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Webster Air Vent blowing steam

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GeorgeAirTac
GeorgeAirTac Member Posts: 1
in Strictly Steam

Looking for some guidance on a 2-pipe steam system.

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I have a Webster vent/trap (marked “0023 ATV” on the front) that recently started blowing steam out of the top. This began shortly after a contractor modified the wet return.

Originally, the wet return ran straight into the boiler. It was re-piped lower, creating a U-shape to get under a set of steps that were built. Not sure if that change could be causing this issue, but the timing lines up.

My questions:
– Could the wet return modification be causing this vent to pass steam?
– What is the proper replacement for this Webster unit?
– Can I replace it with (2) Gorton #2 vents on an antler, or is that not appropriate for this setup?

Appreciate any advice.

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,946

    shouldn't be steam in the returns.

    need to know more about how this pipe was changed, was anything tied together higher than it was originally? if it was truly a wet return and was just a pipe with nothing connected to the section that was changed, going down then back up shouldn't change anything.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,946

    did you skim the oils from the new pipe off of the boiler?

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 18,554

    As long as all the piping in the second pic is below the boiler's waterline, you should be OK. I'd look for a bad trap that is letting steam into the dry return.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    Mad Dog_2
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 27,426
    edited 12:56PM

    The guys above. That vent blowing steam is a symptom, not the problem. As was said, steam should never, ever reach that vent or be in those pipes. So… two possible problems. The easy one is that the system cutout pressure is too high. The boiler should cut out at no more than 8 OUNCES per square inch (half a pound). Less would be better — Websters (and most similar systems) run just fine on a maximum pressure of about 6 ounces.

    So step one. Get down to the boiler and reset the pressure cutout device to a cutout of 6 ounces and a differential of 3 ounces. If it won't go that low, get a vapourstat and use it instead.

    Then the second possibility is a failed trap somewhere on the system. Could be almost anywhere, so you may have some detective work to do. May be more than one trap…

    Actually there is a third: in the work moving that pipe you reference, some piping intended to be a water seal may have gotten changed. Look for that, too.

    Edit: and one more thing. Don't change that vent until you find the real problem…

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    mattmia2

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