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How much can I went through 1/4" size open pipe?

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agurkas
agurkas Member Posts: 238
in Strictly Steam
I am trying to figure out if I have to drill out (bit scared to do it on black iron, since never done it before) the 1/4" size ports my two main have now (1.25" pipe) or at 2PSI it is enough for me to just attach Gorton #1 to each (via inverted reducer) and be done with it. Both mains are about 40' (by my estimates). Valves there now are rusted up Vent-Rite #35. One of the mains is causing a lot of banging in the initial state of heating up and for a while rads on that branch sound like there is water bubbling away inside rads.

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  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
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    A 1/4" tapping can vent as much air as about one Gorton #2.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,286
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    Replacing the vents should be no problem, as Joe noted. However, that is not likely to fix the banging. From your description, you need to check you pipe pitches very carefully indeed. Somewhere you are trapping condensate.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
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    Do you have any pictures of the boiler piping?
  • agurkas
    agurkas Member Posts: 238
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    You ask and you shall receive, JStar
  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
    edited September 2014
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    Well, you've got several problems that will cause water hammer. The steam supply is connected to the return up high near the main take-offs. The one wet return is connected too high on the equalizer. The dry returns are connected above the water line. The steam mains are all bunched up onto one pipe coming off the header. That TACO circulator is the wrong model for the application. It needs to be a large impeller, 3-piece, bronze circulator, with a tempering bypass.

    In other words, the near boiler piping is a mess and most likely causing all of your problems.
  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
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    Venting just moves the steam along the super highway faster...that's not going to fix noises etc..as the others have started..actually may even make it worse..
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • agurkas
    agurkas Member Posts: 238
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    I knew the system was wonky, but boy is hearing all those things that are wrong just by the boiler is making me angry. I bought what I bought... but who the heck had that little respect for their own craft to jumble together nest of steam pipe hackery like that.
    Fortunately I am putting in mini-split heatpumps to cover most of the house, since I needed AC anyway. So steam will be used only for the coldest days.
    This rat's nest will need to be detangled some day... when I have several grand to burn (or at least that is what I heard it costs).

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