Vapor/Vacuum system ,help please

nick z.

2pipe steam without any visible traps, acording to the Lost art book it is a ARCO model K orifice system. The boiler is a EFM, comb. coal /oil.
Here is the problem, the very firts rad. gets completly hot, while the others will only getone third warm. The one main vent in the basement does work when stem first starts flowing,but shuts shortly there after. The vent is a Ventrite #6A.The H.O. tells me system worked well on coal fire, but not now that they using the oil gun,instead of the coal fire.It is possible that the sytem did not work well on coal, but the basement was always about 90deg, which we all know helped heat the 1st floor.
Should the air vent stay open until all the rads are warm? Or does it close to create vacuum?
I'm guessing the returns are open becuase water line doesn't change much and ther is no banging in the pipes.
So, should I install a new vent? If its a vapor/ vac. vent its my understanding they don't make them anymore.
Or is the boiler working under oil fire the problem? May I have to add a vent to each rad and adjust to how each room heats?
I am not trying to redesign the sytem, it worked at one time it should work again. I put sometime into trying to learn this steam stuff,{seminars reading, and asking ??} I didn't figure I'd run into a system this complicated.
Thanks guys, cant wait to hear from you!

Steamhead

If that's an Arco K

the radiator valves have orifices in them that are adjustable with a screwdriver. It's possible someone messed with these. The orifices should allow only the rads to fill to 80% of their capacity. This keeps steam from entering the dry return.

Also check the end of the steam main to see if there is a vent there. If not, there should be- measure the length and diameter of the main and we'll tell you what vent you need. There is no reason to add radiator vents to this system.

The Dole 6B vent on the dry return is probably too small. I like to use Gorton #2 vents on Vapor dry returns because of their high capacity.

Also check the system pressure. The Arco K was designed to run on 20 ounces or less. If the original Arco pressure cutout goes bad, replace it with a Vaporstat that cannot be set higher than 1 PSI.

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nick z.

Thanks Steamhead,

I'm sure no one has touched this system. There is that one main vent that I explanied{ventrite #6}.
I thought it might be necassary to add vents only because boiler is now operating on oil, instead of coal.
Pressurtrol is set at lowest poss. setting.
This systm did work well last heating season.

Mad Dog

Please Nick send us pics

we love!!!! this stuuuf steamhead said it all. and kudos to you for keeping the lost art alive... Mad Dog

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nick z.

Wish I could,

> we love!!!! this stuuuf steamhead said it all.

> and kudos to you for keeping the lost art

> alive... Mad Dog

>

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> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 299&Step=30"_To Learn More About This Contractor,

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> Contractor"_/A_

nick z.

Wish I could,

Send pics, got the camera,but not the know how.
Definetly an ARCO K system, spent a good hr. staring at everything.Matches the diagram in the book exactly.

i'm going to try changing the vent as Steamhead suggests.