Author Topic: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?  (Read 3617 times)

Ugh

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Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« on: January 21, 2014, 06:02:31 AM »
We have forced hot water heat in a 60+ year old house.  In one zone there are four rooms and a bathroom.  With the thermostat on 59, the bathroom ( without use) is 75, the next room on the run is about 64, the next room is 72 and the last two rooms are around 55.  I have been told that the system needs to be "bled" and I hate to call a plumber for something which *sounds* simple.  Any ideas??

starbuck

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2014, 08:24:35 AM »
If they're referring to bleeding the radiators in those rooms, that's a very simple task. (Google "how to bleed radiators" and all sorts of instructions will pop up.) We don't have a radiator key for ours, but just use a flat head screw driver. We do this annually, some rads require it more than others.

AccidentalMiser

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2014, 05:55:51 PM »
Bleeding radiators is *usually* a simple matter.  Just open the vent on the top of the rad SLOWLY until you all the air out, then re-shut it.  Do you have any handy friends who can lend a hand?  Also, you'll want to identify where the water supply shutoff is before you start just in case things go south. 

Exflyboy

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2014, 06:00:27 PM »
What they said.. OH and NOTHING is beyond DIY.. OK replacing a foundation is but nothing else is. Houses are put up with a few guys with hammers.

Do you have a hammer?.. well then nothing is beyond DIY by definition!

Frank

Ugh

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2014, 07:34:38 PM »
We have baseboards, not radiators.  My Googling is coming up with stuff about expansion tanks. Not so much about baseboards.
Since most instructions tell me to turn my heat off for an hour, and its 1 degree and snowing, I think I will wait on this project!

Greg

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2014, 08:43:01 PM »
Many hydronic baseboards have bleeder valves too.  Not sure why you'd have to turn the heat off. 

Ugh

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2014, 02:03:06 PM »
Miraculously, the Oil company said this is covered by our service contract! They came out and bled a ton of air out of the lines and explained the problem.  They suggested that the whole system should to be bled in the summer and new valves would be a good idea, but got us fixed up for now.  Phew.

AccidentalMiser

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2014, 02:32:04 PM »
Super!  I'm happy for you!

Exflyboy

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2014, 01:19:48 PM »
right so next time you will know what to do.. Then you can look at the cost of that service contract and cancel it..:).. You can do what they can do... if you have a hammer..:)

Frank

Greg

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Re: Forced hot water heat - beyond DIY?
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2014, 01:46:15 PM »
So, are there air bleed valves at each radiator or was it more complex than that?

 

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