Hot water radiator bypass and efficiency


  #1  
Old 12-14-21, 06:16 AM
A
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Question Hot water radiator bypass and efficiency

Hello everyone,
We bought a house from 1930's and it has a hot water radiator system, one zone, with the boiler in the basement. As expected, our 2nd floor is colder than the first floor and the basement. The radiators are only mildly warm and we just changed the circulator to improve efficiency. When the plumber bled the radiators he was surprised to find that all of them have a bypass (see picture attached). The bypass gets really hot but not much heat comes from the convector. Why is there a bypass in the first place in all of the radiators, including on the second floor? How can we improve efficiency (switch to european radiators?)? Thank you in advance for your help!
 
  #2  
Old 12-14-21, 07:19 AM
rbeck's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 2,407
Upvotes: 0
Received 66 Upvotes on 55 Posts
This looks like it could have been a steam to water conversion. In your picture it looks like a steam trap under the convector element. If this is the case I am wondering if you have a mono-flow system. Could you supply some boiler piping pictures?
If my assumption is correct you can remove the gut's from the steam trap, if not already done, eliminate the bypass and install an air vent on the return side of the element manifold.
 
  #3  
Old 12-14-21, 07:25 AM
A
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thank you for the comment! Here are some additional pictures


 
  #4  
Old 12-14-21, 09:41 AM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,939
Received 3,951 Upvotes on 3,544 Posts
I see a boiler tank for DHW. I see one circulator. Is there another pump ?
 
  #5  
Old 12-14-21, 10:21 AM
A
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts

This is on the left side of the water heater
 
  #6  
Old 12-15-21, 10:59 AM
rbeck's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 2,407
Upvotes: 0
Received 66 Upvotes on 55 Posts
I don't see in your pictures signs of this ever being a steam boiler unless you have large iron pipe in the basement we did not see. It does look like a steam trap in your first picture.
You could take one convector and eliminate the bypass pipe. Pull the pipe and plug the supply side of the manifold and install a bushing and vent the return side of the manifold. This would be a real test to see if it will heat much faster and to a higher temperature.
Maybe when it is apart you can check to see if the are any guts in the valve below the heating element.
FYI - The high side of the heating element should be on the return side. It looks like this one could be sloped the wrong way.
 
2john02458 voted this post useful.
  #7  
Old 12-15-21, 11:58 AM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,939
Received 3,951 Upvotes on 3,544 Posts
The bypass line valve should be closed (clockwise) too.
 
  #8  
Old 12-15-21, 07:00 PM
lawrosa's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Galivants Ferry SC USA
Posts: 15,993
Received 84 Upvotes on 76 Posts
The bypass line valve should be closed (clockwise) too.
​​​​​​​I believe thats a air bleeder
 
2john02458 voted this post useful.
  #9  
Old 12-16-21, 01:53 PM
A
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I went back to the specifications manual of the house (a nice find in the basement!) and the system used to be a 2 pipe vapor system with copper piping. It was at some point converted to hot water though I don't know why and when. The bypass valve seems to be an air vent - our best option would be to remove the bypass and see if we can get more heat through the convector.
Thank you everyone for the input!
 
  #10  
Old 12-16-21, 05:48 PM
lawrosa's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Galivants Ferry SC USA
Posts: 15,993
Received 84 Upvotes on 76 Posts
You need that by pass to get the air out. I would leave the bleeder. Break the union and put a valve in there that you can turn off or throttle. Because when it gets air bound without that by pass or a way to bleed you will have no heat.

Youll see. You have been warned. LOL
 
  #11  
Old 12-17-21, 01:12 PM
A
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I hear you, Mike! We need the bypass and be able to regulate it with a valve. Thanks to this forum, I know what to look for! Many thanks to everyone who chimed in.
 
  #12  
Old 12-25-21, 04:46 PM
rbeck's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 2,407
Upvotes: 0
Received 66 Upvotes on 55 Posts
If you keep the bypass there is no function for it other than to bypass the radiation, less heat. No need to keep it. As I posted earlier just vent the manifold on the ends with manual or auto vents. I would not use auto vents of the circulators are on the return pipe at the boiler.
 
2john02458 voted this post useful.
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: