Vapor Engineering Valves

Dave Bush

And, there are 4 valves in this system that appear to be non-functional. (Ie, stuck in one positionHandles spin freely, no change in temp) We'd like to replace these valves if possible. There is one rad that someone stuck a Sarco trap on, also, with a vari-vent. Apparently, this one never gets hot...

Does anyone know where I can get parts for this system?

Steamhead

You need orificing valves for that VECO system

these help balance the system. I think Marsh still makes this type of valve.

None of your radiators should have vents on them. If that one isn't heating, trace the steam and return lines back to the mains and see if they're pitched properly. Any water collecting in them will stop the flow of steam.

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ThermalJake

My orificed valves on my Thermal System also did this, and I found that some new graphite packing produced the pressure on the inner cam to make the valve work. It worked on three of them, so I don't think that it is a fluke, and I know that you cannot interchange them if they are sized for the radiator. These are not made with a hole drilled in the plate. They are more like a tomatoe can with slits cut into it, and when you turn the handle, it either turns the slits toward the side outlet, or it turns a cam inside the tomatoe can that slides up and down the slits to give more or less steam. I hadta look inside to "get it".
Jake

Dave Bush

Thanks.

That rad has apparently never worked. It's a straight drop down through two floors into the main.

I was only there to survey it for replacement.

Bottoming out the pressuretrol (was set at 11 and 9 psi:{ ) made the rest of them work.

The Sarco trap has me sort of bothered, too. I think the varivent got added as a desperate, last ditch effort.

The "main vent" on this poor thing is a tapped-into-the-side-of-a-tee Hoffman 1A. The other main has no vent. This is all going to be redone during the replacement.

It's not gonna be a one-day swap-out because of all this. The homeoner wants it fixed right, which shocked and awed me.:)

gerry gill

holy smokes,

i can flatulate better than that 1A can vent..never ceases to be amazing what you see huh?

Dave Bush

Yup

I thought for certain that the thing ould hammer once I dropped the pressuretrol out of the stratosphere, but it didn't make a clink.

Unbelievable, really.

Steamhead

Is there

a vent on the dry (overhead) return? If the old VECO governor is still there, it routes the air to the chimney flue. If all this is gone, vent the dry returns as well as the steam mains. You'll probably need several Gorton #2 vents to vent that system properly.

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Dave Bush

The Guv

is long gone. The boiler is a Timken Oilboiler, vintage WW2. (Give or take.)

I'm figuring on drilling and tapping the top of the pipe at the end of each main.

A Gorton #2 on each should do the trick for this, especially seeing as how the stinkin' thing actually heats the house with a Hoffman 1A stuck in the side of a Tee...

That, and a Vaporstat, are, I'm certain, going to make a world of difference.

Well, Those, and fixing that top-floor rad with the Sarco trap and vari-vent, and repiping the header, and the 3' long "hartford loop", adding a water feeder...

Gonna be a loooonng day.

Beautiful old house, really. a Victorian with hardwood floors. Relatively unmolested. Can't wait to give them some REAL heat.;)

Steamhead

Don't forget

to make sure the dry return is vented. If that top-floor rad is the farthest from the boiler or nearly so, and the dry return is not adequately vented, there probably isn't enough pressure differential for steam to flow to it.

Or, if the dry return is not vented at all, that VariValve might be the only vent in the system other than that little Hoffman!

I found the same problem on a VECO in Philly. Adding vents to the steam mains and the dry returns fixed it right up. Go here for more, including some pics:

http://forums.invision.net/Thread.cfm?CFApp=2&Thread_ID=18105&mc=16

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Dave Bush

You got it.

Just a little Vari-vent on the rad, and that 1A on the one main.

You think that Sarco trap can stay, then? It's a 1/2" return-style trap, just not the VECO "U" type...

Steamhead

The Sarco can stay

it does the same thing as the VECO water seal.

You want to make sure everything is properly vented. How long are the steam mains, and what pipe size? How much radiation does the system have?

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Dave Bush

Mains (2) are <30' long, 2-1/2\". Relatively well insulated.

There is 512 Sq ft of EDR.

All but the problem Rad are Nationals. All are in pristine condition.

Looking forward to this one, really. I've only been seeing one-pipe for a loooong time, and this system is worthy of making right.

Really, the boiler is not bad, the customer knows that, but it's only running 67% efficient. Really drains the tank in a hurry, but that's no big shocker, considering the 11 & 9psi setpoints.

Steamhead

Three Gorton #2 vents are needed

one on each steam main and one venting all the dry returns. They will think they have died and gone to heaven when you're done!

What kind of boiler is it? Does it have a flame-retention burner?

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Dave Bush

Here'r some pics fresh off the camcard!

Forgot I took these on the initial visit.

It's actually a Timken boiler, I'm not positive about that burner, it's NOT flame retention and it's running on the stack control.

The flue was 850°F when we checked the eff.:0

Dave Bush

There are more, too.

The good news is that this house, in the past several years, had Nat Gas installed for a pool heater, etc. The 1" gas main has a capped nipple in a tee about 3' from the boiler pad.

We're going with a gas-fired boiler and WH.

Steamhead

A flame-retention burner

even your basic Beckett AF, would make it more efficient. If it's a cast-iron boiler you could baffle the flueways with bricks to slow the hot gases. If it's a steel fire-tube boiler you could get spirals to go in the tubes which do the same thing. Sid Harvey makes them.

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