Vent fell out. Threads stripped. Now what?
Went to friend's house. Was looking at his steam system. Entry radiator did not have a vent! Yet it was warm. I then saw the hole in the side, and the vent laying on the ground. May have been this way for years? I tried to screw the vent back in, but it kept spinning, and would not tighten. I left it loosely in the hole. Now what? Rad stripped or vent stripped?
Comments
-
I’d say new vent and 1/8” tap are needed.
1 -
This. You need a 1/8" pipe thread (NPT) tap. Don't tap too deep or the vent won't catch the threads.
All Steamed Up, Inc.
Towson, MD, USA
Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
Oil & Gas Burner Service
Consulting0 -
What do you mean "don't tap too deep" ?
0 -
" Rad stripped or vent stripped? "
Well you would have to inspect it, either or both may be damaged, compare the male pipe thread to a known good one, does a known good thread and snug up in the radiator ? Pipe threads have a taper to them. If you tap the hole too much it will get too big and the vent won't snug up and the threads won't seal properly.
National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
One Pipe System
1 -
The vent and hole are 1/8 NPT, that stands for National Pipe Taper. If you tap too deep, the tapped hole will be too large and the vent will not be able to seal.
0 -
-
But if it already is or you do go too far add copious amounts of Teflon tape and pipe dope to the vents threads, or tap the hole one size up and add a bushing.
0 -
Are the vent threads bad or the radiators?
you may have to go to 1/4" threads with a brass bushing
1 -
Use a Heli Coil insert if there are still threads in the metal.
1 -
Why bother. You have to tap oversized anyway. Just go to 1/4 and be done with it.
1 -
you're the one that is there, you are the one that can tell us which is stripped…
0 -
sometimes a nipple with more threads can bite where the vent won't
1 -
How does this work?
Tap 1/4 threads.
Get 1/4 M to 1/8 F adapter?
1 -
yes. make sure there is enogh metal on the radiator to do it
0 -
Do not try this until you have tried a 1/8" NPT tap. Tapping 1/4" and installing a bushing is a last resort.
Most times when I run into this, I find that rust has accumulated inside the hole in the radiator, and is obstructing the threads. Running the 1/8" tap through the threads cleans out the rust and allows the vent to screw in normally.
I have had to tap 1/4" and install a bushing once or twice, but I've found it's rare for the hole to be in bad enough shape to make this necessary.
All Steamed Up, Inc.
Towson, MD, USA
Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
Oil & Gas Burner Service
Consulting
2 -
Since there's no pressure why not just seal with some sort of goop? Do it when rad is hot.
0 -
The danger with using a metal weld epoxy is that the vent could be plugged if you do that.
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 86.8K THE MAIN WALL
- 3.1K A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
- 57 Biomass
- 425 Carbon Monoxide Awareness
- 109 Chimneys & Flues
- 2.1K Domestic Hot Water
- 5.6K Gas Heating
- 105 Geothermal
- 160 Indoor-Air Quality
- 3.6K Oil Heating
- 70 Pipe Deterioration
- 966 Plumbing
- 6.3K Radiant Heating
- 385 Solar
- 15.3K Strictly Steam
- 3.4K Thermostats and Controls
- 54 Water Quality
- 44 Industry Classes
- 47 Job Opportunities
- 18 Recall Announcements