Has anyone ever seen one of these?

dylanbiasutto

So I'm VERY new to steam heat...well I shouldn't say that. I bought my first home and over the last two years I've learned A lot. But I'm starting to think my main vents aren't working as my system pushes out A lot of air. I have two main vents, one on the sending and one on the return elbow. Quick question though. Anyone ever seen one of these? I've can't find it no matter how hard I Google!

nicholas bonham-carter

I recommend that you replace that vent with one, or more Gorton #2’s.
If this a two pipe Trane system, there may be more to the solution, than that, such as a plugged/missing crossover trap.—NBC

dylanbiasutto

It's A one pip steam system. I was just wondering if anyone had ever seen this brand of main vent. It's huge!

unclejohn

Seems to me if it's pushing out A Lot of air it,s working.

nicholas bonham-carter

It’s a Trane main vent, probably 60 or 70 years old, and its time has come. Does it close on steam? Noise of air escaping may have more to do with over-pressure than proof of operation.--NBC

Harry_6

Perhaps I'm traditional, but I wouldn't be so quick to relegate that to the scrap heap. I have removed quite a few of those and boiled them in vinegar solution for a few hours (after first removing the cap and vacuum check), cleaned them with steel wool (clean the cap and check by hand), give 'em a nice coat of paint, and good as new. Except that's a vacuum vent, so either someone didn't know what it was, they didn't care, or this was once a one-pipe vacuum system (which is no longer viable unless you are burning coal!). I agree though, a couple of big Gortons should do the trick.

PS - If you want to give it a new home, I'd be happy to oblige!

Fred

dylanbiasutto said:

So I'm VERY new to steam heat...well I shouldn't say that. I bought my first home and over the last two years I've learned A lot. But I'm starting to think my main vents aren't working as my system pushes out A lot of air. I have two main vents, one on the sending and one on the return elbow. Quick question though. Anyone ever seen one of these? I've can't find it no matter how hard I Google!

When you say you have 2 vents, one on the sending (Steam Main?) and one on the Return, are you saying the one on the steam side is near where the main leaves the boiler or at the end of the steam main? If at the beginning of the main, near the boiler, it is doing nothing as it will close immediately on steam. If at the end of the main, that's fine. Those vents may still work but you need to figure out (based on size and length of the main(s) if they vent fast enough to be effective.

JUGHNE

Can you post pictures of the locations of these, and show enough piping that we can see how they might have been used?

dylanbiasutto

I'll post a picture in A bit.
During my cycle neither of the vents make noise at all which leads me to think neither of them are working. The second vent looks much newer though.

dylanbiasutto

> @Harry_6 said:
> Perhaps I'm traditional, but I wouldn't be so quick to relegate that to the scrap heap. I have removed quite a few of those and boiled them in vinegar solution for a few hours (after first removing the cap and vacuum check), cleaned them with steel wool (clean the cap and check by hand), give 'em a nice coat of paint, and good as new. Except that's a vacuum vent, so either someone didn't know what it was, they didn't care, or this was once a one-pipe vacuum system (which is no longer viable unless you are burning coal!). I agree though, a couple of big Gortons should do the trick.
>
> PS - If you want to give it a new home, I'd be happy to oblige!

My radiators do have a second smaller pipe by them. I do believe that means that it had one of the Vacuum systems at some point. Pics to follow.

dylanbiasutto

Here are some photos of the set up

dylanbiasutto

2

Fred

Both of those vents are on returns, just above the drop to the floor. That is fine, although neither is large enough to vent the mains (if they even work). I would change them out to something more appropriate for the mains. How long is each main?

dylanbiasutto

Mains as in the pipes coming to the elbows?

dylanbiasutto

If so the two pipes are 125 inches and 67 inches (before it elbows off to another 125 inches)

ch4man

im no expert on vents and vent sizing so "yeah what they said"
however its just shameful that the install manual it right there on the side of the boiler and yet the installers still failed to read it.

dylanbiasutto

Well team, what vents should I pop on these bad boys?

ch4man

can you please also post a picture or two of a radiator showing both the inlet and especially the smaller pipe you spoke of

dylanbiasutto

Here are photos of the average radiator in the house along side one of the smaller pipes beside the inlets

Fred

@dylanbiasutto, I would put a Gorton #2 on the 125" Main and a Gorton #1 on the 67" Main. That should get steam to the end of each main at about the same time and then start to push it out to the radiators.

dylanbiasutto

@Fred thanks so much. I'm glad I posted here just about a weird main valve! Now I need to find a Canadian distributor. Living in the middle of Saskatchewan makes things tricky!

Fred

Try SupplyHouse: : https://www.supplyhouse.com/Gorton-Air-Valves-302000?utm_source=bingad&utm_medium=dsa&msclkid=536608ae3a0c15ade060569da9f02a22

Or Amazon. I believe they both ship to Canada. You may find these vents at a local plumbing supply house too.

KC_Jones

> @ch4man said:
> im no expert on vents and vent sizing so "yeah what they said"
> however its just shameful that the install manual it right there on the side of the boiler and yet the installers still failed to read it.

This.
Someone has some strange ideas about how steam works.

Canucker

> @Fred said:
> Try SupplyHouse: : https://www.supplyhouse.com/Gorton-Air-Valves-302000?utm_source=bingad&utm_medium=dsa&msclkid=536608ae3a0c15ade060569da9f02a22
>
> Or Amazon. I believe they both ship to Canada. You may find these vents at a local plumbing supply house too.

Supplyhouse doesn't ship outside of the United States. As a Canadian, I wish they did, because they always have exactly what I'm looking for, I just can't get it

clammy

From the looks of it as others have said that boiler way off being installed properly when it comes to near boiler piping . If this isn’t a 2 pipe system I would install a Hoffman 76 vapor vacuum vent in place of that trane . Do any of your radiators have air vents on if not use the Hoffman 76 . Peace and good luck clammy

dylanbiasutto

@clammy all of my radiators have either a Hoffman 40 on them or a Maid o Mist vent. But yeah it seems the major thing is replacing these vents!

exqheat

Ask if Supply house if it has a Canadian affiliate.

clammy

And replacing that main vent go w a Barnes and jones big mouth or a gorton #2