Single Pipe Steam Radiator - in need of a quiet vent solution

Fred

@Chris_L , where did you see @jba20142016 's video? I can't find it.

gfrbrookline

Don't waste your money with MoM, they have a plastic bladder that doesn't last long, maybe a year or two. At least that was my experience, one only lasted 3-4 months.

jba20142016

Fred said:

@Chris_L , where did you see @jba20142016 's video? I can't find it.

@Fred video can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/a73gr7/question_about_a_noisy_single_pipe_steam_radiator/

jba20142016

gfrbrookline said:

Don't waste your money with MoM, they have a plastic bladder that doesn't last long, maybe a year or two. At least that was my experience, one only lasted 3-4 months.

3-4 months is all i need until the winter is over, and I move out of my apartment . My priority is a silent vent!

Chris_L

Mark N said:

@Gordo have you ever cut open a Vent-Rite adjustable vent?

You can see the innards of a Vent-Rite here:
https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Steam_Radiator_Vent_Disassembly.php

This is a 51 (an old one I think), but the designs are basically the same.

gfrbrookline

Ok, now I get it. The landlord should reimburse you for the vent or replace it but it works as it should you just can't deal with the clicking so s/he wont. You have no intention of staying in the apartment past your lease date and just want to get some sleep. Makes sense to me so you can go with the MoM, but from my experience they are not silent either, the one you have clicks, the MoM's make a clunk sound. The Hoffman's click is higher in tone and the MoM is more of a low tone but noticeable.

So I would check your local Home Depot for a MoM with a #4 orifice, try it, if it also keeps you up order a Ventrite and return the MoM. Tell the clerk it was too loud.

gfrbrookline

If you do go with the MoM I would do the decent thing and reinstall the Hoffman before you leave the apartment as it is a much more expensive vent and will last a lot longer.

Gordo

@Mark N : Yes, at the end of this video on the Hoffman 1A, I show a cut-open Vent-Rite 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7NiIyvDLbU

jba20142016

gfrbrookline said:

If you do go with the MoM I would do the decent thing and reinstall the Hoffman before you leave the apartment as it is a much more expensive vent and will last a lot longer.

Thanks for your insight! Of course, I will not discard the hoffman, just set it aside until I move. I will look into the MoM #4....others have recommended Gortons as a silent option..do you have experience with those?

coelcanth

my system has a mix of old MoMs and Hoffman 40s and Gortons.
i can never really tell when any radiators are venting. they are all dead silent, but that might be just because the system pressure never rises over a few ounces, which might not be the case in your home.

i would probably check your adjustable vent setting now to see if it is set fast or slow and size the new vent accordingly. it doesn't seem like you will reach any consensus on 'the quietest vent' so your decision might as well be based on cost or convenience.

the adjustable vents tend to be a little pricier, except maybe the MoM with changeable orifice set.. less than $15 here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B003DV3AGE/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new

my local hardware store stocks gortons in many sizes at around $25 each. yours might too.

otherwise, the cheapest option yet but the longest time frame.. i've found new old stock Hoffman 40 vents on ebay for as low as $10 each. you have to hunt around for the old boxes with old logos and no barcodes and wait for a good price, but it might be worthwhile if the old vents were really made better than the current lineup and quieter too.

gfrbrookline

I find Gordon's tend to wheeze as they get closing and the MoM's clunk so a tossup. The MoM's are cheaper.

ChrisJ

gfrbrookline said:

I find Gordon's tend to wheeze as they get closing and the MoM's clunk so a tossup. The MoM's are cheaper.

This is very accurate at higher (normal) pressures.

gfrbrookline

My boiler operates between 16oz cut out and 4 oz cut in so I don't consider my boiler high pressure. Verified by a 1-3 gauge.

ChrisJ

> @gfrbrookline said:
> My boiler operates between 16oz cut out and 4 oz cut in so I don't consider my boiler high pressure. Verified by a 1-3 gauge.

Mine operates at less than 0.5oz and often as low as 0.125oz verified by a 0 - 2" WC Magnehelic with out a pigtail.

nicholas bonham-carter

In this situation, I suspect the pressure is much higher than normal, and this is making the vents noisy. Apparently any complaints to the management fall on deaf ears, and so their system is contributing to global warming, by burning so much more fuel than needed!—NBC

ChrisJ

> @nicholas bonham-carter said:
> In this situation, I suspect the pressure is much higher than normal, and this is making the vents noisy. Apparently any complaints to the management fall on deaf ears, and so their system is contributing to global warming, by burning so much more fuel than needed!—NBC

I used to have Hoffman 1As on all of my radiators back in 2011. One of the reasons I hated them was they clicked and clacked.

Higher pressure makes them hiss and whistle but shouldn't effect the oil can sound.