Maid-O-Mist Failure Rate ?

BobC said:

Is the boiler water reasonably clean? Many years ago i had a few (2 out of 6) with the wrong thread on them - straight threads, not tapered. I ran those through my 1/8 NPT die and installed them. That has to be 8-9 years back and they have all worked fine since. i did contact Maid O Mist and they went through the stock on hand and said all the threads were fine. They did offer to replace them but I had already reworked them. You may have gotten a bad batch, i would contact them and see what they say. Bob

BobC said:

I worked as a tech and then an engineer at a military quality power supply hose for 25 years. The reason military hardware costs so much is the mind numbing number of tests something has to be subject to to pass a military quality test. We had to follow the DOD quality practices and went through an audit every year to make sure those standards were meant. Part of the requirements were to use the AQL method to make sure a given part was up to snuff. A number of units would be randomly selected and subjected to a battery of tests. A table in the MIL spec was used to determine how many of a batch were subject to the tests. When I contacted MOM I told them the date, vendor and failure rate I encountered. I talked to someone down there a couple of days later and they said existing units from that batch had been looked at and records examined, they could find no evidence of bad units. This was not something that took detailed examination, you could tell something was off so I was willing to believe it was a random event. The gent I spoke to gave me his extension number and asked me to call him if I found any more bad threads. I worked in QA long enough to smell a rat and this didn't smell like one to me. Bob

I had all new Gorton vents replaced when I did a boiler install in 2016-17.

Some of those developed issues. And I tried a vinegar bath - with varied results.

I ended up picking up some MOM vents (with the screw in adjustable end piece assortment). My thought was I could use the adjustable nuts to balance rather than purchase size-dedicated vents. And they cost much less than the Gortons.

At first they seemed to work okay.

But today I replaced 3 MOM vents that were 2-3 years old.

All 3 had failed closed. I have not tried vinegar to see if I could free them up, but they really seem stuck.

I wanted to like these, but I am really concerned about quality and longevity.

I am beginning to think that for vents to last a long long time they can't really see steam (the call for heat has to end before steam reaches the vents).

When they see steam, they see water, and corrosion occurs.

Of course if your boiler is carrying water over to the main/radiators things can get worse a lot faster

Maybe try boiling the failed vents in white vinegar about 3 - 5 minutes ( as recommended by the founder of this site) to see if that corrects the issue - it may be good practice to do this maintenance every 3 years Before the vent fails to encourage longevity.

All the best,

RTW

Some systems have boilers so oversized and radiators so misplaced and steam so wet that they blow water through the vents daily. If the vent seats are indeed fouled, vinegar or a mild acid is the solvent for the gook that usually encrusts them.

Boiling probably evaporates the acetic acid out of the vinegar so you can inhale it. I once tried just soaking a bad vent in white vinegar, and I must say it did a beautiful job of dissolving the plating and turning the vinegar green. The vent was still defective.

Hello, I manage NYC apartments and installed MoM in all radiators. The failure rate of these vents is very high. Something changed in their production. Years ago the vents would last for many years, however, in the past 4 years we have experienced at least a 50% failure rate. Sometimes they don't last a season. I spoke to MoM and they pointed to the possibility of counterfeits out of China. I purchased them from supply houses or online plumbing stores. This is a major problem as you all can imagine. The excessive cost of the vents now a days coupled with energy costs and trying to get access to swap out. MoM needs to investigate this, they may be less expensive then Hoffman or Gorton but in the long run we will pay far more.

We've had no luck with modern Maid-O-Mist vents. They were made in USA and were okay. Then they came from China, and we stopped using them. They were cheap,plastic inside, unreliable and literally fell apart. Fine for a homeowner who will play change-a-vent to save $12, but not for a customer or commercial account. Nobody paying thousands of dollars for work understands a vent pissing steam a week later.

I have no idea where they were made, but one call-back is too many for us. I'm with hexxman: "They are a major problem…"

Maybe its time for the MOM manufacturer to post on this site whether China is involved in the making and/or parts supply of their vents? seems these posts on MOM here - and on other posts - are unconfirming and speculative. Would the MOM CEO be willing to put in writing on this site what the deal is?

A simple yes or no on China or other foreign sources would be helpful from MOM, but dont hold your breath waiting for response - haha

All the best,

RTW

@Hap_Hazzard my boiler is squeaky clean thanks to Rectorseal 8-way. I keep the pH at around 10 or so and I have zero corrosion or junk floating around. If anything I might have wet steam due to the fact that I have NO header! Two mains….each individually connected directly to the boiler! 😝

More than likely…. most of my old, failed vents are the China variety bought between 2-4 years ago. My new ones are coming from Supply House on Wednesday, I'll post if they say Made in USA or not!

FYI

To be labeled "Made in USA," a product must be "all or virtually all" made in the United States1234. However, if more than a negligible amount of the product is made elsewhere, it must comply with FTC rules and carry a supplemental line such as "with global components"2.

Not sure if all manufactures comply with this rule. And, who's going to enforce it anyway - smh

Maybe a current or former employee of MOM and Gorton can post whether these companies comply with the FTC standard sited above or not? I doubt the CEO's of these companies will ever put it in writing on this site

All the best,

RTW

I think you might have some older stock there @dabrakeman unless they are really flip-flopping. Could they have been on the shelf somewhere before you acquired them? Below is my recent box purchased last October from Supplyhouse.com. I did email them.

TO Mr Paul

Aside from printing on The Box, does it say Made in USA on the vent itself? My older vents all have Made in USA printed on the vent is why I ask

All the best,

RTW

Yes, back then they weren't saying "Made in USA". You said "new" 😅 Time flies doesn't it?