapping with a plug in the first section of the radiator (sometimes it's not drilled and tapped, but that is doable). I have a radiator that's on about 40' of 2" "runout" after the main drops back towards the boiler for the dry return. I added a Gorton D in that first section tapping (leaving the correct sized vent for the radiator in the normal location at the last section), and it made a dramatic difference. Rad gets steam in ~5 minutes instead of 40, and then heats up in sync with the others in the house.

You probably don't need the venting capacity of a "main" vent, but a really large radiator vent would probably do the trick for a lot less money.

-Phil

nicholas bonham-carter

venting prob

before you put in the bigger vent, why not try the "no vent experiment". remove the vent[ with the boiler off], and have your helper switch on the boiler while you listen for uneven sounds from the vent-hole [have your helper ready to switch off when need be, lest you lose all your wall-paper]. you are looking for possible sags in the piping for which even the biggest vent may not compensate.--nbc