Main Steam Vent on return...

Jeff_17

Hi Wetheads and Future Dead Men!

My main vents are on the dry returns ( I have two mains) as they drop into the wet return line. If I have two many vents (three Gortons when I was told I only need one number 2) could the dry return fill with too much steam causing two of my radiators on the second/THIRD floor to not get fully hot. I noticed I have two that don't heat as they should...the other night it was COLD...15* and the third floor girl was hot only half way across....the room was COLD and the vent on the rad is the biggest Gorton they make! Thought maybe the dry return was getting the steam that the risers to these girls should be getting!

Unknown

What is it?

If you have supply piping, high return piping, and low return piping, you have a two pipe vapor system.

If you have radiator vents and a high return and a low return, it sounds like one pipe steam...and the high return is actually the supply main.

Noel

Jeff_17

It is a one pipe steam system....two mains in opposite directions....and two returns...DRY....that go back..have main vents on a t just as they dip into the wet returns.

The mains..are..of course..higher than the returns....My question is....Am I venting too much of the return...and not letting the rad vent do some of the worl?

Unknown

I'm still confused

Do you have a supply main and a return main above the waterline, or is it all the same pipe?

A supply main and a return main on one pipe steam...which main do the one pipe radiators connect to?

Jeff_17

No.....I have two supply mains that feed the risers to the rads.....at the end of the main are the returns..that are considered the dry returns....that go back to the boiler...they are not SUPPLY lines....Now....this is where the vents are.....

Unknown

I stand corrected

I'll try to be more careful. Thanks.

Noel

Drod

I don't think you have too

Many vents...You'll keep heating until your thermostat is satisfied...and the only way your thermostat will be satisfied is by the steam traveling in your radiators-regardless of how fast it went through the mains.

Fred Harwood

vents

Sounds like you have a parallel one-pipe system with two mains. If the boiler EDR is at least 15% larger than your radiation EDR, you should be able to heat all the rads. Is your thermostat location in a warm spot? If so, try reducing the venting on nearby rads, or increasing the anticipation setting, for longer run time.
If those things are not a problem, then more main venting may be needed. Do the mains vents open and click shut when the steam arrives?

jeff_24

Never heard...

the main vents click. You can SLIGHTLY hear a steady stream of air coming out of them. I have a Gorton D on the hard to heat rad....The therm is NOT in the warmest location and I have that rad vented the slowest. There is no anticipator as the system is millivolt. Could I try a second Gorton D on the radiator? I was afraid if I did that I would use that rad as the "main vent" instead on the actual main vents....

Fred Harwood

venting

Sounds like you need better mains venting, not radiator venting. Also, how long is the runout to the last (coldest), and how long relative to the shortest runout?
The principle is to get the air out of the mains, then let the steam head for the rads. That way they heat evenly. If you're still venting air at the mains ends halfway through a boiler cycle, you're probably not vented well enough.

Unknown

Venting?

You did not mention the system steam pressure.

Your steam pressure may be a bit to low. Try increasing the pressure about 1/2 PSIG.

The cool radiator may be a bit starved of steam.

Jake

Steamhead

Which Gortons

are you using now?

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