New Gorton # 2 Main Vent Arrived - Installation Assistance Please

Having the Gorton last in line is fin3. No problem there.

But.

They have a float in them, and they really don't like to be anything off vertical. You may need to get a little creative… also an elbow isn't the best possible place….

are the vents getting extremely hot before the main is?

venting wont noticeably lessen your bill - warm weather will. everyone hot hit with higher than last year bills this season because the longer cold season with numereous sub-freezing days.

[mentaly challanged reality star that starts wars left and right isnt helping either.]

Don't forget you need to compare the amount of gas used not the price. The price is very high.

Neither a clogged pigtail, nor a bad main vent, will waste any noticeable amount of fuel. (I will edit myself to say if the main vent is failed shooting a lot of your steam into the basement, that could be some lost heat)

When the boiler is firing, BTUs are going into your house. A vent or pigtail cannot divert those BTUs out of your house. As @patrykrebisz said, it's the colder winter this year that is freaking everyone out.

But it's good to have good operating main vents. But since you said your existing main vents heat up very quickly, they may be operating OK already.

I meant Wind velocity ? Wind direction ? Influencing the fuel usage.

Is the chart average monthly temperature and Therms ? My gas bill does not use Therms, I think it is CCF.

I see a big difference between 47, 182 and 46, 349 So I'm not 100% sure what the numbers mean.

OK but how does that explain 47, 182 and 46, 349 ?

I assume 46, 349 was last year, last winter, where this year 47, 182 was better (less fuel).

normally total degree days is how yo measure the severity of a winter

Just plot your total monthly degree days vs total monthly fuel usage. With enough data you can establish a regression and determine whether your recent months are above or below. Not perfect, wind etc… but about the best you can do. I have been doing it every month for over 15 years.

Use degreedays.net

@MikeC_3, you mention that there are 18 radiators in the house. Do you know what the EDR of all the rads is? What is the EDR of the boiler? Is the boiler properly piped per the manufacture's manual? Is the boiler well matched to the load or is it oversized/undersized? You mention that this is your mother's home, what temp does she set the thermostat to? What brand thermostat is being used? Is it properly set up for steam.

Mark

The main vents make a huge difference. We've logged fuel savings of a third on a few jobs after a main vent upgrade.

Your friend lucked out. Putting large vents on one-pipe rads can make them bang and spit, because the steam rushes up the runout so fast that the condensate can't drain back. This is why we use large main vents- to get the steam to the runout connection quickly, so it can rise to the rad more slowly so the condensate can drain.

@Steamhead you know I hate to disagree with people but…

Your friend lucked out. Putting large vents on one-pipe rads can make them bang and spit, because the steam rushes up the runout so fast that the condensate can't drain back.

This has not been my observation. It doesn't matter how big the vent is on a radiator—it can even be an open port. The steam doesn't rush up the runout fast. It is condensing as it heats the cast iron and it progresses rather slowly.

Just like a properly heated main, or even a main with an open 3/4" port with the vent lying on the counter will only fill so fast.

The main vents make a huge difference. We've logged fuel savings of a third on a few jobs after a main vent upgrade.

Where do you think 1/3 of the BTUs were going when the inadequate main vents were on there? They had to be going somewhere.

@ethicalpaul said: "Where do you think 1/3 of the BTUs were going when the inadequate main vents were on there? They had to be going somewhere."

They were raising the water temperature. Remember, if you build pressure on the water, it has to get hotter to boil. One of the effects of inadequate venting is the steam does not circulate at lower pressures- it has to work harder to push the air out.

Also, if you build pressure like that, the steam takes up less volume, and the boiler has to make more steam to fill the system. That takes more BTUs, and can also cause water-level issues.

Those extra BTUs going into the additional steam pressure end up going into the home…as the steam gives up its heat in the radiators at the end of the call for heat, the pressure is relieved as the heat goes into the radiators.

That takes more BTUs, and can also cause water-level issues.

I can't imagine water level actually being measurably affected by the additional steam that might build up in the time before the main fills with steam but <shrug>

We are just talking about that relatively small time between start of call for heat and when the main fills with steam—which takes time even with perfect main venting.

Anyway, have a good rest of your weekend!

@ethicalpaul , in some cases, the extra water being boiled to build pressure can cause the LWCO to trip. If there is a feeder it will come on to maintain a safe level, but when all the water comes back, the boiler can flood.

Not always. The short answer is "It depends".