replacing strange air vents (1 pipe steam)

josh goldshlag

Hello,

I just bought a house built in 1927. It has 1 pipe steam. A few of the air vents weren't working, so I picked up a box of Hoffman 1A vents and tried to replace the not working ones. I was able to replace 3 out of the 6 vents, but the other three don't seem to fit. The old vents didn't have a little toungue like the Hoffman, they have a fairly long curved pipe (maybe 3" or so long). Does anyone know where I can find replacements for these vents? Both kinds of radiators look identical.

Thanks,
Josh

Steamhead

They'll fit

the long curved tube is a syphon, which allowed any water that may have gotten into the vent to drain out. The little tongue on the 1A does the same thing.

If you're having trouble screwing the vents into the radiators, the threads in the holes may need cleaning. This can be done with a 1/8" pipe-thread tap. Don't screw the tap in too far or the hole will be too big for the vent.

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josh goldshlag

Thanks, the tap made everything work great.

Josh