Hoffman 1A Shelf Life?

4Barrel

I bought a lot of 1As off ebay, and it looks like they are old stock - the date code says J01 - which i assume is Jan 2001. I've had trouble with a few of them... Do 1A's have a shelf life?

crash2009

Shelf life?

They probably should be replaced every couple hundred years.  The trick to getting them set correctly is to take the screw all the way off.  Then you can see the adjustment hole.  Tape the adjuster to the body of the vent then put the screw back.  remove the tape and install the vent.  Those vents are a pain.  Keep your eyes open for Ventrite #1.  No messin around with that one.

4Barrel

shaken all over

hey thanks crash. yea, i know exactly what you mean... i've come up with my own method to make sure I wasn't accidentally covering up the orifice.. i like your method bit better ;-)



the "new" ones I installed, when I shake them, don't sound like the float is moving around freely. they stay shut, even after a heat cycle. case in point, I removed one from a rad that was stone cold during prior cycles, started a new heat cycle, and with the open value port, that un-restricted rad became red hot in minutes. of course I had to mop up all the condensate from the floor ;-) Pretty weird.

crash2009

CLR

I had some main vents that sounded a little sloppy, when they were working their open/close function just didn't sound right, well not like when they were new a couple years ago.  I soaked them in CLR for a couple days, then washed them real good in the sink.  Now they sound new again.  Look new too.  After you clean them up, blow test them, right side up and upside down.  You will notice an improvement.  If CLR wont clean them they have probably been hammered with too high pressure, and been damaged.  CLR might be able to get the stuck float on the Hoffmans working again.   

crash2009

date code might be

1901