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Radiator vent with various styles of tongue?

CoachBoilermaker
CoachBoilermaker Member Posts: 415
in Strictly Steam
  1. What is this small movable tongue for?
  2. Why do some vents have a tongue, while others do not?
  3. What is the purpose of this long allen key tongue?
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Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 26,471

    The purpose of the tongue is to persuade any moisture which might get into the vent to drip back into the radiator rather than getting poofed out of the vent itself. Some manufacturers seem to think it's necessary, some don't. And various folks have various styles.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Long Beach Ed
    Long Beach Ed Member Posts: 1,805
    edited November 2024

    Steam condenses to water inside the vent and the water must escape through what may be a rush of steam pressure. The tongue separates the flowing water from the opposing air and steam as well as breaking the cohesion and surface tension of the water to assure drainage.

    Vents with a larger capacity for condensate (Gorton, for example) drain more readily aided by the weight of the accumulated water.

    You can read through some ancient patents and learn all about it.

    Intplm.

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