(4) gorton #2's slight hiss

arcalex

I've been lurking for a bit and really enjoying the information posted and shared here. Bought a 1920's house with a 1992 Weil Mclain boiler and thought I was good for my life in the house. Anyway, boiler had a crack, developed a hole and I replaced the boiler (myself) this fall. I did commit a sin and replaced with the same boiler...

I finished the install and had a very reputable plumber come and inspect my work before risking blowing up my house and family...all went well. Steve strongly urged maximizing the venting. So, I took off the crappy Hoffman that was there (hissed nonstop and almost violently) and added four Gorton #2's. Here is my question - I still get a bit of a hiss from the Gorton, is that "normal"? It is nowhere near the volume of the hissing I got from the other vent...

Unknown

Vent Hissing

Are these four Gortons on the same main or on individual mains? Gorton #2 s have a huge venting capacity. In most cases one #2 per main should do the job. Are they all hissing?  There maybe a slight "hiss" at first from the air escaping but this should stop when the steam reaches them. I'd remove them one at a time and determine which one isn't quite doing its job. It maybe a bit of rust etc.on the vent seat is keeping the valve open. You might try blowing it out and/or washing it in warm water. If you have a defective new vent, Gorton seems to be  every good about replacing them.

- Rod

nicholas bonham-carter

when i hear hissing, i hear overpressure!

time to check your pressure, and make sure it is as low as possible. i can't remember if you said you had a vaporstat, and low-pressure gauge; but if you do, with those big gortons, you should be able to let the air out by 3 ounces. any short-cycling would indicate a need for more gortons, or a little down-firing.--nbc

DeadmanWalking

Installed two Gorton #2's

Wow! My firswt post to this hallowed hall of deadmen affectionado's and I'm throwing my two cents in!

OK ... just got done installing my steam boiler (Utica) after reading Dan's Holy Book for several months and downsized from 190K to 150K, installed drop header and bigass Gorton #2's on the two main lines ... from a cold start steam is already coming up in 8 minutes!!! and pressure? Doesn't even register on US Gauge 0-30 psi pressure gauge, gonna get me a 0-5 psi gauge so I can sit and watch the needle do it's sub 1 psi climb ...   Woops , all the juicy details will be posted another time , I get so excited walking in the Deadmaen's path I lose focus sometimes ... OK ... so one of the Gotrton #2's lets out the air and is quiet as a baby nesting in it's crib, the other Gorton #2 , well, is like the mad twin, who's fussin' and carrying on all the time .... was thinking "Maybe this is defective" and calling Gorton about "normal " behaviour and maybe getting a swap for a different one (I'm sure some new parents feel the same way after a couple of nights) ....

BTW, if any of you pros are reading this ... Was thinking of getting a 0-36 oz pressure gague but thought  "If the pressure for some insane reason goes above 36 oz , will the gauge go bust, complete with bent needle?" ... That's why I thought to get the 0-5 psi gauge ... Your thoughts ... Thanks!

Will

nicholas bonham-carter

gauge limits

check with gaugestore.com, but i think they can tolerate 5 psi overpressure. if you get a 0-16 ounce vaporstat right now, you could get the 0-15 ounce gauge, otherwise the  0-3 psi is better for the pressuretrol-equipped boiler.--nbc

arcalex

under pressure

NBC- thanks for the comment. I, too, was thinking that. I do not have a vaporstat installed but do have a pressurtrol...cut in is set at .5# and my dif. is about 1.5#. I was thrilled to be able to knock it down to those settings from the 2# cut in and 2# dif. that the old one was set to.

I tried to lower the dif. to 1# right after I installed the gortons, but the boiler did cut out and the 30# gauge was registering around 1.5# at the time. I thought that was odd. Like you said, I expected to be able to push out the air with ounces...

Anything else I should look at? I am planning on getting an ounce gauge to better monitor since the accuracy of the 30# at the lowest limit is suspect at best.

Help me out. "Down firing"? My amatuer guess is that this involves throttling back the gas supply...