Gorton air eliminator, condensation/sweating in summer

dorktales

Hi there,

Wondering if anyone else has dealt with pipe sweating on a Gorton air eliminator.

The Gorton is on the main steam line in the basement, in a corner, close to the wall and ceiling. The main water line is close by, along with a pipe out that's a garden hose hookup.

The Gorton has been there for a few years. Two weeks ago it started sweating profusely. At first I thought there was a leak in the nearby water piping, dripping onto the Gorton. But that didn't seem possible with the pipe layout, and eventually I concluded it was sweating/condensation. (If you stand there long enough, you can watch beads of water forming on the Gorton.) No other pipes are sweating, and I've never noticed any sweating in the eight years I've lived here.

I guess I have a few options:

1. Wait it out and keep mopping up with towels. It's been a very wet, mild spring/summer in the mid-Atlantic. Maybe whatever micro-climate has formed in that corner will eventually go away.
2. Buy a dehumidifier.
3. Insulate the Gorton? Except for the bit at the top where the air comes out? That seems to be a common recommendation for sweating water pipes. I don't know if it makes sense for an empty air vent.

Any ideas? Even just confirmation that "Yes, this is a thing and you're not going crazy" would be great.

Mike

pecmsg

your saying a Steam Vent is sweating?

dorktales

Yes, the big vent (Gorton Air Eliminator) off the main steam pipe in the basement. I don't know if sweating is the right term. Water is condensing on the surface of the Gorton and dripping down.

I'm 99% sure it isn't a leak from a water pipe, dripping down onto the Gorton. Just doesn't make sense given the pipe layout and what I'm seeing.

pecmsg

got pictures

ChrisJ

Is it cold?

The only way it can sweat is if it's cold.

Does your boiler run to make domestic hot water?

mattmia2

Is all the piping insulated but the gorton? Is it near a wet return full of water? The only way I could see that it could get cold enough to sweat is if it suddenly got warmer with a lot of humidity in the area. The piping should come to equilibrium with the surrounding air unless it is suddenly getting hot, humid air in there. Is a central air duct leaking and cooling the pipe?

unless something unusual is happening to cool just the pipe, that near dewpoint air is going to be bad for everything in the basement.

if the boiler is making dhw i can see how water vapor from the hot water in the boiler could be coming out the vent and making that area more humid if it is very close to the boiler.

Steamhead

Sure the system hasn't gotten over-filled?

dorktales

Thanks for the comments.

The boiler only makes steam for heating. No domestic hot water. It hasn't run since March. There's no central AC or ducts.

The steam mains aren't insulated (hoping to get it done this summer), and there's just a bit of insulation on the nearby water pipes. The Gorton does seem colder than the other pipes. It's close to where the mains drop into the return, and the return pipe is insulated… So the comments about the return and the system being overfilled now have me thinking. I'll check it out, see if I can drain water out without the feeder kicking in, and maybe get a picture to boot.

ChrisJ

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1857938#Comment_1857938

You don't have a working gauge glass?

Big Ed_4

Look for a pin hole on that near by water line …..

DCContrarian

Does it have automatic make up water? Could there be a leak somewhere and you're getting a continuous flow of cold water?

dorktales

The immediate problem is solved. I drained off some water, and the Gorton quickly returned to room temperature. No sweating/condensation since then.

I really appreciate all the feedback. I was thinking about water pipes and humidity, not the actual boiler, so I didn't check the gauge or consider the water level. I must have left it too high after skimming near the end of the season. (The number on the feeder hasn't changed in a while, so I don't think it's bring in new water.)

pecmsg

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1857954#Comment_1857954

If its leaking by it doesn't change the numbers.

Steamhead

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1857955#Comment_1857955

The valve in the feeder unit may be leaking, but it can be rebuilt.

pecmsg

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1857957#Comment_1857957

Im just saying it can leak by and the timer wont advance.

ethicalpaul

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1857954#Comment_1857954

This is very confusing. You drained water from where? And the Gorton returned to room temperature how exactly? The vent was cold and draining water from somewhere made it warm up??