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Spitting big mouth

jlo1029
jlo1029 Member Posts: 33
in Strictly Steam
Still a fairly clueless HO here but doing my best!

Anyone have an idea why a big mouth would spit excessive water vapor and water while a ventrite 33 did not? (A little sure but not enough to saturate the ceiling the way the big mouth did!)

36 feet of 2 inch main, 1 main vent on the dry return. No water hammer. 0-30 gauge only but I have the pressuretrol bottomed out.

Reason for vent change was hope of improving efficiency / lower gas bill.

Comments

  • jlo1029
    jlo1029 Member Posts: 33
    PS... That "other" main vent you see on the left is for my 1 2-piped radiator. It's not what I'm worried about. All the other 6 radiators are on the same main.
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Can't really see the vents from that picture but since you said the big mouth is on the 2" pipe, that return is pitched down so the Big Mouth would be also pitched. It needs to be level. Put a couple 45's on the nipple (use a shorter nipple if you need to) and mount the Big Mouth so that it is level and can drain properly.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,516
    Keep in mind that the Big Mouth only closes on steam -- it won't close on water. In an application of the dry return, it won't (or certainly shouldn't) be seeing steam, so it should be wide open. I suspect that the escaping air is moving fast enough to carry condensate from the dry return up to the vent and on out. Try @Fred 's suggestion; that may at least reduce the amount of condensate which reached it.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • jlo1029
    jlo1029 Member Posts: 33
    Thanks! So I guess my next question is...anyone want to buy a gently used big mouth? Things aren't cheap!
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    edited January 2019
    jlo1029 said:

    Thanks! So I guess my next question is...anyone want to buy a gently used big mouth? Things aren't cheap!

    You don't need to replace the Big Mouth. You have it on the Single pipe Main which becomes essentially a Dry Return after the last radiator run-out. That pipe will get steam all the way down to that vent and close it.
    @Jamie Hall 's comment was basically about a 2 pipe system, with a separate Dry Return where steam won't enter the dry return because traps protect it from steam.

    Do as I suggested and I'm pretty sure it will be fine.
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,495
    Get the nipple the big mouth is on off the main and install a short tipple, a elbow, a 12-18" nipple, another elbow, a nipple that gets you up as far as you need, and the bigmouth. Make sure the horizontal nipple is pitched so condensate will drain out.

    That should wring out the water.

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 743
    The vent on the right is the only vent I see, just barely. Doesn't look like a big mouth from where I sit.
    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager,teacher and dog walker
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Grallert said:

    The vent on the right is the only vent I see, just barely. Doesn't look like a big mouth from where I sit.

    I assumed that was the old vent, before he changed it to the Big Mouth.
  • jlo1029
    jlo1029 Member Posts: 33
    edited January 2019
    > @BobC said:
    > Get the nipple the big mouth is on off the main and install a short tipple, a elbow, a 12-18" nipple, another elbow, a nipple that gets you up as far as you need, and the bigmouth. Make sure the horizontal nipple is pitched so condensate will drain out.
    >
    > That should wring out the water.
    >
    > Bob

    I bet that would work, but unfortunately there isn't much clearance space above the vent. I could go horizonally though, would that help?
  • jlo1029
    jlo1029 Member Posts: 33
    > @Fred said:
    > The vent on the right is the only vent I see, just barely. Doesn't look like a big mouth from where I sit.
    >
    > I assumed that was the old vent, before he changed it to the Big Mouth.

    Yes that's the vent rite. And I'm actually a she. :)
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    edited January 2019
    OK, Welcome MS. @jlo1029 :)
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,516
    If you got horizontal that will help a lot -- but make sure the horizontal pipe isn't quite horizontal, but slopes back to the main so it can drain. And the longer -- within reason! -- the better.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,495
    What @Jamie Hall said is right, if you go over and then up as high as is pactical that should wring a lot water out. Just mind the slope allows water to drain out.

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • jlo1029
    jlo1029 Member Posts: 33
    edited January 2019
    Ok, so I went 18 inches over. Still spits steam and water... No improvement at all. Am I possibly doing something else wrong?
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Did you buy the Barnes and Jones Big Mouth vent or did you purchase their steam trap? If it is a Big Mouth, it must be defective. Where did you buy it? Return it and get a replacement.
  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 2,784
    can we see another picture of the boiler and near pipe?
    floor to ceiling?
    what pressure are you running at?
    known to beat dead horses
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,516
    Fred said:

    Did you buy the Barnes and Jones Big Mouth vent or did you purchase their steam trap? If it is a Big Mouth, it must be defective. Where did you buy it? Return it and get a replacement.

    It sure looks like the vent version. If it's really spitting steam, and not just hot water, yeah -- try another one.

    That's a nice looking installation, though.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    jlo1029
  • jlo1029
    jlo1029 Member Posts: 33
    Yeah it came labeled vent and looks just like the ones in other people's pictures. Guess I gotta try to return it. Thanks SO much for all the help, y'all!
  • jlo1029
    jlo1029 Member Posts: 33
    In case anyone was curious... New big mouth vent was delivered today and works fine. I'm guessing those extra nipples were not needed, but I'm keeping them!
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    jlo1029 said:

    In case anyone was curious... New big mouth vent was delivered today and works fine. I'm guessing those extra nipples were not needed, but I'm keeping them!

    That's great news! Enjoy

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