One clogged baseboard--how to clear?
#1
10-12-09, 04:00 PM
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: CO
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One clogged baseboard--how to clear?
I've just changed out the reducer valve, the pressure valve and the pressure gauge on my boiler. Everything looks just fine. Pump is fine. Bled all the lines. My system is one simple loop, one story. PSI at about 13, very nice. My trouble is that my bedroom baseboard will not heat up, no matter how many times I bleed the line there. There is no heat in the entire baseboard, and this one is in the middle of the loop. I *think* the bleeder valve is at the point where the line comes up from the basement through the floor rather than where it goes back down, if that makes a difference. My question is, how do you blow out a clogged baseboard heater like this? These were installed 50 years ago and generally do just fine for me.
#2
10-12-09, 04:10 PM
You say "one simple loop." Do you mean that all the baseboards are in series and this is the only one not working? It is unlikely that the baseboard has clogged. If it did, you wouldn't have any heat.
More likely you have a monoflo type system going on. Does each baseboard have its own lines to one loop in the basement and it's own bleeder? In that case, that one baseboard must have air in it. If you can maybe lift the end of the baseboard with the bleeder on it, you may get the air out of it.
Post back on which system you have.
More likely you have a monoflo type system going on. Does each baseboard have its own lines to one loop in the basement and it's own bleeder? In that case, that one baseboard must have air in it. If you can maybe lift the end of the baseboard with the bleeder on it, you may get the air out of it.
Post back on which system you have.
#3
10-12-09, 04:36 PM
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Yes, I have what you describe. Each baseboard with its own line coming off the main loop. There's no way to lift the baseboard--it's set into the wall and runs around a corner with a total run of about 15 feet. So you think it's an air problem though, huh? Do those kind of heaters ever clog up with gunk? I drained a lot of black water out of the boiler and lines. The baseboards are the typical copper pipe with fins all along them, protected by the metal baseboard. Thanks for your fast reply !
Originally Posted by aandpdan
You say "one simple loop." Do you mean that all the baseboards are in series and this is the only one not working? It is unlikely that the baseboard has clogged. If it did, you wouldn't have any heat.
More likely you have a monoflo type system going on. Does each baseboard have its own lines to one loop in the basement and it's own bleeder? In that case, that one baseboard must have air in it. If you can maybe lift the end of the baseboard with the bleeder on it, you may get the air out of it.
Post back on which system you have.
More likely you have a monoflo type system going on. Does each baseboard have its own lines to one loop in the basement and it's own bleeder? In that case, that one baseboard must have air in it. If you can maybe lift the end of the baseboard with the bleeder on it, you may get the air out of it.
Post back on which system you have.
#4
10-13-09, 01:49 PM
I can virtually guarantee that its an air problem. The problem is that the circulator can only move water in a closed system. It can't pump air, it's really not meant to be a pump.
Yes, boiler water can look and smell bad.
Are you getting a solid stream of water out of that baseboard?
It can be very difficult to get air out. With the system off, bump the pressure up a little temporarily, maybe 15-18 pounds. Then try, it might do the trick.
You may want to put a bleeder on the opposite end of the baseboard, that is a long run.
Yes, boiler water can look and smell bad.
Are you getting a solid stream of water out of that baseboard?
It can be very difficult to get air out. With the system off, bump the pressure up a little temporarily, maybe 15-18 pounds. Then try, it might do the trick.
You may want to put a bleeder on the opposite end of the baseboard, that is a long run.
#5
10-13-09, 04:14 PM
Yes, I have what you describe. Each baseboard with its own line coming off the main loop.
Are BOTH ENDS of the baseboard TEE'd into the SAME pipe in the basement?
Do the TEES have any markings on them, such as ARROWS, or the words SUPPLY / RETURN ... or possibly a RED RING around one of the branches?
Perhaps the easiest way to be certain would be if you took some pics of the tee fittings... set up a free account at Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket and upload the pics there, come back here and drop a link to your album.
