Trane Vapor Vacuum System

Dave Hartwell

I have one of the good ones, I am trying to get a good understanding of this before I attack it. The complant is that many of the radaitors do not get hot. Uppon my first inspection I meet a a ten year old Wheil McClain replacement oil fired boiler, and my first Train system. This one has the compound guage and a Vapor-stat leaning towards Sawyers. The Vacuum reads 5" The water leavel is good and not dancing too bad. I scetched I observed I kept my hands in my pockets and went back to research this a little before I did any thing. It has Trane #9 vent trap, a Trane #210 return trap, and the convectors built in the wall have a 1/2" vertical straight what I believe to be steam trap,(new to Me) any who the radiators have Trane #00 angle steam traps. Today I am going to check all the steam traps and see if any are leaking by. I have called around and got some bad advice ranging from take out the traps and put in a feed pump, to replace all the traps, the problem with that is that thies convectors are all built in to the custom painted walls, (and well they don't want to remodle this week. they just want heat), the last idea was take out the vent trap vent and put in a #75 steam vent and then you won't have a vaccume any more. The people have had this problem sence they have owned the house for the last five years. I am going to try to lower the firing rate of the burner today and see if I can get a longer run time before the burner shuts down.I would be thankfull for any insite you can give me reguarding what to look for, I have read throught the info available in Lost Art and the companion.

Thanks

Dave Hartwell

Steamhead

It's Hard to stop a Trane

First check to see if the vent trap is actually venting. It's possible the vacuum check is stuck. I'd remove the vacuum check since the vacuum may be causing "expanded air" which can block the flow of steam. Vacuum really doesn't work well with oil or gas firing.

Then, check to see if the overhead ("dry") return line gets steam-hot. It shouldn't. If it does, you have a trap that's blowing steam which pressurizes the return and slows or stops the flow of steam. Be sure to feel along the entire length of the dry return. If you feel steam, trace it back along the return and up the branch line to the offending radiator.

Some Vapor system installers piped radiator traps between the end of the steam main(s) and the dry return(s). These acted as steam main vents. If your system has these, check them like any other trap.

It's also possible the Return Trap is leaking. Feel the steam line between the boiler header and the Return Trap. It should not get hot as soon as the boiler starts to produce steam. If it does, it will slow or stop circulation.

You can get replacement innards for almost any trrap from Barnes & Jones or Tunstall. Also, Tunstall can rebuild the Return Trap if needed. If that system uses regular vents on the steam mains, I recommend the Gorton #2 as a replacement.

www.barnesandjones.com

www.tunstall-inc.com

www.gorton-valves.com

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