Vent Problem on One Pipe Steam System
Hello all, I have been working on a one pipe steam boiler system in an old Victorian house that is having vent/water hammer issues. Originally it was mostly just water hammer noise, so I replaced all 3 main vents on the return lines at the boiler and have replaced all of the radiator vents in the house. And the water hammer has greatly reduced and effectively gone away. However, now after the boiler kicks on and the steam starts moving, there is extreme hissing from just about every radiator vent in the house, and it seems that at the boiler room one main vent is venting a lot of air/steam while the other two aren’t venting at all. Despite all three of them being new. Does anyone know how I could get the other two main vents to start pulling their weight so the air isn’t all forced into the radiator vents?
I have attached pictures of one radiator with the same vent as the others, and the boiler and main vents, of which the one furthest to the left seems to be doing all the work while the others don’t vent at all. Thank you in advance for the wisdom and help!
p.s. they are B&G 15psi max main air vents, and the rust stains are from the old ones which started leaking.
Comments
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Vents won't affect water hammer, nor help you here. I don't particularly like those main vents you chose but they might work OK.
But for now forget the vents.
What happens to the water level in the gauge glass when you are making steam?
I suspect you are surging due to the insane boiler piping and probable bad water quality.
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
2 -
You've got several issues here.
First, what is the size of this boiler? Please read the label and reply. The piping you have may not support it.
Second, you cannot hear any vent allow air to pass if it is working properly. When you state that one vent is "venting a lot of air/steam" this signifies a significant problem. Vents don't allow steam to pass…………only air. They close on steam.
Third, what is the pressure in the system? If it is running properly, it never goes above 2psi. You won't get any steam out of a vent at that pressure unless the vent is defective. If you have MORE than 3 psi, you just killed your new vent(s).
Paul is correct about the "insane boiler piping". The three stooges did that job.
0 -
('m not even sure what those vents are venting.
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
1 -
I suspect this tapping (Red arrow) should have been used with that size boiler.
Hard to tell, but it looks filthy.
National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
One Pipe System1 -
Quite correct!! That boiler is quite large.
0 -
And those riser pipes from the boiler to the header should be 2-1/2", but it looks like the only riser they put in is 2". Obviously whoever installed that boiler didn't bother to read the manual.
All Steamed Up, Inc.
Towson, MD, USA
Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
Oil & Gas Burner Service
Consulting
2 -
That boiler might really need twin 2.5's. It's not a baby. I put in one of those (262K) with twin 2.5's and a 4" header. No issues.
3 -
It does. There are several versions of the manual out there, but they all say that if the boiler is 5 sections (150,000 BTUH input) or more, it needs two risers to the header. And they say to make the risers the full size of the outlet tappings. The two largest sizes (262,000 and 299,000 input) need 3" headers.
All Steamed Up, Inc.
Towson, MD, USA
Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
Oil & Gas Burner Service
Consulting2 -
The chopped "header" with the welded end raises this to a whole new level....
of ghastlyness.
You won't fix this with vents.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.1 -
https://www.yelp.com/biz/allmark-plumbing-downers-grove-2
0 -
What everyone here is saying is 100% true.
If you want to give a try, get a Gorton #1 main vent and replace the whistling one with it. It will help with the venting if the pipes aren't filled with water.
Don't expect any miracles.
0 -
Poor boiler doesn't have a chance.
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Hey guys, thank you all for the replies.
The boiler does seem to have dirty water in it, and I had tried draining and refilling the boiler several times but maybe there is a better way to actually clean the pipes?
It is sounding like a lost cause to get it truly working right though unless all the near boiler piping is redone, but I wonder why the vents weren’t hissing until after I changed them? It was just water hammer before and now the water hammer has greatly decreased and been replaced by the hissing.0 -
I'lll bet what was happening was the vents were stuck closed, or mostly closed…
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England1 -
You have chosen very slow vents with a small venting capacity. They hiss when expelling lots of air or air entrained with water, as poor piping can produce.
0 -
Pressuretrol set all way down to 0.5 cut in 1.5 cutout?
0 -
Is the path from the boiler to the pressuretrol clear ? Was the Pigtail serviced recently ?
National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
One Pipe System0
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