Adive on installing a main vent (pics)

jim_14

Posted a while ago about length of time to heat house with 1 pipe gas fired steam boiler. I took some pics of my main that runs thru my finished basement and you can see there is no main vent. Actually I live in row of houses and all of them to my knowledge do not have a main vent. The main runs about 25 to 30 feet thru the basement and at the end of the run it breaks up into three risers(first pic end of run), 2cnd pic is another riser a few feet before the end which i believe goes up two floors to my bathroom, the third pic is about halfway from the boiler to the back of the house where you can see what looks like a cap, Im thinking maybe it was for a rad that never materilized or maybe this was where the main vent would be. Oh yes at the beginning of the run about 5 feet from the boiler there are 2 more risers. thats it.

Now my question, how difficult would it be for a main vent to be installed, notice how close to the ceiling the steam pipe is, and would it make a difference in my case?

BTW on a seperate note: my vents use to hiss like crazy and my bathroom vent would gurgle and spit water, it was pried up with a small block of wood, once I removed it ,no water, no gurgeling and No heat! Now i can live with that, but I find it kind of strange by disabling the bathroom rad that my system seems kind of balanced now, everything is quiet and heats evenly, the only thing is the length of time it takes to get the heat rising. Anyone care to explain that one to me?

many thanks,

Jim

antman

try

Jim, It looks like your main is pitched down towards the wall. You may find that in that wall is your main vent and return at the end of the main. From your pics it does not look like a counterflow sytsem so there should be a vent and definately should be a return line. It cant hurt to look in that wall were the pipe disappears. See what you cant, behind that wall.

hope this helps, Ant

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Unknown

Yep - gotta break into the wall

or where you think the pipe drops down to the return . Best place to install it is past the last radiator on the main , and before the drop down , but it looks like you dont have the space . I had a similar problem on a job with no main vent , and no place to put it . So I installed it on the pipe going down . If worse comes to worse , you can pull that cap and put one in there - it'll vent out some of the main at least .

jim_14

Yeah It looks a little pitched at the end. I dont think there is a main behind the wall. I did some work in my neighbors house (same exact builder and layout as mine)and there was an opening in the wall, the only thing I saw was the return pipe attached to the end of that steam main. I only have one picture, you cant see that actual return connecting to the main, but you can see what Im talking about. Theres virtually no room, I believe. Maybe thats why they never put in a main vent???

jack_4

Main Vent

Here is another solution for a Main vent.

Steamhead

Jim, the easiest way I know

to install a main vent there is to drill and tap a 3/8-inch pipe-thread hole in the side of the last tee. Be sure to angle the tap slightly upward so the hole will be pitched toward the main. Come out from the hole with a short 3/8" nipple and install a 3/8" x 1/2" reducer ell with the 1/2" side pointing up. Screw a short 1/2" nipple into the ell and a Gorton #1 or Hoffman #75 vent onto the nipple. Then watch how fast the system heats up.

You may have to open a hole in the ceiling to accomodate the vent if there's not enough headroom.

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