New guy Dan here...

Dfern8686

What's going on!, Dan here from Bellerose Queens, NY (Ive noticed several NYers here). 12 Deg F today, coldest day of the season thus far.

I've been watching this forum for quite a while and have become more interested and enlightened in the operation of my one pipe steam heating system with many of you professionals. Thank you for having me.

Almost 2 years ago, I moved into my first home, 1920s 2.5 story old dutch colonial with a Burnham IN5, some 7 yrs old. Its never given me any issues, but I feel has always ran inefficiently looking at my painful gas bill, especially this time of the season. I have a Nest tstat and 2nd floor temp sensor for nighttime zone control. And have replaced all rad vents with adjustable varivalves.

My boiler has always been set at 3psi (I know, too high from hearing you folks) I tried bringing down to 2psi and it just tends to short cycle too much, taking forever to heat.

Now, from all the reading Ive been doing, I hear "main vent" everywhere. So Im searching and searching my dry/wet returns and see nothing that looks like a vent. Then I find a T semi-buried inside the basement ceiling with what appears to be a vertical small pipe but its capped! Why would they cap it? Should one pipe systems always contain a main vent? Wouldnt this help bring my system quickly up to speed, thus saving on gas bills?

Sorry for the essay, just VENTING a little bit. Ive attached some photos FYI. Appreciate any help. Thanks!
Dan

Jamie Hall

Yes, a main vent would probably help a lot, particularly in reducing the short cycling on pressure. However, that particular T looks much more as though it had gone up to a since departed radiator, and I'm not at sure it's in a particularly useful place for a main vent.

Ironman

As Jamie said, that looks like where a rad’s been removed.
 A main vent should be at the end of the main or the dry return before it drops down to the wet return.

Dfern8686

Thanks, the pipe is quite small, not even 1.5" OD. It is actually about 6ft from the end of the return, but there is another pipe to a rad in between. It would also be a strange location if it were to have gone straight up thru the floor, because it would have landed in middle of the living room.

Ironman

But you’re assuming the pipe would have gone straight up. It could have had and ell and gone horizontally before turning up again. And it could have had a vent there, though it would have been the wrong place.

Again, the vent should be after the last rad.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Probably not the best location but a vent on that pipe is better than no vent at all

cross_skier

Once you put a vent there you will realize how important main vents are and you may end out venting the hell out of your main.