V.D.Andersen air trap

AJCimino

Any information on this apparatus would be appreciated. Two pipe system, return on right and right side of building heats. Left side return tied into this air trap doesn't heat except for a bathroom radiator that someone put a Gorton "c" vent on.

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AJCimino

Is there no one on this forum who ever ran into one of these?

DanielDAY

We just worked on a system with the space ship looking thing. We ended up opening it up and putting a new gasket in it and cleaning up the rust. It has a weight on the top that is calculated to push down with a certain amount of force I think. I would take it off as it doesn’t do anything useful. We kept it on our system because it looked cool. You could just put a trap in place of it incase steam ever reaches that location and that would be better. Add a line to a drain incase condensation comes out.

Here’s pics of what it looks like

These are pictures of before we repaired it

DanielDAY

My comment was for the space ship only. It might not be the solution for the problem but it would still help with something. Maybe the andersen trap is not working good anymore. Do you know if that side of the house ever worked?

Steamhead

@AJCimino , I've seen these- they're basically main vents. Is there a pipe coming up of the top of it?

AJCimino

Steamhead,

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There is a pipe coming out of the the top that goes to a vent that vents the system. As stated, the right side of the house heats, the left side that is connected to this air trap does not. I thought that is was just a vent, but have no idea why its only serving one side of the house.

Thanks for the reply.

Steamhead

So, the pipe comes up from the air trap and then turns right, then there's a tee going to what looks like an Illinois or similar outboard radiator trap, then the vent?

Are both sides of the house connected to that vent?

DanielDAY

remove this and see if this side of the house starts bleeding air

AJCimino

Steamhead,

Only the left side is connected. That inlet branch of that tee is connected to the right side return and from floor it looks like a thermostatic trap connects to the tee.. The pipe continues to the apparatus further right. This is where air is released. Again, the right side not connected to the Andersen trap heats.

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mattmia2

oh, so the thing that looks like a regulator uses a weight to release pressure if the return exceeds a certain amount of pressure but it lets the return be pressurized?

if half the system is building return pressure and half isn't, guess which way the steam is going to go.(assuming my first assumption is correct).

maybe it originally connected to a lever and some chains that regulated the draft?

AJCimino

DanielDay,

That seems to be venting air, because the right side of the building heats, and you can hear air bleeding. I do believe the Andersen trap is the problem. Trying to determine if removing it will vent the left side.

DanielDAY

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1874645#Comment_1874645

Yes but it’s old and looks like it’s been leaking. I don’t think it does anything beneficial to modern boilers. Like I said earlier, I would change it to a steam trap and let that be the air vent. I’ve done this to systems before and it works great. Just for testing, I would at least take it off and see what it does. If it heats the other half after removing then that was the issue. The Andersen trap could be an issue but I really don’t think it is

Steamhead

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1874645#Comment_1874645

I think it will. But before I tell you to, a question: Does the Anderson vent trap sit on top of a dry return or a steam main?

DanielDAY

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1874674#Comment_1874674

I was researching more and even debated AI about this specific “Air trap” Now there is not a lot out there on this trap but from what I could gather, this V. D. Anderson Air Trap No. 0 is technically for hot water systems not steam systems . I even found someone selling a book on EBay and they just so happen to have had the picture of the page about this trap.

I think the set up for this system is odd if the condensate is entering through the outlet port of the air trap. After seeing that, I do think the air trap is the issue but only if it being on a steam system is an incorrect application for it.

What do you think Steam head?

Maybe the house was originally hot water and then got converted to steam?

mattmia2

i think it is there to keep water from squirting out the vent if it ends up up there

mattmia2

and backing out of the boiler in to the returns

Steamhead

@DanielDAY , apparently there were two versions. I've seen the steam version before, it closes against water but not steam. I bet this one is stuck closed.

DanielDAY

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1874683#Comment_1874683

So is there a No. 0 air trap for water and steam or is the one for steam a different number?

Steamhead

I don't know.

AJCimino

Steamhead,

The trap does sit on a dry return, and here is no steam connection to the trap. Interestingly, the two dry returns drop down below the water line, but only the return from the Andersen trap has a swing check. My feeling is that its only there to vent air and as you indicated it may be stuck closed. The right return is vented into that overhead tee and then to the device to the right with a thermostatic trap to shut off any steam that makes its way to the return. At least that's what I think.

DanielDAY,

Great detective work. The trap was probably left over from the original system witch was hand fired coal and then oil.

So is this trap superfluous?

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Steamhead

Yes, you can remove it. You'll have to cut the pipe above it, then unscrew it from the tee underneath. You'll need a long wrench and a cheater, and you'll probably have to heat the base of the trap at the pipe connection, to get it loose.