Heating Help

I'll try that next week...

@ December 21, 2007 12:48 PM in Vent or Not to Vent? That is the question.

and give a report back. Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Fast Venting

@ December 21, 2007 10:32 AM in Vent or Not to Vent? That is the question.

I should have mentioned I've now got a new Utica gas boiler which makes steam in minutes. With all the Varivalves wide open, the air in the mains and in the rads, rushes out like mad, then steam follows right behind. It's a little noisy hearing the rads puff, then huff (deeply inhale) when the boiler fires up and fires down. Perhaps the main benefit with the Gorton #2's is this "racket" (which I kinda like) would now be in the basement?

Venting Over-Kill

@ December 20, 2007 6:31 PM in Vent or Not to Vent? That is the question.

Merry Christmas All! I have (8) Heat-Timer Varivalves set wide open on all my 1st floor radiators. Is there any benefit in venting the mains which feed these? (Each about 50 feet total.) I bought (2) Gorton #2's just for that purpose, but am now wondering if they are even needed?

Root Problem

@ November 26, 2007 8:48 PM in Joisey Steam Update

Looks like alcohol is in the picture:) (Long Side Drop.jpg)

Honda

@ November 26, 2007 8:31 PM in freewatt micro-chp

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/3944

Best Radiator Vents

@ November 23, 2007 12:03 PM in Best Radiator Vents

Who makes the best radiator vents? I've a new gas boiler and will be installing Gorton #2's on my 2" mains. I have a total of 14 radiators with various stuck, leaking, and wrong sized vents. I figure on replacing all of them with fast venting types. I bought some adjustable Durst A884's from Home Depot for $8 each. Made in China, one was stuck open, and another was stuck closed. Only one makes an audible "click" when opening or closing. Penny saved; pound foolish. In comparision, I picked up an adjustable Vent-Rite #1 and fixed Maid-O-Mist #D to play with. Both seem very well made in comparision. I did purchase "Balancing Steam Systems Using a Venting Capacity Chart.pdf", so am aware the various venting speed options and concepts. I am thinking about using the Armstrong SV-12 which comes with (5) different orifices. I am also thinking about initially setting them all to maximum open, and then stopping down the ones that heat too fast/much. Is this a reasonable strategy? Another way to go is with the adjustable #1 Vent-Rite or the faster Heat-Timer Varivalve. Still another iteration is a combination of the above using either the fixed Gorton's or Maid-O-Mist units which appear to be identical in design. Their appeal is simplicity and hence reliability? Although 14 x $20 is not a huge expense, I'd like to be done with musical vent adjustments before 2008.

Swapping Vacuum Valves with Gorton #2's

@ November 23, 2007 10:53 AM in Swapping Vacuum Valves for Gorton Vents

Gorton #1 or #2

@ November 19, 2007 5:50 PM in Steam Vent Details

I spoke with Ken at Gorton today and maybe misunderstood. (He's sending the spec sheet via mail.) He's recommended #2's for each of my ~50 foot 2" branches. #1's are way smaller and cheaper. However, #2's vent faster. How fast is fast enough?

Pressure Gauge

@ November 19, 2007 8:13 AM in Joisy Steam (Stonehouse)

What are you using for a pressure gauge? Where did you install it? Is the needle stable or does it dance about? Does it ever peg full scale?

Good Work!

@ November 18, 2007 6:58 PM in teaching cubscouts to be future plumbers

Keep up the good work! Our country needs more men like you.

Steam Vacuum Valves

@ November 18, 2007 6:25 PM in Steam Vacuum Vents

I have (2) Hoffman #6 "Vacuum" Valves located above where my returns drop into my new boiler. (See attached.) What purpose do these serve? (I also have no vents on either of my main branches.)

Optimum Boiler Sizing

@ October 8, 2007 2:11 PM in Optimum Boiler Sizing

Assuming my steam load calculations are correct, I need a boiler capable of generating 423 Square Feet of steam or 101,461 BTU's. The Utica boilers I've choosen are either 90,000 BTU (about 11% undersized) or 113,300 (about 12% oversized). Considering that Utica includes an allowance of 1.333 for "piping and pickup", which unit would be best? My concern about installing a slightly undersized unit is my full-time cellar workshop would now get too cold and require a radiator to make up for the lack of waste heat. Currently, all my cellar steam feeds are insulated with 1" fiberglass, and the boiler that I am replacing was "measured" by MassSave about ten years ago at 79%. It has no damper, however, and has a 6 inch flue pipe with a 12x12 inch draft box open at the bottom. The other factor of mention, is all my cellar windows (4) are old single pane types needing replacement as well.

Raydiant Brochure

@ October 7, 2007 10:04 PM in Flush Steam Radiator ID

Following up on the lead Steamhead provided, I contacted Weil-McLain and requested a scan of their Raydiant brochure which was printed around 1951. Although the design is virtually identical, mine don't have any vertical slots which extend from top to bottom as they have. I also don't know if mine are of a single "vectant" or no "vectant" design. I might be trying too hard for a 100% positive ID?

More Flush Radiator Shots

@ October 5, 2007 12:11 PM in Flush Steam Radiator ID

I've 2 more of these: A big one about 52" long having (5) 6 vertical "column" sections. A small one about 18" long having (1) 6 vertical "column" sections and (1) partial 3 vertical "column" sections. Attached is a shot from inside LookingDown and another LookingUp. (Aren't digital cameras amazing?) Searching for the EDR figures on these two as well. Any idea when they were made? Also attached, is the primary source of the dust balls clogging the insides. The big one took me an hour to clean with a crevice tool and a 12AWG wire probe. Any ideas how to easily clean these things?

Flush Steam Radiator ID

@ October 4, 2007 5:26 PM in Flush Steam Radiator ID

Can anybody identify and/or know the EDR of the steam radiator in the attached photo? Dating (I think) from the 50's, it's a flush/recessed type with a single horizontal finned tube in the back. The height is about 23 1/2" from the floor including the clean-out door which is about 4 1/2" tall. Each vertical section is about 19" tall and 9 1/2" wide having 6 vertical bars per section. It's only about 4 inches deep and fits between wall studs. The one in the picture (which has 2 full sections and a partial) is about 27 1/2" wide including the end pieces which are about 1 3/4" each. It is of cast iron construction.