Where can I find vertical steam traps?

Unknown

Are those the ones that are referred to as outboard traps? The "dish" is sideways and the radiator union nut is where a normal trap outlet would be.

Those are a pain to be sure the element is seated right when you repair them, because gravity tends to make the element slip as you start the threads on the covers. The element winds up sideways.

Barnes and Jones made my replacement elements.

Tunstall can, too.

Noel

Claudette

Old Style Steam Traps

We have a 2 pipe steam system in our house dating from 1929. In 1999 we replaced our old boiler. Fremont Lobbestael sold it to us so it is sized right and it works well. BUT this year some of our traps are going bad and the local contractor's supplier can't get them. They are vertical traps and on them is imprinted: MILVACO and MILWAUKEE Valve CO. The heating man says they are 90 degree and 1/2 inch valves. To replace them with horizontal valves presents much time, effort and movement of radiators. We had one done this way and it was a huge job. I should add that both the steam and return lines are on the same side of the radiator. Does anyone know where to purchase these traps?

pfitter_26

TRY:

https://www.statesupply.com/steamTraps.jsp

pfitter_26

TRY:

https://www.statesupply.com/steamTraps.jsp

Claudette

Thanks Noel. I now understand that the inner valve can be removed and replaced without removing the housing from the radiator. I am looking at the original housing and valve that the heating man removed from one radiator and replaced with a different one. I want to try to take it apart so that I know that this can be done to my other radiators, before I look for the replacement inner valve. Do you just somehow unscrew this thing? (I can see the inner valve jiggling around inside.) My husband worked on it but couldn't budge anything.

Claudette

joe_14

traps


noel is right,try barnes and jones. i belive they have cage units for these.



joe.g.

[Deleted User]

the cap should just unscrew,

but it can be quite tight...if i remember right, on a milwaukee valve steam trap the element then is itself screwed into the inside of the cover..in other words, unscrew the cover, then unscrew the element from the cover..i just repaced one of these for a customer..it was leaking to atmosphere, so i recall taking it apart to examin its insides..i was able to easily replace it with a hoffman 17 trap,,but only cause the discharge pipe had some vertical ''slop'' to it..i was able to lift it..there is a fitting called a male by female coupling that we use alot of when replacing traps to get that little bit of extra reach..hard fitting to find on a ''shelf'' but easy to procure by special order.

Claudette

I thank all who replied to my question about vertical traps. I am armed with information. I thought I had hired a good heating contractor but they never mentioned anything about the things I have learned from you. So now I think I need a different contractor. There is no one near us on "Find A Contractor". Does anyone know of someone near Ann Arbor, MI who could change radiator trap elements? I quess I can get the elements or at least can tell a contractor where to get them.

(By the way, I love steam heat. It is steady and there is nothing as nice as sitting on a warm radiator cover on a cold day. But from what I've read on the Wall, it is apparently disappearing from home heating.)