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Big Mouth air vent update

24

Comments

  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    I would think that is unlikely but I'll ask.
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
  • Jack M
    Jack M Member Posts: 228
    Amazon does not have an inventory an this time (Nov 15, 2017). Has anyone heard when they will get another shipment of Barnes & Jones Big Mouth Air Vent?
  • Circa1902
    Circa1902 Member Posts: 20
    Following this thread to see if I can get Big Mouths soon, if not I will have to go with the Gortons.
  • I think very soon. There are plenty in stock now, but Peter The Great has left the building and Andrew has taken over. I think Andrew just needs to find the time to get them over to Amazon...
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    A little birdie told me today they sent 50 in and another round of 100 after that. If thats not fast enough you can call the factory.
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
    New England SteamWorksCLamb
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226
    edited November 2017
    I showed a picture of one of my installed Big Mouth vents to the students in the class I give in NYC and one of them busted out laughing because my guys "put a trap where an air vent goes". There was no convincing him the BJ-3BM was an air vent and it generated a lot of discussion, especially when I explained that every steam trap starts out as an air vent. Good stuff.
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
    SailahNew England SteamWorks
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    Well I guess technically you are both right, the Big Mouth would function just fine as a trap. I don't know how well the silicone seat would cope with typical debris though.
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
    Question... maybe it's been answered before).... is the Big Mouth pretty much a radiator trap turned sideways?
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    Sort of. The body is custom machined to accept an O ring seat which is necessary to get a true dripless seal. Our first go at it we used the stock seat machined into the body from the larger Mepco 1" trap. This has some saying that the vent would drip a few drops so we decided to go to a silicone o ring. We also made the orifice much larger than a typical 3/4" radiator trap.

    But essentially, other than what I described above, the Big Mouth is a radiator trap turned sideways.
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    A request please:

    From this point forward if you have a question about the Big Mouth, please email Bill at bnesbitt@horlick.com

    PLEASE, do not call Andrew, he was spending all day on the phone and it was interfering with his work. I deleted his phone number.

    Thanks

    Peter
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
    adasilva1Matthias
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    edited February 2018
    I can imagine he must have ben going nuts.

    I used to be sitting at my desk at 6:30 every morning and I got more work done in that 90 minutes than I did for the next 8-1/2 hours because of the damn phone. This was back in the day when if you were out on the production floor you would have to walk by a doxen workbenches to reach a phone. That made it hard to get things done on the floor.

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • IGonza
    IGonza Member Posts: 17
    I'm sorry to ask my question here, but I'm not sure it's worth the new thread.

    Can Big Mouth be installed not vertical but horizontal? (I just don't have enough room...)

  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    No, has to be Vertical. If you don't have enough room, go with the Barnes and Jones Varivent. It is a shorter main vent and adjustable.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    > @Fred said:
    > No, has to be Vertical. If you don't have enough room, go with the Barnes and Jones Varivent. It is a shorter main vent and adjustable.

    why does it have to be vertical? I think it's preferred but I don't think it's life or death
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    @ChrisJ , If I recall correctly, @Sailah said they would drip if they are not vertical
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    > @Fred said:
    > @ChrisJ , If I recall correctly, @Sailah said they would drip if they are not vertical

    Yes
    But I don't think it's the end of the world. Guess it depends on what's under it
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    As long as the disc is flat in X direction it will work. So if vent is placed like a "trap" it would be ok, but not on edge.
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
    ChrisJ
  • IGonza
    IGonza Member Posts: 17
    Sailah said:

    As long as the disc is flat in X direction it will work. So if vent is placed like a "trap" it would be ok, but not on edge.

    And the opening should face up or down? I'm sorry, I don't know how "trap" is usually placed like.

  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    Sorry.

    If the vent is orientated with the blue label facing upwards (like a radiator trap), it will function fine. However it won't allow condensate to drain as effectively as if the tailpiece were pointed down like you see most have installed.

    Where it won't work is if vent is clocked in such a way to where water will allow to pool in the vent. If you laid vent down on a table, with label facing you, female NPT threads facing away from you and tailpiece pointed to one side or the other, water will pool in the vent and cooling the disc. This orientation wont work
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
    question
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 6,831
    Great Invention Sailah...I concur, you deserve an award for a great leap foward in main venting. If you can make it to Me & John NY's Big Ugly
    On 28 April in NYC, I'll buy ya several rounds!
    Mad Dog
    question
  • Danny Scully
    Danny Scully Member Posts: 1,416
    You and @johnny?! You asked me to do it first @Mad Dog! :lol:
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    Mad Dog said:

    Great Invention Sailah...I concur, you deserve an award for a great leap foward in main venting. If you can make it to Me & John NY's Big Ugly

    On 28 April in NYC, I'll buy ya several rounds!

    Mad Dog

    I'll work on it, and thanks! I think I'll be down in NYC a lot more with SteamIQ based on the interest we have in your great city.

    I usually drive down and back in a day which doesn't leave a lot of time for socializing!
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    Stay...........It's a business expense! :wink:
  • adasilva
    adasilva Member Posts: 144
    BMV delivery by end of day today! Is it odd that I'm dying from anticipation like a kid on Christmas Eve........... :smiley:

  • Dan_NJ
    Dan_NJ Member Posts: 247
    adasilva said:

    BMV delivery by end of day today! Is it odd that I'm dying from anticipation like a kid on Christmas Eve........... :smiley:

    ...The stockings were hung by the flue pipe with care in the hope that a Big Mouth soon would be there...

    You'll not be disappointed, it's a very nice unit!
    adasilva
  • Steve_210
    Steve_210 Member Posts: 646
    Has anybody got a link to these vents
    Just want to see what they look like dimensions etc.
  • Steve_210
    Steve_210 Member Posts: 646
    OK found it on Amazon .
    I presume they could also be used as crossover traps in a two pipe system
    Just need to be careful with System balance
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    Steve said:

    OK found it on Amazon .
    I presume they could also be used as crossover traps in a two pipe system
    Just need to be careful with System balance

    Barnes & Jones makes a specific crossover trap based on Big Mouth but without silicone seat. Has brass seat.

    PN: BJ-2CR 1/2" Big Mouth Crossover
    BJ-3CR 3/4" Big Mouth Crossover

    You need to order direct from factory, it's a bit like ordering Animal Style from In-N-Out Burger. Speak in hushed tones, you will get puzzled looks, but just say:

    "Sailah sent me"

    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
    ratioCanucker
  • Steve_210
    Steve_210 Member Posts: 646
    Great info thank you
  • ImYoungxD
    ImYoungxD Member Posts: 130
    edited February 2018
    FYI, Amazon will have Big mouth on 2/18 but you can start ordering now.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F26P13C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 6,831
    Peter..Big ugh? Mad Dog
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    Mad Dog said:

    Peter..Big ugh? Mad Dog

    Engrish. Speak it.
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
    New England SteamWorksCanucker
  • crawas
    crawas Member Posts: 134
    Hi guys. I currently have a gorton #1 main vent and I just ordered a big mouth from amazon. The main vent is about 30ft away from the boiler and I’m told that the gorton is way too small and my rads are not getting hot quick enough. How do I install the big mouth? Just put some Teflon around the threading and screw in like a regular radiator air valve?
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    edited November 2018
    The big mouth vent is in 2 pieces. There is a tail piece or spud and the vent itself. They are joined with a union nut. To install you separate the 2 halves, screw the tail piece (circled in blue) and with the union nut (red) on it, into your main with PTFE tape or pipe dope. You will need a 5/8" Allen wrench to tighten it. After that attach the vent (black) with the union nut and tighten, do not over tighten the joint. I'd suggest hand tight and maybe an 1/8-1/4 turn with a wrench.

    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • crawas
    crawas Member Posts: 134
    I need an Allan wrench? It looks like a basic channel lok pliers to just twist it on? What exactly is the Allan wrench tightening?
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    The allen wrench goes inside the pipe, the ID of the pipe is a hex not round. There won't be room for pliers.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • Gsmith
    Gsmith Member Posts: 431
    after taking the vent apart you will see that the spud had a 5/8" female hex where the allen wrench is used to tighten the spud into the femaie NPT pipe fitting. I've heard some people use a corrrectly sized hex bolt head to insert into the female hex to tighten it if no 5/8" allen wrench is available (tighten using pipe wrench on bolt shaft after head is in the allen recess).
  • crawas
    crawas Member Posts: 134
    I guess I have to see it to understand it because I can’t envision this.
  • crawas
    crawas Member Posts: 134
    Are there any videos out there? Or any detailed pics showing this?