Slowing down the system, so rads get a chance to heat the space

agurkas

So ever since I have replaced all the vents with something closer to what tables say it should be and got the boiler converted from oil to gas, a lot of "goblins" disappeared from the system. Adding Ecobee 3 thermostat with 3 sensors and also using TRVs in bedrooms to help balance a bit has definitely cut boiler on time by something like 25%.

No more massive hammer in one of the bedrooms, vents are spitting massive amounts of water.

But what is left is the inertia of the system and vents still hissing heavily.

Pressuretrol has been set for 0.5PSI cut in with 1PSI diff, which in reality gets me 0.7PSI and 1.7PSI.
Vents are mostly Gortons of various sizes.

I would like system to shut off bit earlier to give rads opportunity to catch up with the space. We are talking about 2 degree difference. If boiler would shut off 5 minutes earlier, I would not overheat the house by 2 degrees.

Would love some suggestions of what things to look at/diagnose. Wonder if there is a way to "slow down" the boiler, so I get that heat up time.

Don_197

If your vents are hissing......or spitting........you do not have enough MAIN venting.....and/or your pressure is still too high. Do you have a proven accurate pressure gauge? What is your pressure running at? How long are your mains and how big is the pipe? Adding main venting makes a HUGE difference to boiler on/off times and radiator effectiveness. One pipe? Two pipe?

agurkas

Single pipe. Main with hissing rads is something like 75' of 2" and then it drops to 1" for remaining 25'. Rads are on 2nd floor, so add 9' for each branch of 1.25" pipe.
That main has two huge steam traps for venting (Barnes and Jones #134) and Gorton Cs are sitting on the TRVs for the rads.

As mentioned, running 1.7PSI.

agurkas

Hatterasguy said:

Did you ever post photos of your near boiler piping?

Something isn't right.................

Yes, I have posted it before. It isn't perfect, but there are no huge glaring issues. Sorry for bit skewed image - panorama shot.

And yes, about 75% of the near boiler is insulated. 100% of the main is insulated too with 1.5" thick stuff.

agurkas

Was recommended to me by several members here to use them (exit end is venting out into the open) to get more venting capacity without having to install 5X Gorton #2s.

agurkas

I am sure something is not right. One suspicion I have is that because those Gorton Cs are on Honeywell TRVs, maybe when valve closes, the steam in the vents condenses, and when valve opens again, that water gets spit out.

Abracadabra

Hatterasguy said:

Interesting. Never used traps on one pipe, myself.

The question still begs as to why you have vents that spit water when your pressure is not excessive?

Something still isn't right.

I've been using traps for a number of situations where I can't get a #2 installed (no headroom) but a trap will fit. I'm pretty sure the traps tend to open up earlier than the #2. Just leave the outlet of the trap open. Sometimes I'll pipe it down to the floor.