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2 Pipe steam - should end return gorton 2 ever close on healthy system?

Lakedweller
Lakedweller Member Posts: 1
in Strictly Steam
I have a 2 pipe steam system in my home.  If all my traps are doing their jobs holding the heat in the radiators should the gorton 2 at end of return main ever get hot enough to close?  Would you even want this to close?

My novice thinking was No and that if the return valve at the end of the run was closing it meant a trap was stuck open and allowing good heat to flow right through the radiator and into the return.   Reason I ask is that this is exactly what I am seeing even with a 10 degree call for heat in the morning, returns stay cool-or at most just warm to touch.

Followup -if return gortons are supposed to stay open then I assume you cannot over vent. I have growing box of gorton 1s that leak on hot side so figured I would antler them up on the return side to put them to use.  1 inch returns - 1.5 mains (2 runs of 60ft)

Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,788
    return vents on 2-pipe

    The venting point on a 2-pipe system should NEVER see steam.  My system, which has all of its traps in good working order, the returns barely feel any warmth at all by the time they are back to the boiler room.   I don't have a steam type vent on my return vent because I want to see if and when I have a trap go bad.  Its a little bit the same as if you had your returns running into a condensate tank and pump.  The tank is always vented open to the atmosphere.  If you have a bad trap in the system you'll end up with steam blowing out of the condensate tank. 



    On a gravity return system that does not have a vaporstat for control, then a vent with a float in it to protect against backed up condensate is a real good idea.
    Dave in Quad Cities, America
    Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
    System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
    Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
    http://grandviewdavenport.com
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578
    Holding the heat in

    Steam traps are designed to close in the presence of steam, in order to let out the air and condensate from the radiators. They are not specifically keeping the heat in. That job is done by the pipe insulation, which I hope you have on the steam supply piping above the boiler, and on to the risers.

    Since the traps let the air out in to the returns, then there must be a place for the air to go. Main line vents on the return let the air out. Many systems have inadequate vents because their owners would prefer to pay the fuel company extra money to force the air out. As you have no radiator vents, you may not hear whether the vents you have are hissing with over-pressure, and under-venting, which is the warning signal for the 1-pipe system.

    If you are setting a 10 degree setback and recovery, you are not saving money, as the system is having to heat everything up again to recover. It would be better to set a constant temperature of 67 degrees, and see if that works for you. This assumes all the radiators are heating up at the same time with good main venting, and very low pressure.--NBC
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