installing hot water radiator
#1
01-31-07, 12:53 PM
installing hot water radiator
have a radiator installed in basement and cant get heat to it. have blead system and theres no air , hot water comes from boiler to radiator and also from return line at same time. when i had it installed they put the boiler line on bottom and return line on top. does that matter whitch line goes to top or bottom. need help thanks
#2
01-31-07, 02:15 PM
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: In the corner.
Posts: 41
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Cold Radiator
Hot water radiators are generally piped from the fittings at the base of the rad, but the one you have should work; it sounds like a flow problem because of a big blob of air inside the radiator, or an improper piping arrangement that's not allowing adequate flow of pumped hot water to get thru the rad; sometimes crud collects at the base of rads, reducing flow.
Could you post some photos, or even better a diagram of the piping arrangement that shows the boiler's main supply pipe coming out of the top of the boiler, the circulator pump, & how the pumped hot water gets to the rad, & then exits it back to the boiler return pipe; photobucket.com is widely used with a link to doityourself.com.
If you don't have photo capability, still make a diagram to get straight in your mind how the rad gets pumped hot water into its inlet, & then expels it out its outlet back to the boiler.
If the rad is BELOW the main boiler supply pipe, this also can create flow problems, as it is more difficult for the circulator to pump this type of arrangement.
Flowing hot water always follows THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE; if they piped the rad using a "y" offshoot fitting from the main supply pipe, the flow could be completely bypassing the cold rad.
On the hunch that it might be a big blob of air causing the problem, you can try shutting off the boiler switch & temporarily removing the bleed valve with a 3/8" or 5/8" wrench & allow a gallon or two of water to flow into a large bucket; make sure the automatic feed valve is open so the water is replaced by the pressure reducing valve; sometimes there's a layer of crud at the rad bottom that impedes flow, & this will help to partially clean the rad; water flow out of the bleed valve hole can be stopped at any time by simply placing your finger over the hole; then re-install the bleed valve.
If that doesn't clear up the problem, the rad may have to be repiped using mono-flo fittings, or a zone valve.
Mono-flo ((venturi) valve fittings are used on the main supply pipe to force water into & out of the rad (these valves usually have an arrow embossed into their brass housing to indicate direction of water flow.
Another solution often used is to put the rad (& the whole basement) on a seperate zone valve, with its own t-stat, piped from the main supply pipe.
Was the rad installed recently enough to have the installer come back & make the repair???
Could you post some photos, or even better a diagram of the piping arrangement that shows the boiler's main supply pipe coming out of the top of the boiler, the circulator pump, & how the pumped hot water gets to the rad, & then exits it back to the boiler return pipe; photobucket.com is widely used with a link to doityourself.com.
If you don't have photo capability, still make a diagram to get straight in your mind how the rad gets pumped hot water into its inlet, & then expels it out its outlet back to the boiler.
If the rad is BELOW the main boiler supply pipe, this also can create flow problems, as it is more difficult for the circulator to pump this type of arrangement.
Flowing hot water always follows THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE; if they piped the rad using a "y" offshoot fitting from the main supply pipe, the flow could be completely bypassing the cold rad.
On the hunch that it might be a big blob of air causing the problem, you can try shutting off the boiler switch & temporarily removing the bleed valve with a 3/8" or 5/8" wrench & allow a gallon or two of water to flow into a large bucket; make sure the automatic feed valve is open so the water is replaced by the pressure reducing valve; sometimes there's a layer of crud at the rad bottom that impedes flow, & this will help to partially clean the rad; water flow out of the bleed valve hole can be stopped at any time by simply placing your finger over the hole; then re-install the bleed valve.
If that doesn't clear up the problem, the rad may have to be repiped using mono-flo fittings, or a zone valve.
Mono-flo ((venturi) valve fittings are used on the main supply pipe to force water into & out of the rad (these valves usually have an arrow embossed into their brass housing to indicate direction of water flow.
Another solution often used is to put the rad (& the whole basement) on a seperate zone valve, with its own t-stat, piped from the main supply pipe.
Was the rad installed recently enough to have the installer come back & make the repair???
Last edited by jack horner; 01-31-07 at 02:27 PM.
#3
02-11-07, 10:38 AM
hot water rad
sorry it took so long to get back to you jack tried evey thing you said and I think your right, need a different zone for basement. rad it too low to get heat to it thank a lot, you helped me out a lot thanks Denny
