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Attractive (Chrome) high flow main vents?

mroberts5
mroberts5 Member Posts: 76
in Strictly Steam
I will be adding riser vents to some second floor radiators. Is anyone aware of anything halfway good looking with a chrome finish that has more flow than a Hoffman 4A?

Then again - I could just polish up a big mouth...

Comments

  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,840
    They polish up nice if your willing to put the time in. Can’t help you with the chrome endeavor.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • acwagner
    acwagner Member Posts: 512
    Maybe this?

    https://heatinghelp.com/store/detail/12-npt-vari-vent

    It might polish up nicely. I've never seen it for sale on Amazon, though.
    Burnham IN5PVNI Boiler, Single Pipe with 290 EDR
    18 Ounce per Square Inch Gauge
    Time Delay Relay in Series with Thermostat
    Operating Pressure 0.3-0.5 Ounce per Square Inch

  • mroberts5
    mroberts5 Member Posts: 76
    I did see you can get a Gorton Type "D" in chrome, which is about 2.5x a Hoffman 4A.

    May also try drilling out the 4A (I have two). Looks like I have some options....
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,384
    edited November 2019
    Only the angle versions of the Gorton D come in chrome. The straight versions are painted in a bronze color, just like the #1 and #2 main vents.

    But if you're going to drill and tap the risers for 1/8" pipe thread, as we did on the job in our Find a Contractor ad, the angle D will work just fine.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • mroberts5
    mroberts5 Member Posts: 76
    You can add a vent right to the side of a riser like that? Can I add a side reducing tee at the top and vent that? Or do I need to rise up to keep it dry?
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,384
    Sure- you drill and tap just below the ceiling of the room below. Go to the last pic in the series on this page to see what it looks like:

    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • rlev11
    rlev11 Member Posts: 8
    Just a dumb question along these lines, couldn't you just tap and add a high flow radiator vent to the input valve end of a radiator?

    My thinking would be that the steam would enter in the radiator and fill up the 1st tube quickly, then the vent on that end would close and then the rest of the radiator would fill slowly using the normal small vent on the far side.

    My second floor radiator riser goes up inside an outside wall, with very little room then between the valve and floor to tap a vent. Since all the other 1st floor radiators have very minimal risers compared to the 1 second floor one, the second floor rad takes longer to start heating.
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    rlev11 said:

    Just a dumb question along these lines, couldn't you just tap and add a high flow radiator vent to the input valve end of a radiator?

    My thinking would be that the steam would enter in the radiator and fill up the 1st tube quickly, then the vent on that end would close and then the rest of the radiator would fill slowly using the normal small vent on the far side.

    My second floor radiator riser goes up inside an outside wall, with very little room then between the valve and floor to tap a vent. Since all the other 1st floor radiators have very minimal risers compared to the 1 second floor one, the second floor rad takes longer to start heating.

    You can add a vent on the input side, either on the supply pipe or the radiator to speed up the steam flow to that radiator but I would look at how balanced your system is before I did that. Are the vents on the first floor too large, allowing the steam to fill those radiators first before moving on to the second floor?

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