end cap with a vent ?

misterheat

Hi , i have a new 150000 btu Burnham Independence that was installed last year . The Boiler is a little over sized for the amount of radiators . The first branch off the main is a 12 foot run that used to be a radiator that was moved else where. They basically removed the valve and capped it in the basement . My question is can i purchase an end cap with a vent for 1 1/4 pipe to make this 12 foot run emit heat again ?? I want it to throw off some heat for a very cold basement . thanks in advanced y'all

Shalom

What you can get is a 1-1/4" to 3/4" reducing coupling to go over the end of the pipe where the cap is now (SKU #564118 at Home Depot), and a straight 3/4" vent (SKU #401994) to screw into that. The vent has to be vertical, so if the pipe isn't, you'll also need an elbow (or two). If the pipe is horizontal, you might also find a 3/4" to 1/8" bushing and screw a normal angled radiator vent into that, but Home Depot doesn't stock that size. (Plumbing supplies carry them, though.)

(edit to add: if you have a size Q drill bit and an 1/8-27NPT tap, you can make a hole in the cap itself and put a standard radiator vent on it. The trick is to find anyone local who stocks individual letter-sized drill bits; it's about 1/3 of the way between a 21/64" and an 11/32".

misterheat

Thanks so much for the reply and the 2 solutions. If I tap the existing cap (silly question) do I have to worry about the metal fillings that would be left in the pipe? Will they travel back to boiler or just lay inside the pipe at the end? I'm new to steam so not sure of its capabilities. Thanks again.

steamedchicago

An 11/32 drill works just fine for 1/8 NPT. Probably 90% of tapped holes made somewhere other than factory or machine shop used one. If you can, turn the boiler off, and take the cap off to tap it.

The bigger issue is that 12" of 1.5" pipe doesn't have a whole lot of area. If I remember right, 1.5" is about 0.5 square foot external area per linear foot, so about 6 square feet, which is about one radiator section.

Can you hang a radiator from the ceiling?

misterheat

Wow that is an interesting idea. I'm pretty handy ( welder ,rigger) . I will look into doing that . You also inadvertently answered a future question I had as well regarding an 8 foot section of baseboard that was put in to replace a radiator to give a small room more space. That 8 foot section probably doesn't throw off the same amount of heat that the radiator did. It is a cold room now. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to reply .thank you.

Dave0176

What's the EDR of all the rads, and we love pictures here, so post some of your boiler and piping.

misterheat

Will do on the pictures. I don't know how to calculate the EDR . I'm new to steam . I will say I'm fascinated by it so now I must learn. I had a new boiler put in last year by ( now I know) a non steam plumber. Its a tad over sized and he had pressuretrol cranked to 4 and it basically knocked a lot and scoured my ancient pipes and that rust dumped back into my new boiler. I was experiencing bounce in my site glass and he came back and I am think he put an additive in and skimmed (I think). After a few weeks of weird behavior I found this site. I have lowered the pressure trol and installed new vents here and their and it is much improved. The bounce in the site glass is very minimal now . half inch at the most during operation. I'm not losing much water now either. I WILL POST SOME PICTURES SOON OF MY NEAR PIPING. I THINK THE PLUMBER DIDNT CHANGE ANYTHING. HE JUST KRYLONED THE OLD PIPE. Thanks everyone. This site is awesome .im hooked on steam the same way welding caught my interest as a young man. I love learning thanks!

misterheat

Abracadabra

Not sure what the deal with the one header takeoff that looks like it's 1.5", if you follow it.. it elbows to the wall.. then elbows down to a tee... the bull of the tee feeds a main? The run returns back to the return header? If I were steam running in that pipe I'd be lost.

I'd have brought the other main full size down to the header instead of reducing it.

which burnham is that? IN6 or IN7?

KC_Jones

Abracadabra said:

Not sure what the deal with the one header takeoff that looks like it's 1.5", if you follow it.. it elbows to the wall.. then elbows down to a tee... the bull of the tee feeds a main? The run returns back to the return header? If I were steam running in that pipe I'd be lost.

I'd have brought the other main full size down to the header instead of reducing it.

which burnham is that? IN6 or IN7?

Supposed to be some kind of counter flow main?

misterheat

The one you speak of i think was changed in the fifties . Off that tee it runs to 3 radiators the first one in the line is very close on the first floor and heats well the 2nd of that line is an upstairs radiator and is the hottest room in the house but then it goes about 20 linear feet though 1 90 degree elbow and up to a first floor back room which no matter how i vent it ,it heats up slowly and that room is cold . i will say the first 2 radiators off that TEE do knock a little bit .Im new to steam so i dont know what a counter flow is . i appreciate all the input . im learning fast . How do i figure my EDR ?

misterheat

I will post some clearer pictures of that run Later tonight when i get home from work . I also am not sure which model i have IN6 or IN 7.Where can i find that info ? thanks

Fred

misterheat said:

The one you speak of i think was changed in the fifties . Off that tee it runs to 3 radiators the first one in the line is very close on the first floor and heats well the 2nd of that line is an upstairs radiator and is the hottest room in the house but then it goes about 20 linear feet though 1 90 degree elbow and up to a first floor back room which no matter how i vent it ,it heats up slowly and that room is cold . i will say the first 2 radiators off that TEE do knock a little bit .Im new to steam so i dont know what a counter flow is . i appreciate all the input . im learning fast . How do i figure my EDR ?

It doesn't look like there is anmy pitch to that pipe. It may be holding a little water, causing the banging. Also, those pipes need to be insulated.
Is the radiator that doesn't heat well in a room that is on a crawl space? If so, nd that pipe isn't well insulated, the steam is probably condensing before it can even get to the radiator.

misterheat

I did notice the lack of pitch in the first piece but i really cant figure out how to pitch it . Also i recently just insulated the whole main and the return and boy what a difference i have noticed . i ran out of the right size insulation and will be insulating the rest this monday . When that particular run turns the corner it is knocked down to 1 1/4 . The room that doesnt heat well has a full basement under it . I dont have any crawl spaces . I am slowly tweeking valve sizes ,radiator pitches ,insulating and it is making a difference .thank you for all your help.

misterheat

Another silly question . what is that door to the right of the boiler that is in the base of the chimney ?

BobC

You could try shimming up the radiator, I have one that have shimmed up with 3/4" strips of oak (one strip under each set of legs) so I can get good pitch on the line that feeds it. Also make sure the radiator is pitched a little to the pipe that feeds it so water can find it's way back to the boiler.

Bob

Fred

misterheat said:

I did notice the lack of pitch in the first piece but i really cant figure out how to pitch it . Also i recently just insulated the whole main and the return and boy what a difference i have noticed . i ran out of the right size insulation and will be insulating the rest this monday . When that particular run turns the corner it is knocked down to 1 1/4 . The room that doesnt heat well has a full basement under it . I dont have any crawl spaces . I am slowly tweeking valve sizes ,radiator pitches ,insulating and it is making a difference .thank you for all your help.

That first section of pipe that has no pitch is probably the culprit causing the some water to sit in it and the noise you hear. You need to find a way to get some pitch.
Also, how is that pipe reduced to 1-1/4 inch? Can you take a picture of that? Is there good pitch to that section of pipe?

misterheat

I will take some pictures tonight when i get home from work . Its funny now that i have been learning about steam . I took a look at some of the Steam system at work. I work in the oldest Broadway theater in NYC the Lyceum theater was built in 1903 . you have to hear the knocking , it is so bad that they have to turn the heat off during the show because it so loud. The actors get upset when it knocks during the show .

Fred

misterheat said:

I will take some pictures tonight when i get home from work . Its funny now that i have been learning about steam . I took a look at some of the Steam system at work. I work in the oldest Broadway theater in NYC the Lyceum theater was built in 1903 . you have to hear the knocking , it is so bad that they have to turn the heat off during the show because it so loud. The actors get upset when it knocks during the show .

That's a shame. A good Steam pro could silence that beast. Maybe you should direct them to one of the Pros on here that services NYC.

Abracadabra

misterheat said:

Another silly question . what is that door to the right of the boiler that is in the base of the chimney ?

Looks like a chimney cleanout access to me.

misterheat said:

I will post some clearer pictures of that run Later tonight when i get home from work . I also am not sure which model i have IN6 or IN 7.Where can i find that info ? thanks

Should be a rating plate attached to the boiler somewhere. Might be inside the front panel.

misterheat

Here are some pictures of that 1. 5 branch that comes off the boiler to the right and than goes around the corner and than reduces to 1 1/4 . I also added 1 picture looking down my Main run and return back to boiler . ALSO THE BOILER IS A BURNHAM IN 5

misterheat

ONe more

misterheat

1

Fred

Actually, looking at the close up of these pictures, it looks like that section of pipe that I thought was level appears to be pitched a bit in the wrong direction. If that's the case, it will hold a little water and make noise.

misterheat

If it is the one coming out of the Tee ,i cant seem to figure out a way of pitching it because it comes out of that Tee which is of of a plumb vertical pipe . thanks again

Fred

misterheat said:

If it is the one coming out of the Tee ,i cant seem to figure out a way of pitching it because it comes out of that Tee which is of of a plumb vertical pipe . thanks again

It is that one that comes off of the verticle pipe. Probably the easiest way to get the pitch would be to cut that vertical pipe in half. Turn each half out of the elbow (at the top and bottom) Buy two sections of pipe and a union, making sure the combined length of the new pipes and the union total about an inch to an inch and a half shorted than the current pipe . Put the union half on each section of pipe screw each pipe into the top and bottom elbow and then connect the union. You will need to flex the pipe halfs a little to bring the union together but that should not be difficult. Not sure where you are but It may be a spring job as it is very cold (sub zero nights) here in Ohio.

EDIT: Or you could just call a plumber

misterheat

Im weary of most plumbers around me these days . After hurricane sandy they started coming oout of the woodwork Thanks im pretty handy (welder ,rigger ) so i will try it in the warm weather . I'm in NY and its pretty cold here as well.

RobG

I would recommend calling @JohnNY the owner of Gateway P&H. He can get your system up to speed. (I would also talk to him about the theater).

Shalom

Followup on that 12 foot pipe. You're a welder, maybe you could fabricate a bunch of sheets of metal with a hole in the middle the same size as the pipe, slip them over the pipe and tack weld them to the pipe. Essentially turn that pipe into a home-made baseboard radiator, increasing the surface area. Feasible?

misterheat

I was wondering if i could just put a 12 foot run of baseboard up there . I have some unused baseboard laying around . it is similar to what you described i believe ? thanks

JohnNY

Thanks for the recommendation, @RobG

misterheat

RobG where are you located? I'm in lynbrook long island