Main Vents

Steamhead (in transit)

from the boiler to the last radiator takeoff (Somewhere near this point the pipe size will decrease as the "main" changes to the "dry return").

John Van Hoesen

Clean or replace?

Hi all -

The steam system is up and running, although radiators are filling slowly... pulled one of my main vents (the other one looks brand new, this one was all rusty and evidence of water stains) and when I blow through it, only a little bit of air comes out and I have to blow pretty hard. Not sure if that's how they are supposed to be, but I'm guessing not.

My question is, can I clean it with vinegar like the smaller radiator vents or should I just replace it? The Hoffman replacment is like $80.00! This one is a Vent-Rite #77 and the only "equivalent" I can find on my own is the Hoffman. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated!

cheers
John

Steamhead (in transit)

Are those main vents properly sized?

If not it wouldn't make sense to try and clean them. Measure the length and diameter of each steam main if you haven't done so already, and post the results here so we can tell you what's needed.

Hoffman vents are good quality but I find they're often too small. I like Gorton vents, and if that's what you need they will find a way to get them to you.

John Van Hoesen

Hartford Loop Vents

Steamhead -

THanks for the reply! The vents are actually on each side of the return in the Hartford Loop. They are about 2ft back from where the two come together and then drop off into the bottom of the boiler. The loop is 1 1/4" and the mains coming out of the boiler are 3". I'm confused about measuring the length of the main since the vents are in the pipes coming out of the boiler, but the height of the risers coming out of the boiler are 2" also.

Thanks in advance for any help or thoughts.

cheers
John

John Van Hoesen

Different for each main

The length is different for each main, one is about 12-15ft long and the other is about 10-12 feet long. One on each side of the basement "draining" each half of the house, the main vents are in these long lines but they aren't raised up on a nipple... I can post pics if it will help. Thanks! Checked out the Gorton valves and they are WAY less expensive than the Vent-Rites...

cheers
John

Steamhead (in transit)

Use

two Gorton #1 vents on each main. Pipe them into a tee above the main, with both vents vertical. Then watch how well it works. Here's a pic of how it would look:

John Van Hoesen

Thanks!

Thanks Steamhead... in your picture it looks like those two Gorton vents are on the main? I'll pipe it as shown in black iron. Thanks again for your help!

cheers
J~