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main steam vent stuck in steam pipe

1:24 PM 02/13/2012

 

joe78

Bensonhurst, NY

I have a vent at the end of my steam main that is stuck open and I am unable to unscrew it.  It is screwed all the way down into the tee with no threads showing.  I have sprayed it with WD-40 repeatedly and let it soak.  I have used a crescent wrench and a pipe wrench but it still won't loosen.  I am afraid if I put too much force on it, the vent will snap leaving the threads stuck in the tee.
If it does snap what can I do to get the remaining threads out of the tee?  How much would this cost if I just call a pipefitter or heating company to remove the vent?
Thanks.

 

 

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5 answers
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  • vote

    bobjbkln

    Boerum Hill, NY

    WD-40 is useless. Get PB Blaster from an auto supply store or, better yet Kroil from their website: www.kanolabs.com . Give it several applications over a few days. If that doesn't work, you'll have to call a professional.    Figure a minimum of $250 for labor for a licensed plumber.  Or if you can wait until the end of the heating season,you can risk breaking the valve.  I doubt whether it will cost you more to fix it broken off than stuck in place.
    If

    2:06 PM 02/13/2012 | 1 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    sewardwasright

    Bedford Stuyvesant, NY


    I've used Pipe Break in cases like this. (Probabably the same - or from the same company - as PB Blaster, recommended above.) Spray it on, leave it there for a while, and then use a pipe wrench to start immobilizing the vent. Eventually, it should come out - unless it is reeeeeeeely old.

    2:35 PM 02/13/2012 | 1 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    eman134

    Carroll Gardens, NY

    Drill and tap. I can almost guarantee that  the vent will snap off when you try to remove it. The nice part about master vents is that they are generally threaded 3/4 x 1/2 (outer dimension by inner dimension) so if you cannot fit an angle drill in place to drill out the broken vent, you can usually fit in a 1/2 inch tap in the broken thread after you saw it off cleanly,and retap the half inch thead..you will lose vent capacity due to the 1/2 versus 3/4 takeoff, but you can make that up by replacing the old vent with two gorton #1 master vents, raised as high as possible over the main. I would do it for you at a resonable price, but Bensonhurst is to far away for me...If you need advice, feel free to contact me via the info on my profile

    7:30 PM 02/13/2012 | 0 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    joe78

    Bensonhurst, NY

    I had it soaking overnight with the PB Blaster.  Will spray and soak it repeatedly for the next couple of days and see what happens when I try to unscrew it over the weekend.
    Thanks for the help.

    9:15 AM 02/14/2012 | 0 Votes

     

     

  • vote

    joe78

    Bensonhurst, NY

    Well after spraying and soaking repeatedly for 4 days and still not being able to budge it, I gave up and got the hacksaw out.  But instead of seeing a smooth wall down there is a step down in diameter and turns into a female thread.  It's kind of hard to measure but the diameter seems to be 1/2" by my estimate.

    Instead of trying to furthur remove the remains of the old vent, do you think it would be better to just screw a nipple into that and then attach a new 3/4" vent with a reducer coupling to it?
    Thanks.

    4:21 PM 02/18/2012 | 0 Votes

     

     

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