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OT: Gravity-fed Hot Water Heating, dead radiator Posted by Bill Homer [Email]  (#3427) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Bill Homer) on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:24:32
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I turn to the source of vast knowledge on Saabnet!
My 107-year-old two-story house has a "gravity-fed" hot water heating system, with an expansion tank in the basement near the boiler; the gas-fueled boiler is of unknown age, but I'm guessing 10 - 25 years old. "Gravity-fed" systems work by pumping hot water up to insulated (asbestos, the best!) pipes the attic, distributing through the radiators, then collecting the colder water in the basement, reheating and recirculating.
When we recently redid our kitchen, we needed to drain the heating system to move a radiator (that one is working). Since then, a large radiator on the landing half-way up the main staircase does not work - this radiator provides heat for the upstairs hallway as well, and is on a different circuit than the kitchen. I have tried draining and refilling the entire system a couple of times. If I bleed the problem radiator, eventually hot water will come out of it, verifying the connection upwards to the source of hot water in the attic. I have disassembled the control valve at the bottom of the radiator; it appears to function properly (screws up and down) and appears as new, not blocked. I put a bleed hole in the pipe that connects to this radiator down in the basement and have let it run for some time; there does not appear to be any air in it. I have tried turning off the other radiators on the same circuit (which do function). I have tried turning off most of the other circuits at the manifold, but do not feel good about turning off ALL the other radiators while this one does not work.
I'm out of ideas, other than calling for a professional repair that will probbly take hours to accomplish (drain, refill, etc.). Any hints on what else I can do before throwing in the towel and opening my wallet?
posted by 216.70.154...
, Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:24:32 <-- Viewing This Message, Fri, 19 Jun 2020 12:54:54
, Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:51:07, Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:58:14
, Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:17:36, Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:43:18, Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:26:49
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