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Leaking Main Vents

SteamCrazy
SteamCrazy Member Posts: 100
in THE MAIN WALL
Hello everyone, hope you all find yourselves in good health.  Let me start off by saying that this site and all of you have been very helpful.  Last season I  decided to repipe all of my steam main pipe along with near boiler piping due to it (1) being coal fired system and (2) it look like it had been hacked over the years by many different people.  The house is a 1896 Victorian with all its original Steam decorative Radiators in place 12 total. After doing a total Radiator calculation to size replacement Bolier and converting to Gas from oil which was coal prior I set focus on piping.  Now mind you please I never done this type of work before, but I concider my self a good listener, reader and a quick learner.  So i took on the challenge. After buying and reading some of Dan's books and taking some good advice from some of you I tackled the job. But having four kids and a night job time was not on my side.  So last season the late October cold was Bearing down on me so I had to finish my condensate returns lines so using what I had for time and material I came up with a less then desirable solution. Which I said then ll fix it next season which brings us to now. I did fix my condensate lines,  but not  before what I believe that the old set up with not enough A Dimension  sent some condensate back up my mains and I think damaged some of if not all  my main vents. I designed what some would call a Hybrid Counter Flow system because of my space and I like the idea of all my low hanging pipes are at the boiler.  What's happening is that my main vent seem to be leaking out through out the heating cycle which is causing me use more water. Does this sound like a plausible explanation  ?? If someone can share some input it would be appreciated.  Oh by the way I have a subtractive pressuretrol and i have turned it down from1.5 on the main, 1psi Differential to now 1 psi on main to .5 Differential in hope it would fix vent issues.   Thanks, Ed  (lSteamCrazy)

Comments

  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 2,954
    that's a counterflow main, isn't it?
    (ok, I went back and read that it is)
    is that the problem vent main?
    its condensate drain is on the wrong side of the header takeoff,
    and you're pushing water up that main, to your vents,
    which may also mean that counterflow is undersized,
    was that sized to the connected EDR, and length?
    known to beat dead horses
  • SteamCrazy
    SteamCrazy Member Posts: 100
    My Apologies I don't  understand, in a counter flow system it drains back to boiler. The drips you see are for risers to upstairs Radiation. 1 loop seal into a dry return and 1 into wet return.  The condensate lines were corrected.  I believe if water was pushed up it may have been from previous set up. Thanks for your input. ***  Is there a way to test and or clean main vents ?  Please Advise  
    Thanks,  Ed 
  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 2,954
    counterflows do drain back, but,
    it should not drain back down to your header,
    in your case, with that top fed main, condensate surely isn't falling to the header,
    but is steam pushing condensate up that main, I'm not sure,

    what pressure are you running at ?
    keep it under 1psi ?
    and what is in the water? sightglass looks chemical, or dirty?
    wet steam throwing up ?

    vents can be boiled in vinegar, or clr is an option,
    test? they either close to steam, or they don't
    known to beat dead horses
  • SteamCrazy
    SteamCrazy Member Posts: 100
    My mains drain back down to my mid leg the only thing draining back off header is what water may be left in the double drop header and down through my equalizer. My pressures are set to 1 psi on main and. 1/2 psi on differential it's a subtractive pressuretrol.  Thank you for input. I'm going to try and clean them. Is there anything else that can cause this issue ? 
  • SteamCrazy
    SteamCrazy Member Posts: 100
    Sorry correction Mud leg not (mid) 
  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 2,954
    too high pressure,
    wet steam,
    clogged / slow returns,
    wrong pitched piping,
    known to beat dead horses
  • SteamCrazy
    SteamCrazy Member Posts: 100
    Okay thanks I'll check over everything again. 
  • SteamCrazy
    SteamCrazy Member Posts: 100
    Okay so I removed all 11 Gorton #1 main vents and boiled in vinegar and and reinstalled.  Turns out three where still leaking so I replaced them and system working properly again.  Thanks for Advice nelic. 
  • SteamCrazy
    SteamCrazy Member Posts: 100
    edited November 2022
    Brushed pipes with thermo mastic now just got to finish insulation. 
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 11,319
    Is this 1 pipe or 2 pipe?

    Is the water line stable while steaming in your boiler, did you get the oil out from your new piping?
  • SteamCrazy
    SteamCrazy Member Posts: 100
    Hello, It's a 1 pipe Steam and yes water line is cleaned and stable. Had to skim over a dozen.  SMH 

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