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Hoffman 75 failing?

delcrossv
delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
in Strictly Steam

Chasing water loss on my mother-in-law's one pipe system. Two mains, one with big mouths and the other with a Hoffman 75. During a long cycle, the big mouths will close and stay closed but the Hoffman will Cycle open and closed throughout the cycle.

I suspect the element is going bad because the vent will not stay closed. Any suggestions as to what other Main vent has a similar capacity to a 75?

Kind of a bummer as the Hoffman is only a few years old.

Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,475

    Hoffman radiator vents do the same thing. It's normal. Look for leaks elsewhere, such as radiator valve packings.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,864

    Hello delcrossv,

    I find different vents seem to have different characteristics depending on their design. The big mouth has a lot of thermal mass. If you like the big mouth's performance and you think the Hoffman is defective you can easily make an orifice to slow down the vent rate of the big mouth, since its exhaust port is threaded.

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
    delcrossv
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 25,190

    Unless there is steam coming out of that Hoffman, it's not the problem. However, if you like, replacing it with a Gorton #2 will work.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    delcrossv
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    edited January 6

    @Steamhead Been around the whole building with a mirror. Fixed a couple of stems and non closing vents. If it's not the hoffman, I'm running out of suspects.

    I do have a couple of flange connections with old looking stains. Hmm.

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,475

    How much water is it using?

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1832254#Comment_1832254

    About 2" om the glass this week. I don't have it calibrated to gallons but somewhere between half a gallon and a gallon. Easy enough to calibrate that.

    What concerning is this is new behavior. No steam coming out the chimney so we're good there.

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1832249#Comment_1832249

    Hmmm. 🤔 That may be an issue. The boiler room is a lot cooler since I recaulked the HE. The 75 didn't use to cycle open and closed.

    Note it's open a lot more than it's closed even at 8oz of pressure (a lot with this system)

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,749

    If its open its either steam or air leaving or air coming back in.

  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1832270#Comment_1832270

    Air and or vapor coming out.

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,475

    @delcrossv said "Note it's open a lot more than it's closed even at 8oz of pressure (a lot with this system)".

    If the vent is operating normally, it should only open momentarily after steam first reaches it. In your case I'd replace it. We've seen a lot of Hoffman vents coming from Taiwan lately- I'd use a Gorton #1 which has the same capacity and is made in America.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    ethicalpauldelcrossv
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1832310#Comment_1832310

    Gorton #1 should be arriving today.

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    edited 1:13AM

    [Rant]Brand new #@*$! Gorton didn't close AT ALL! POS vent. 0 stars, would not recommend [/rant].🤬

    I'm gonna go with the Big Mouth + drilled plug orifice. 😉

    @109A_5

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,864

    Hello delcrossv,

    So far I like my Big Mouth, however I did three things to it before I installed it. Upon receiving it the 'O' ring was not seated in the groove correctly (it never would have sealed), you could see it through the inlet port so I took it apart and corrected it (I have the sockets that size). It has to roll into the grove to sit in there correctly, just pushing it in did not seem to work.

    Also since the Big Mouth is orientated vertically (as compared to a regular radiator trap) I did not like the floppiness of the brass disk attached to the capsule, since it has to rub across the 'O' ring every time the valve closed. So I cut about a 3/16" length of maybe 5/8" silicone tubing and tucked it under the brass disk. The brass disk is much less floppy and is almost parallel to the 'O' ring now. I think I have a picture but the camera battery is dead.

    Put a small bit of silicone grease on the 'O' ring of the cover.

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
    delcrossv
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,475
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1833034#Comment_1833034

    Every manufacturer has this happen once in a while. Gorton will make it good.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1833077#Comment_1833077

    Dunno @Steamhead ,unless supplyhouse.com is getting seconds. This isn't the first OOB failure for me with Gortons from them.

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498

    @109A_5 if you could post that picture, I'd appreciate it. I have 3 BMs on my 200' "slow" main and they're working. 🫰

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,864

    Hello delcrossv,

    Here are the pictures. Basically an experiment, so far so good. The dime was just for size reference, it was not left inside. I never took a picture of the improperly seated 'O' ring, but that was why I took it apart in the first place.

    image.png
    image.png
    image.png
    image.png
    image.png

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
    delcrossv
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 6,940
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1833081#Comment_1833081

    Even I have had 2 Gortons be failed on arrival and I've only ever bought 4. But supplyhouse will replace it no problem. It can happen to any manufacturer, but it does seem to happen to Gorton a lot, don't know why.

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

    delcrossv
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1833102#Comment_1833102

    Awesome! Thanks @109A_5 !

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1833104#Comment_1833104

    Similar to me. I'd hoped it was limited to rad vents, guess not. It's not like I have a case on the truck and I can just grab another. 🙁

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
    ethicalpaul
  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,498

    +1 for supply house. Credited and I can just pitch the bad vent. 👍

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,864
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1833214#Comment_1833214

    Since they don't want it back, being curious, I would disassemble it to hopefully discover the problem.

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
    delcrossv

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