Urgent boiler heat help!

[Dmoen]

Hey guys, starting to get a bit chilly here at night. North Dakota. Haha
Anyways, old house. Water boiler heat. The pipes are banging and rattling around like mad when you turn the heat on. I assume it's major air in the lines. I had a bit of luck last year, but it was never quite right.

Now I don't remember where I forced water in at.. Any guidance and instructions to do this right? I do know I had ZERO luck with cracking the bleeders at the baseboards last year.







I remember this is where Tha magic happened. But that's all.I remember

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I can't see your pictures too clearly on my phone,I'll check the pictures on my computer here in a little bit.

 

[Dmoen]

Thanks it's pretty dark down there. I read online to shut the red valves above the circulators off, and open the water valves above there to bleed the water and air out. Now. Where does fresh replacement water come from? I don't see where it comes from?

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[Jackfre]

Find the cold water supply on after you close the two red handled valves above the circulators. Attach hoses to the hose bibs above those valves and open them to bleed the air off. Actually, while the water supply is off and the pressure is off the system, replace those air vents on the convectors. I would strongly suggest installing a Spirovent air eliminator on the system. They are much better than the Amtrol type.

 

[Dmoen]

Find the cold water supply on after you close the two red handled valves above the circulators. Attach hoses to the hose bibs above those valves and open them to bleed the air off. Actually, while the water supply is off and the pressure is off the system, replace those air vents on the convectors. I would strongly suggest installing a Spirovent air eliminator on the system. They are much better than the Amtrol type.

#1 : I can't find the water supply. Is it that pipe in the first picture close to the floor? where a guy could hook a garden hose to?

#2 : what are the convectors, and where are the vents?

#3 : what is a sport net and where does it get installed?

 

[brewchief]

Find the cold water supply on after you close the two red handled valves above the circulators. Attach hoses to the hose bibs above those valves and open them to bleed the air off. Actually, while the water supply is off and the pressure is off the system, replace those air vents on the convectors. I would strongly suggest installing a Spirovent air eliminator on the system. They are much better than the Amtrol type.

Looks like an old captive air expansion tank instead of a bladder tank, a spirovent will pull the air out of it and waterlog it given enough time.

 

[Dmoen]

Is this where I would hook garden hose?

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[zmaxmotorsports]

That 1st picture looks like it was the origional supply line that somebody cut off.
Id plumb a new supply line in to it with an auto fill valve and backflow preventer.

 

[Dmoen]

Some better lit pictures.

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[Dmoen]

That 1st picture looks like it was the origional supply line that somebody cut off.
Id plumb a new supply line in to it with an auto fill valve and backflow preventer.

So, I can supply fresh water to that bottom spicket?

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[zmaxmotorsports]

It would fill the boiler that way,you could also shut the fill valve and use that bottem valve for draining/flushing boiler.

 

[Dmoen]

Ok.so.I.made some progress. The upstairs zone was empty. I think.I got.both zones fairly well bled out. But, what am.I supposed to do with these valves while I have grades hose pressure allies, and am bleeding the system?

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[BadgerBoilerMN]

Let us start with a proper heat load and a new boiler. The rest is a waste of time and money.

 

[Dmoen]

Let us start with a proper heat load and a new boiler. The rest is a waste of time and money.

I don't understand?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Single pipe system with Monoflow tees? They can be a ***** to bleed...

Tommy

 

[mygarageone]

I agree it's time to place the heating system , I have never seen anything quite like this one.
The boiler looks like it was cool at one time ?

 

[dfiler2]

It looks like it could have been a single pipe steam system at one time, but it has been changed otherwise there would be no circulators. You really need to be sure the system has enough water in it, things can get really dangerous, especially if there is just a little water in the boiler. The reason they have auto fill valves is to be sure the system doesn't lose water over summer then someone turns the heating system on, the heat exchanger gets hot then the pumps start and sends a small amount of water in and because it's not full the water turns to steam and expands about 1700 times very quickly. In my opinion you really need to have someone familiar with boilers take a look at it.

 

[Blue]

In my opinion you really need to have someone familiar with boilers take a look at it.

This.

Get someone qualified out there to take a look at it. If nothing else, it needs yearly cleaning and maintenance.

In the meantime, this is a good site www.heatinghelp.com And this is a good book that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about boiler heat.

http://store.heatinghelp.com/we-got-steam-heat-p/141.htm

 

[LS6 Tommy]

It looks like it could have been a single pipe steam system at one time, but it has been changed otherwise there would be no circulators.

Monoflow tees are for single pipe water, not steam. That expansion tank looks just as old as the rest of the system. It's probably always been water.

Tommy

 

[rlitman]

Looks like an old captive air expansion tank instead of a bladder tank, a spirovent will pull the air out of it and waterlog it given enough time.

I don't see a spirovent, but those expansion tanks get water logged regardless. They should be drained at least annually (with radiator bleedings to match).
My suggestion would be to get rid of it, install a real extrol tank, and once properly bled, you'll never have to bleed the system again. End of headaches.

 

[dogdog]

hmmm looks like it was a steam heat setup (looks like my steam heat at home except no pumps) and converted to Hydronics....Hydronic heat should'nt be banging at all even if you have air in the system, at most case it purrs and you don't have heat in that particular zone that have air... are you sure you are not heating the water too hot that it is steaming?? or dirty water?

as far as filling , I would do it at the pump just shut off both valves at the pump so to force the water through the system to the return the back to the boiler it self...... this way get rid of air too... do it one zone at a time. That is how I do it for my friend's place except his is a real hydronic setup.... not a steam boiler converted.... think hydronic setup the water never boils just heats up to some temp I forgot what it was....

 

[dogdog]

Is this where I would hook garden hose?

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This used to be for filling the water when it was setup as a steam boiler..... mine steam heat is connecting at the same spot from the "Hot" Hot water heater output. At least you are not suppose to feed cold cold water into a hot Boiler system..... But suggest you do it at the pump area.... bleeds your air in the system at the same time.


This area...
shut off both red and feed water into the green one at a time.

 

[dfiler2]

Monoflow tees are for single pipe water, not steam. That expansion tank looks just as old as the rest of the system. It's probably always been water.

Tommy

A single pipe steam system is just that, one pipe going to the radiators, usually starting out with a large pipe, the steam rises to the radiators then condenses and runs back down the same pipe. The system you are talking about has a loop around the perimeter of the building and that loop acts as the supply and return and has a supply and return running to each radiator. Those systems use monoflow tees to divert the water to the radiator but require circulators. It looks to me like this system started out as a single pipe steam but was converted which is very common.

The first diagram shows a single pipe steam system, the second shows one that uses monoflo tees after being changed over.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

A single pipe steam system is just that, one pipe going to the radiators, usually starting out with a large pipe, the steam rises to the radiators then condenses and runs back down the same pipe. The system you are talking about has a loop around the perimeter of the building and that loop acts as the supply and return and has a supply and return running to each radiator. Those systems use monoflow tees to divert the water to the radiator but require circulators. It looks to me like this system started out as a single pipe steam but was converted which is very common.

The first diagram shows a single pipe steam system, the second shows one that uses monoflo tees after being changed over.

I know how they both work. I misunderstood your post. I thought you meant monoflow tees were used for single pipe steam, not that the OP's system was originally steam converted to water.


Tommy

 

[dfiler2]

Sorry, got it.