More Mouat

MotownSteamer

We are helping a friend who has an awesome Mouat system from a 1920 home near Detroit. Burnham IN12, crappy near boiler piping and some minor leaks in the underfloor wet returns (underfloor, but not underground-nice access in built in trenches). We id'ed three birdcage vents and a dry return run going into the chimney (Mr. Gill and Steve explain this originally augmented the venting of the coal boiler). So, the venting looks good but not sure how well it's working.



Most of the radiators have original traps and valves, but a few have some hodgepodge we need to sort out (i.e. original valve with Hoffman 17C trap.....).



First order of business-how do we confirm venting is working, and is there a method for cleaning these traps if we find evidence of failure?

gerry gill

The returns really only need one style

vent or the other..either a vent into the chimney or the bird cages..neither have any moving parts so all should work fine..its not harming to have both , but i wonder how much venting goes thru the birdcages when there is an open pipe to the chimney..i like the idea of an aquastat being strapped to the pipe that goes into the chimney wired in series with the pressure control (should be a vaporstat) in case steam gets into the return, it doesn't destroy both the boiler (via makeup water) and the chimney..i have yet to see a water seal return fitting on a Mouat system fouled..again, no moving parts..the thermostatic traps regardless of make can usually be rebuilt.

MotownSteamer

that's good news

good! Ok, we'll take some temps and make sure the seals are good. The owner already had a calamity with the auto feed; it was that chimney vent that alerted him to the problem.