What kind of Valve can I use?

crawas

Hi, I have a HUGE radiator in my living room that overheats the room big time. for years i have been using the Hoffman valve (the one that lets out barely any air) and with it the radiator barely gets warm at all. I put a gorton 4 valve there the other day and then it was too hot. Is there anything in between?

crawas

Thanks yes i know about the vent rite but isnt the lowest setting on the dial the same setting as a gorton #4?

Fred

Vent-rite venting rates @ 1 OZ, 2 OZ and 3 OZ pressure:
Ventrite #1 Setting 1 Off Off Off
Ventrite #1 Setting 2 0.033 0.020 0.021
Ventrite #1 Setting 3 0.025 0.036 0.046
Ventrite #1 Setting 4 0.030 0.053 0.066
Ventrite #1 Setting 5 0.045 0.071 0.091
Ventrite #1 Setting 6 0.056 0.091 0.116
Ventrite #1 Setting 7 0.070 0.108 0.133
Ventrite #1 Setting 8 0.083 0.125 0.158

Gorton 4:.025 .040 .055
You are saying the Gorton #4 barely lets the rad get warm. In that case, setting the Vent-Rite to 3 or 4 should work for you.

crawas

no i am saying the gorton #4 the rad gets too hot because its so big and with the hoffman it doesnt get hot at all

Fred

crawas said:

no i am saying the gorton #4 the rad gets too hot because its so big and with the hoffman it doesnt get hot at all

Sorry, I misunderstood. You may well need to put a TRV on that radiator. That will keep the vent closed as long as the room stays at that temp and allow it to open when heat is needed. Danfoss makes one that is pretty good. Comes with the vacuum breaker, which you will need. You can then install your vent onto that TRV.
http://www.supplyhouse.com/Danfoss-013G0140-Thermostatic-Rad-Valve-w-Vac-Breaker-1-Pipe-Steam-5551000-p

crawas

So a regular angle gorton valve will work with this? Just put this vacuum breaker in the radiator and the gorton into this breaker? Is the vacuum breaker the actual TRV?

LionA29

@crawas
Here is an pictorial of what the TRV does that @Fred recommended! They are great when you set it up correctly and find your right settings which is located in the manual that comes with it. I hope it brings some clarity!

crawas

Yes it definitely does. Thank you!! What I just want to clarify beyond this is what exactly I need to buy? Just the vacuum breaker that @fred recommended and then use the gorton 4 valve that I already have? Or do I need to buy a different air valve to work with this vacuum breaker? Is the vacuum breaker and the TRV one and the same?

On another note, my boiler works on 3-5 pounds of pressure. Someone posted a chart above showing the different specs of the vents based on the amount of pressure. THey wrote 1oz, 2oz, or 3oz.....did they mean pounds or ounces?

Fred

Wow, Pressure is probably your problem! Turn the Pressure trol down to .5 PSI on the Scale on the front of the Pressuretrol and if this is a gray unit, there is a white wheel inside the box. Turn that to "1" facing the front of the box.
If this Pressuretrol has a clear front, set the Main dial to 1.5 and the differential to .5
To answer your questions, The TRV and Vacuum breaker are different components but the one I sent you the link for comes with both components and you can use any vent you have with it.
Drop the pressure first and see if that fixes the problem. At that pressure your rad vents probably aren't working right.

crawas

The Danfoss TRV that's mentioned above will only work if I buy the direct mount operator as well as a STRAIHT air valve (not the angles gorton ones that I currently have). Am I right? So I have to buy 3 pieces? The Danfoss 013G0140, the Danfoss 013GB8250, and an 013L8011?

Fred

crawas said:

The Danfoss TRV that's mentioned above will only work if I buy the direct mount operator as well as a STRAIHT air valve (not the angles gorton ones that I currently have). Am I right? So I have to buy 3 pieces? The Danfoss 013G0140, the Danfoss 013GB8250, and an 013L8011?

I would call them before ordering. It looks like they have an assembly that includes the valve, operator and straight vent but I'm not sure if the one I referred you to is that assembly.

Jamie Hall

And I would add on the pressure -- if you don't get it down where it belongs, it will destroy your nice new vents and valves in short order. So that is step 1.

KC_Jones

Yes you need 3 pieces. The valve with vacuum breaker, the operator and a straight vent. I would not buy the Danfoss vent. Any straight vent will work. Still need to size the vent appropriately so it can get steam when needed. The TRV tends to add some resistance to the venting so going a touch bigger then one would normally go isn't a bad idea. @ChrisJ has fiddled with his a fair amount if memory serves.

I will third on the pressure. The vents are rated in ounces because that's ideally how low you want to run. It's a combination of boiler size and venting that dictates pressure, pressuretrol is simply a high limit safety device. That say many systems it becomes an operating control due to lack of venting or oversized boiler.

crawas

So which straight vent should I buy? I'll post a picture later of my pressure gauge because I'm not sure how to read it. It looks like I may have misspoke in how high I said the psi was set to.

crawas

See the pic. what is it set to?

nicholas bonham-carter

If that pressuretrol is an old mercury model, its non-horizontal mounting will prevent it from working properly.
Get that pressure down, and don't go by the pressuretrol settings without verification by a good low- pressure gauge.
You will probably find that lowering the pressure, and checking/increasing the capacity of the main, (not rad) vents, will fix this problem without TRV's--NBC

crawas

That's out of my league lol. So based on the pic I sent the pressure still is high?

Fred

The setting on the front is fine at .5PSI (8 ounces cut-out). Take that one screw off off the front of the box (middle, bottom) and you will see a white wheel inside. That should be set at "1", facing the front of the box. That should limit your pressure to about 1.5 PSI. It really would be great if you could get someone to take the pressuretrol off, using the hex fitting on the bottom of it, and clean that looped pipe. They get clogged and prevent the Pressuretrol from seeing the pressure. Also, if someone could add a 0-3 PSI gauge on that pigtail, next to the Pressuretrol, using a Tee and a nipple, that will let you see what pressure your boiler is actually running and will also give you a clue if the pigtail ever gets clogged. Your boiler currently has a 30PSI gauge on it. They are useless as a real working tool but are required by most local codes so leave it on the boiler as well.

Again, give supplyhouse a call before you order. Some of their info says they have a valve with the operator built in. so you would need that plus a vacuum breaker and a straight vent. You can use any straight radiator vent like the Hoffman #41. Supplyhouse will also be able to advise you what they have available.

crawas

Thank you!!

Jamie Hall

If that is a mercury type -- you will see a glass bulb with mercury in it when you take the cover off -- it must be level. Eyeballing the angle your picture shows it at I would guess that it is shutting off 2 to 3 psi higher than it is set for. Level it up.