Radiator quandary
February 21, 2018 5:06 AM Subscribe
My radiators always seem to need bleeding. Should I involve my plumber?
So, timeline.
Back in November my boiler went the way of the dodo, and I had a new one put in at the end of the month. In mid-December, I noticed my upstairs radiators were getting cold at the top. I was super busy during the rest of December and entirety of January (was barely ever at home during the day) so I didn't call a plumber then. I did keep track of the issue and noticed it was spreading and was starting to reach the downstairs radiators.
On February 1, finally not quite so monstrously busy, I had the plumber come in - it was for an unrelated reason, but while he was there I had him bleed the radiators. He gave me a radiator key, and said if it happens again to just bleed them myself.
Today, sure enough, the upstairs radiators are going cold at the top again. I'm kind of worried there may be a leak in the system. Is this something that just happens with a new boiler until the system settles?
Do I:
1. Bleed the radiators again and keep track of it, and if the issue occurs again, then call the plumber;
2. Call the plumber now so they can come find and fix the leak;
3. Some sort of third option I have no clue about?
So, timeline.
Back in November my boiler went the way of the dodo, and I had a new one put in at the end of the month. In mid-December, I noticed my upstairs radiators were getting cold at the top. I was super busy during the rest of December and entirety of January (was barely ever at home during the day) so I didn't call a plumber then. I did keep track of the issue and noticed it was spreading and was starting to reach the downstairs radiators.
On February 1, finally not quite so monstrously busy, I had the plumber come in - it was for an unrelated reason, but while he was there I had him bleed the radiators. He gave me a radiator key, and said if it happens again to just bleed them myself.
Today, sure enough, the upstairs radiators are going cold at the top again. I'm kind of worried there may be a leak in the system. Is this something that just happens with a new boiler until the system settles?
Do I:
1. Bleed the radiators again and keep track of it, and if the issue occurs again, then call the plumber;
2. Call the plumber now so they can come find and fix the leak;
3. Some sort of third option I have no clue about?
I'm guessing you have a hydronic (hot water) system, not steam. My system seems very difficult to bleed, some radiators stay cold no matter what I do, there's always a lot of gurgling.
I solved the problem by adding a few automatic vents. Ideally, one of these at the highest point in your system should solve the problem, or, put in a couple on each floor.
Depending on your level of adventurousness, you might want your plumber to install these. I usually just turn off the feed water and go for it. Be ready to mop up lots of water!
posted by H21 at 6:46 AM on February 21, 2018
I solved the problem by adding a few automatic vents. Ideally, one of these at the highest point in your system should solve the problem, or, put in a couple on each floor.
Depending on your level of adventurousness, you might want your plumber to install these. I usually just turn off the feed water and go for it. Be ready to mop up lots of water!
posted by H21 at 6:46 AM on February 21, 2018
We have a hot water radiator system - the boiler is 30+ years old, so I usually have to go through a bleeding and water recharge every year. If your system isn't full of water, then it's not circulating efficiently which is what's leading to cold radiators.
I think you have to first trying fully filling the system before you can guess a leak has occurred somewhere. You need to have a bucket, and find the water inlet valve that fills the boiler: Here's the steps we take:
1. Close the radiator valve connection for every radiator in the house. It's at the base of each of your radiators. The idea here is that you want to charge each radiator, one at a time, and bleed out all the air.
2. Starting on the first floor, find the radiator closest to the boiler, open the valve. Use the radiator key and open the bleed valve. Turn on the water valve at the boiler to fill the radiator you're working with - you'll know it's full when water starts coming out of the air bleed valve. Turn off the water valve at the boiler, close the bleed valve, and close the radiator valve. Now your first radiator is charged and full of water. (you can see how having two people here will make it a lot easier)
3. Repeat for every radiator on the first floor, then repeat on the second floor.
4. When you're done with step three, put a bucket under the water exhaust pipe at the boiler. This is where water comes out if there's too much water in the system. Open the water valve just long enough to trigger this exhaust. A lot of water will come out into the bucket; close the water valve and the exhaust trigger.
Now your system's fully charged and bled. Open up all of the radiator valves again, and then run the boiler and then see if that solves the problem.
posted by Karaage at 7:08 AM on February 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
I think you have to first trying fully filling the system before you can guess a leak has occurred somewhere. You need to have a bucket, and find the water inlet valve that fills the boiler: Here's the steps we take:
1. Close the radiator valve connection for every radiator in the house. It's at the base of each of your radiators. The idea here is that you want to charge each radiator, one at a time, and bleed out all the air.
2. Starting on the first floor, find the radiator closest to the boiler, open the valve. Use the radiator key and open the bleed valve. Turn on the water valve at the boiler to fill the radiator you're working with - you'll know it's full when water starts coming out of the air bleed valve. Turn off the water valve at the boiler, close the bleed valve, and close the radiator valve. Now your first radiator is charged and full of water. (you can see how having two people here will make it a lot easier)
3. Repeat for every radiator on the first floor, then repeat on the second floor.
4. When you're done with step three, put a bucket under the water exhaust pipe at the boiler. This is where water comes out if there's too much water in the system. Open the water valve just long enough to trigger this exhaust. A lot of water will come out into the bucket; close the water valve and the exhaust trigger.
Now your system's fully charged and bled. Open up all of the radiator valves again, and then run the boiler and then see if that solves the problem.
posted by Karaage at 7:08 AM on February 21, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Yes, I do have a hot water system.
Nope, he didn't show me how to check the water pressure, nor did he do it himself (I was trailing after him checking what he was doing in order to learn, as one does). The plumbing company has multiple people working for it but he was the same guy who installed my boiler, and I know he remembered because he mentioned it, so surely if the water pressure needed topped up (or whatever) he would've done it?
I had more plumbing done a couple days ago that required temporarily shutting of the water main (a dishwasher install that required changes to the pipes, since the hookups weren't there). Could this be a consequence of that?
posted by sailoreagle at 11:30 AM on February 21, 2018
Nope, he didn't show me how to check the water pressure, nor did he do it himself (I was trailing after him checking what he was doing in order to learn, as one does). The plumbing company has multiple people working for it but he was the same guy who installed my boiler, and I know he remembered because he mentioned it, so surely if the water pressure needed topped up (or whatever) he would've done it?
I had more plumbing done a couple days ago that required temporarily shutting of the water main (a dishwasher install that required changes to the pipes, since the hookups weren't there). Could this be a consequence of that?
posted by sailoreagle at 11:30 AM on February 21, 2018
so surely if the water pressure needed topped up (or whatever) he would've done it?
I wouldn't be so sure, but I think it's a fair question to ask the plumber. I have had at least two plumbers who came back to work on separate parts of my boiler system that failed to charge the thing properly because they didn't want to spend the time.
I had more plumbing done a couple days ago that required temporarily shutting of the water main (a dishwasher install that required changes to the pipes, since the hookups weren't there). Could this be a consequence of that?
If the boiler system was properly charged and topped up, it's unlikely. Whether the water main is on or off generally doesn't affect whether the boiler system has enough water or not. That only matters when you're trying to fill the system with water.
posted by Karaage at 12:54 PM on February 21, 2018
I wouldn't be so sure, but I think it's a fair question to ask the plumber. I have had at least two plumbers who came back to work on separate parts of my boiler system that failed to charge the thing properly because they didn't want to spend the time.
I had more plumbing done a couple days ago that required temporarily shutting of the water main (a dishwasher install that required changes to the pipes, since the hookups weren't there). Could this be a consequence of that?
If the boiler system was properly charged and topped up, it's unlikely. Whether the water main is on or off generally doesn't affect whether the boiler system has enough water or not. That only matters when you're trying to fill the system with water.
posted by Karaage at 12:54 PM on February 21, 2018
There should be a pressure gauge and a temp gauge on your unit. The pressure gauge should have an indicator on there to point to the system's ideal pressure (mine's at 20, fwiw, but I have a small house and I'm sure every system is different). If you don't want to go turning random cranks, you could at least check the pressure to see if it looks right without a professional.
posted by Think_Long at 1:06 PM on February 21, 2018
posted by Think_Long at 1:06 PM on February 21, 2018
Response by poster: Went to check my boiler, and it has a digital display with temperature but not pressure. Can't see a pressure gauge anywhere; the manual for the boiler says "A pressure gauge [...] shall be fitted permanently to the system in a position where it can be seen when filling the system" but that tells me nothing about its actual location.
I'm just gonna bleed the radiators and keep track, and if they go cold again, call the plumber and get them to come over and fix the damn thing, and see if I can get a proper explanation of where the what is what so I know what to look for next time. Thanks all.
posted by sailoreagle at 2:46 PM on February 21, 2018
I'm just gonna bleed the radiators and keep track, and if they go cold again, call the plumber and get them to come over and fix the damn thing, and see if I can get a proper explanation of where the what is what so I know what to look for next time. Thanks all.
posted by sailoreagle at 2:46 PM on February 21, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Think_Long at 5:10 AM on February 21, 2018 [3 favorites]