Water Coming out From Vent

nycpa

I've been having this problem with one of my radiators on the first floor.  Every time its 25 degrees or below outside, the boiler kicks in more but after a while water pours out of the vent from the radiator in the dining room.  This is the only radiator that leaks.  I changed the air vent like three times but this still happens.  The latest one is a Gorton.  I called the company and they told me 9 out of 10 times its the pitch of the radiator.  I changed the pitch by adding wood on the vent side of the legs and measured it with a level.  It still leaks.  I looked at my pressure cut in and its set at 3.  My next step is to change the valve and i am going to ask my plumber to snake the return valve.  Other than this, can you guys suggest something that I can do besides this or if something else might be causing this problem.  Thank You.  

kcopp

Couple of things....

-Turn down the pressure. 1/2 pound is all you should need.... 2 at the most.

-Flush out your boiler... do this when it is not HOT.....Spitting vents happen a lot when the water in  the boiler is contaminated/ dirty. From what I see on the sight glass the water is filthy.

-Check to see that the rad valve is all the way open.

-insulate your mains.

kpc

nycpa

water coming from vent

I tried adjusting the pressure reading but the cut in switch is stuck at 3. I cant move the switch up or down.   I just tried after the boiler came on.  Is this normal?  Do I have to change the cut in switch? 

Charlie from wmass

Piping is not great. they used

sewer pipe fitting on the header. The copper is bad on its own but they have all that steam squeezing into a 1 1/2" pipe. The pressuretrol needs replaced if you can not turn that screw. I am wondering is it leaking internally causing the rust marks or is something dripping on it?

jpf321

you must turn screw on top

NOT just try to move"switch" with your fingers.

nycpa

Vent Water

Thanks for your reply.  I don't really see any rust marks.  But I remember a plumber before telling me that they used the wrong copper to save money.  What is wrong with my pipes and what would be the correct ones?  Thanks for your help.

nycpa

Pressure Reader

Can you let me know if I should adjust my cut in pressure to 1/2.  I included a picture on the top.  That's the lowest it goes.  Thanks.

BobC

Adjustment

Yes adjust that front tab with the screw on the top of the pressuretrol so it reads 0.5PSI, that's about as low as it will go. next remove the pressuretrols cover by loosening the screw on the front lower center and make sure the knob inside is set to 1. next double check the radiator input valve is open fully (turned max ccw)



A steam boiler should be piped with threaded steel pipe anyplace above the waterline, copper is ok below the waterline.



Bob

nycpa

Valve

The value that you refer you in the last part of your sentence, do you mean the valve that is connected to the actual radiator or another valve that is connected to the boiler.  If so, where in the boiler would it be located.   Thanks. 

jpf321

floor valve at radiator

bob meant the valve near the radiator on the floor

nycpa

Automatic Feed

Thanks for all the help fellas.  I just had one more question.  I turned the cut in to .5 psi and the differential knob to 1.  I also drained out the water.  Now my automatic water feeder doesn't seem to work.  Its suppose to kick in after 10 minutes.  Its a VTX feeder.  It was working fine as of last week.  My LWCO works because the red light comes on. 



Could changing the pressuretrol make my water feeder stop working?  I tried to reset the feeder and changed the time to 8 minutes but that failed. 



Also, I was told that the header pipes of my boiler were not the proper ones.  Can you guys let me know what I need installed so I can tell my plumber.  Is it worth to change since the boiler worked fine for four years and its year of manufacture is 1983.  



Thanks for all your help.   

BobC

Coincidence

Adjusting the pressuretrol has nothing to do with the LWCO or the automatic water feeder, what ever happened was coincidental or else something got jostled along the way. It might be worth checking the electrical connections to make sure nothing is loose.



You should not have to add water to a steam boiler more often than every 2-3 weeks, if it has to be added a lot more often you have a leak somewhere. All my steam boilers have had manual feed and I've had no problems for 40+ years and two houses.



Your header should be threaded black steel but at 27 years old I don't know if I'd mess with that lest something go arwy while applying force with the big wrenches. You don't have to worry too much about the copper expansion because you only have the single boiler output pipe. One thing you should do is to insulate that header and any steam piping yo can with 1" pipe insulation, that will make a difference.



Bob

nycpa

Insulation of Header

Thanks for your help Bob.  Can I insulate my headers with the fiberglass insulation they make for duct vents.  They are easy to apply around the pipes and I can cut them and tape them with foil tape.



If not, I guess my other option is to buy specific 2 inch and I.5 inch tubes. 



Now that I adjusted my pressuretrol, do you think I still need to call me plumber and ask him to change the Radiator valve and snake that radiators pipe.  It'll probably cost me like $300 or something like that. 

BobC

Pipe insulation.

Any insulation should do as long as it's able to handle the temperature (215F) and it's thick enough, foam insulation won't work. Some duct insulation is pretty thin, it has to be at least an inch thick to have good results and as i said it can't be made of foam. Home Depot sells pipe insulation but it's only 1/2" thick so it's really not much good. I've seen people just wrap the pipe with 3" insulation; not pretty but that will work as long as you don't compress it too much.



I'd give the lower a pressure a few days before having the plumber start to snake anything out.



Bob

nycpa

Radiator Didn't heat

I changed me pressuretrol setting to a 1/2 today and the differential was at its usual setting of 1.  My radiators failed to heat.  I put the pressuretrol back to 2 because that was the last setting that worked.  Could my boiler be undersized?  What would cause my radiators not to heat up at 1/2 psi.  In the four years that I lived in the house, its been at 3 psi.  Thanks.  

Steamhead

Either the pressuretrol is bad

or your air vents aren't doing their job. Time to call a pro, since pressure is a safety issue.

nycpa

Steam Specialist

My air vents are all new Gortans.  I don' t think they would fail.  My Radiators work now that I increased the cut in to 2psi.  I live in Valley Stream, NY.  Is there anyone that specializes in steam heating that I can call for service.  My plumber isn't a Steam specialists but I think he should be able to change the pressuretrol if that's the problem.    

Jean-David Beyer

Use: Find a Contractor.

Two in New Hyde Park, but they seem the same: Triple Crown.

BobC

Vents

It seems strange that lowering the pressure would cause problems unless your system needs to be balanced. It's possible that lessening the vent rates of some radiators would coax the steam over to the radiator that's being starved.



What vent are you using on each radiator in the heating system? I can see the one on the problem radiator is a Gorton, what model is it? Gorton makes great vents but it's a shame they don't make a variable vent.



What are you using for main vents?

jpf321

I bank in valley stream...

I'm happy to stop by this week for a wallie to wallie look see.contact me directly.

nycpa

Air Vents

All the Air Vents are Gorton's Vapor Equalizing Valve V Number 5 no. 2709550.  The previous plumber I called to install these made some of the holes bigger in the valves such as in the living room and the master bedroom but they are all the same Gorton.  He seem to know a little about my Steam Boiler cause he did something a few years back to force out all the return water that sits in the return pipes.  That water looked like chocolate.  I am hesitant to call him because he charges $100 an hour and I had to pay for him coming late so he can smoke a cigarette.  My current plumber who I trust a lot doesn't seem to be a Steam specialist, last year when I had this problem he told me I put too much water in the boiler which I knew wasn't true because I drained my boiler ever week and know how much water is in there.



I don't know what I have in my main vent because they guys that fixed the wall in the basement covered it up, so I would have to cut out the sheet rock.  I remember it was larger sizes one shaped like a cone. 



I really appreciate the time you guys take to respond to my problem.  I guess I will have to hire someone but I don't want them to miss the problem.      

Steam Heat in LB

Question

When you lowered your cut in to .5 and the differential to 1 did the boiler cycle off on pressure? If it did not cycle off on pressure than changing the cut in and differential would not have corrected your radiators.

nycpa

Cycle Off

What do you mean did the boiler cycle off?  When I changed the setting to 1/2 psi the boiler was off and it was off for a while like 3 hours.  Then I left the house and when I came home 6 hours later, my thermostat was set at 67 but the temperature was 62.  I turned the thermostat off, boiler off, reset the psi to 2 then turned everything on.  It took like 1 hr to for the house to warm up again to 67.

BobC

bad pressuretrol

It sounds like your boiler never turned on at all after you changed the settings to 1/2 on the outside and 1 on the dial inside. that indicates your pressuretrol's spring is probably shot.



i would replace that; it's not hard to do

Remove two wires (shut power to boiler off and turn circuit breaker off) and remove wires from the pressurtrol. Unscrew the pressuretrol from the pigtail. Put some teflon tape on the pigtail and screw the new pressuretrol onto the pigtail (remove knockout first so you can get the wires into the new pressuretrol). Wire up the new pressuretrol like the old one, set the limits and your done.



Bob

jpf321

perhaps you missed

my post above. I'm happy to stop over this week for a look.

nycpa

Pressuretrol

Thanks guys for all the answers. 



Is there a good brand and model of a Pressuretrol that I can purchase or should I get the same honeywell I already have.  I have a Weil-McCain boiler. 

nycpa

Visit

Hi,



I sent you an email asking if you were a plumber or a steam specialist.  Also, I asked for your contact.  Did you check your email or messages from this site?