Getting Main Vents to open between cycles

BurntFingers

My Gorton #2 mains where not opening between cycles, so I added some Hoffman 75's too.
I know others on the board have used extended antlers and additional pipe to try getting the main vents to open again between cycles. Has anyone tried adding fins or dare I say... copper.. to the ends of antlers?
Or is there another idea for getting the mains under 130 deg. between cycles?

Fred

I'm wondering if building an antler that goes up and then extends at least a foot to the right or left of the main, before adding a vent, might take care of the problem. The further from the main the better, as far as getting them to open between cycles.

New England SteamWorks

No good deed goes unpunished! Insulate your mains and returns properly and your vents will be hot and not open. My solution is for very long antlers with liberal use of 45s and 90s to get them back, away, and up.

BurntFingers

RI_SteamWorks said:

My solution is for very long antlers with liberal use of 45s and 90s to get them back, away, and up.

That's what I'm thinking about. Extending the length of the antler serves several purposes; increasing height from mains, reducing amount of condensate to reach the vents, and also increase the amount of surface area to decrease temperature of vents to hopefully make them perform as we would like. Open between the cycles.

But what if we didn't have the ceiling height or sort more transference of heat from the antlers? Maybe using some thin metals (aluminum, copper, etc.), a unit-bit step drill bit to make tight fitting holes, and evenly space them on the antler extension might be helpful. Maybe even using a dielectric union to attach a copper extension to the antler might be helpful. Or combine them both.

Just a thought. I figured I'd ask if anyone has tried experimenting with anything similar to improve mains opening between burn cycles. Thanks guys.

Fred

Any holes in the antler will allow steam to blow out of the antler. As far a height, that's why I suggested running the antler out to the right or left of the main. That does not require any additional height. I doubt that a lot of 45's or elbows will make much difference. Getting them away from the main, in general should help.

BurntFingers

sorry.. typo-
I meant to suggest the idea of using a unibit step drill bit to make tight fitting holes in fins to add to the extension pipe on an antler in order to get the mains to open sooner. Any thoughts if this might help?

hvacfreak2

I'm really starting to think that Ackbar had the answer for this back in 1977 with his famous quote.

Frank_the_Tank

I'm thinking we are fighting a losing battle here with trying to get Gortons to remain open while venting a hot insulated main. Keep in mind that the air that gets sucked in after the boiler stops firing is sitting in steam-hot pipes at 220F. That hot air then attempts to escape at the start of the next cycle through, you guessed it, those Gorton vents that start closing and losing venting capacity at 110F.

I use Gorton #2s on my return lines, which at the moment is my only venting on my system. Later this month I am getting my main ends repiped to allow for main venting and upsizing the vent tapping on my return lines from 1/2'' to 1''. For my main vents, I will be using multiple radiator traps on an antler, with the outlets facing up to catch any condensate that may sneak through before the thermostatic disk shuts.

The waterline of my modern gas fired boiler is a good 3 feet lower than the waterline of the original coal monster, so I am not concerned about water backing up and coming out of the radiator traps. This risk obviously differs from situation to situation, so use this approach at your peril.

That being said, this approach may very well be a disaster. Who knows. I'll post back at the end of the month with results once it's installed.

Steamhead

Any chance the heat in the mains that keeps the #2 vents closed is actually steam? If so, the vents are doing their job.

Jamie Hall

Steamhead said:

Any chance the heat in the mains that keeps the #2 vents closed is actually steam? If so, the vents are doing their job.

Very good question. The other very good question is... will Gortons hold a vacuum? I honestly don't know, since my Gorton is on a return, and there is a Hoffman right next to it which I know breaks a vacuum.

But if they will hold a vacuum so long as they are hot, then no air can get into the main... and there isn't any air to push out... so maybe it's not a problem?

Steamhead

As long as they remain closed they should not let any air back in. Not sure how much vacuum they will hold while closed though.

Frank_the_Tank

On a one pipe system, the radiator vents will suck air into the system when the steam collapses after boiler shutdown regardless of what the Gorton main vents are doing. On a two pipe system with Gortons on the return vents (which should never see steam or near steam temperatures), they will also allow air to be sucked into the system as the steam collapses.