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Placement of Vents for Venting a Main or Riser

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FJL
FJL Member Posts: 354
in Strictly Steam
Vents usually go at the end of the main, or a riser if you are venting a riser. My question is can you achieve the same result --- venting quickly --- by putting vents at the end and say 3/4 at the end.



I ask b/c I live in an apt building and we vent each riser in the apt (5 in total) with two Gorton 1 vents on each riser in the third floor apartment, which is the highest floor with risers, which do not extend to the fourth floor, which is the top floor.



The third floor owner absoultely hates them because they are ugly and she wants them off.



We have convinced her to keep one vent on each riser. So we are reducing the venting capacity on each riser by half. I fear that this will slow the delivery of steam up the riser.



My question is can we achieve the same result as before if we a Gorton 1 vent on the riser in the next floor down? In other words, single vents on the 3rd floor and 2nd floor vs two vents on the 3rd floor. Will the riser vent just as quickly in either set up?



Thanks.

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  • Long Beach Ed
    Long Beach Ed Member Posts: 1,204
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    Sure

    You can do the math, but I am sure that will vent just as well for the steam system. 



    Bad management from a landlord's viewpoint, though.  You let a tenant dictate where your steam vents are?  Appease her and just wait and see what her next demand is...  But thats another forum.
  • FJL
    FJL Member Posts: 354
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    Owner, not resident

    She is an OWNER. Not a tenant. All four units are owner occupied. Welcome to co-op living in NYC
  • FJL
    FJL Member Posts: 354
    edited February 2012
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    Owner, Not Tenant

    All of the other owners are on board with the switch. What can I tell you. I am curious to see how it runs after the switch and what, if any, complaints will ensue.
  • The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro) Member Posts: 834
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    Just tell her that her unit will be colder....

    The rest of the units will get steam more quickly than her.
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

    Chicago's Steam Heating Expert





    Noisy Radiators are a Cry for Help
  • FJL
    FJL Member Posts: 354
    edited February 2012
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    Other Units Get Steam

    I don't understand your comment about every other unit getting heat quicker. Why wouldn't reducing the vents from two to one on the riser delay steam delivery equally to each unit? Or is it that it will take longer to rise up and thus lower floor apts will start filling rads before upper floor rads?



    FWIW, I have explained what the vents do and what will happen if they are removed or reduced. But people have their own priorities.



    Plus, we've been told that we don't need two vents on each riser; that one should be enough; and we're trying to balance the distribution of steam to the risers. In any event, I just want to know what options we have if making this change creates new complaints.
  • The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro) Member Posts: 834
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    If you move 1/2 the capacity down one floor.

    The 2 lower floors will still get heat just as quick as if both vents were on the top floor, but with only one vent on top, the top floor will get steam slower since the vent on the floor below will close when steam gets to the 2nd floor.
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

    Chicago's Steam Heating Expert





    Noisy Radiators are a Cry for Help
  • Long Beach Ed
    Long Beach Ed Member Posts: 1,204
    edited February 2012
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    Agreed

    I agree with Boilerpro.   I doubt the effect will be noticeable.



    But your tenant/owner will notice a huge deficiency and blame you for it.  If she has cats she'll blame their ailments on the venting change too.



    If she only wants one vent hanging from the pipe, how 'bout replacing that Gorton #1 with a Gorton #2.  Paint it red and tell her it's a fire alarm required by the new code. 
  • FJL
    FJL Member Posts: 354
    edited February 2012
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    Top Floors . . .

    The vents are on the the third floor and there is a fourth floor but the risers don't extend into that apt, so we had to put the vents at the highest point on the risers, which was at the top of the third floor, one floor below the top floor.  So the third floor and fourth floor will get steam slower is what you are saying.  People make their own choices. 



    The basic idea is that the steam will first travel and escape via the first vent it finds, i.e., the second floor vent, and then when it closes that vent closes, the steam will continue to the next vent, the one on the third floor. 



    I guess we'll see how things work after the change and what, if any, reaction there is from the folks in the affected floors.
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