I investigated the pipes a bit more. The big pipe that leaves the boiler splits in two directions (essentially two big loops throughout the house)
1. the the living room and then the kitchen, and back to the boiler
2. through the ceiling of the cellar, to the master bedroom, to the guest bedrooms, and back to the boiler.

The LR/Kitchen loop is hot all the way around. Where the big pipe splits, it is hot. As I move away from the split, it gets cooler as I go through the cellar ceiling. approx 1-2 feet away from the split, it doesnt even feel hot.

Some of the thermostat wires didn't look secure on the bedroom zone control so i re-secured them. Didn't make a difference. Any ideas as to why water doesnt want to go down this pipe? Does it still sound like there is a freeze somewhere?

thanks

 

Yes, it's frozen. If there's a blockage anywhere in the pipe, you will have no flow.

The warmth you feel going down the pipe is just conducted heat, and maybe a wee bit of convection.

 

Gotcha. I sent a request to my home warranty company for a water heat professional but since I've narrowed it down to a frozen pipe, is a plumber the correct person? Can they even do anything? I feel like I am screwed

 

A plumbing and heating contractor would be a wise choice.
Geo

 

i am back in business! i left a 1500w space heater on in the coldest corner, and at 530 the water started to flow again.. just as the service guy arrived. got an inspection anyways and estimates for replacing the air vent, removing the backflow plug, and adding glycol into the system. yayyyy


A HUGE thank you to NJ Trooper - i learned A LOT from you and now i know how my boiler works. I cannot thank you enough for your quick responses and suggestions. You are an awesome person

 

Good deal JD! Thank you for the kind words!

Glycol ain't cheap, but it's cheap insurance! Just remember to test it every couple years or so to be sure it's still protecting and hasn't gone acidic.

Anti-freeze DOES cut down on the heat capacity a bit... just so you are aware of that... I think about 10-15% less heat output, but your system is probably enough extra output to cover it.

 

Gotcha - I am going to do more research on it to see if it is something i'd like done. We will be keeping the heat higher now to prevent this issue from happening again - i'd rather pay for the natural gas than for a burst!

In one of my guest rooms i did notice that one of the horizontal elbows in the corner of the room has some deposits caked on the outside (1-2 centimeters worth). i mentioned it to the contractor and he said it is normal to have some buildup. Is that true? He said it is nothing to worry about. It looks similar to how the shower heads and sink aerators get over time as we have hard water.

Also, considering it is a 27 year old machine, are newer ones more efficient to the extent that the expenditure would pay for itself over time by saving on the gas bill? I understand most people do not replace them unless they physically do not work anymore. Just curious at this point, not considering changing anything. I need to get an energy audit anyways, as i've sealed some air leaks in the house but i am sure there are some i have missed. With the heat turned up higher now, I feel how water heat does feel better than forced air as it heats objects too. I've only experienced forced air in the past, and i admit now that this heat feels better.

 

Whitish flaky powdery with maybe some green accents?

No, I would not say that is true. I would say that it's a 'weeping' solder connection that SHOULD be repaired. Not like it's gonna burst loose though... it's probably been that way for decades. He just didn't WANT to fix it.

 

My OPINION is no, it's not worth doing for fuel savings alone.