Hohenheim
Member
Hi, I am new to this forum and I am your typical homeowner DIY guy. I am not a professional by any means as far as boilers go and will try to paint my picture as best I can. I just got my house in 2019 and started using the oil-based boiler system last winter over my ductless units, which are not rated for the temperatures we get here in NEPA. There has always been an issue with air in my lines and the plumbing here is scary awful.
The system was installed in 1965. 128,000 BTU furnace that does both my hydronic baseboards and my kitchen/bath hot water lines.
The expansion tank is in good condition, no water is in it. (Yes I need the system inspected but it really does heat well for first floor baseboards, basement baseboards, sink water and shower water)
I added a picture to this thread, if any more information is needed please ask and I will make a video or take more pictures.
2 story 2 bedroom house 1 bath with attic(crawlspace attic) and basement.
My problem is the second floor is cold to the touch, eventually gets slightly warm near the location where the water first comes up to the second floor but that is it.
After following all runs for my baseboards, I only found ONE bleeder valve which is located at the end of 1 run found at the returning line in the basement.
I always heard the waterfall effect from the second floor return going down to the basement. I Installed a 3/4" bleeder valve on the second floor where the water rises and runs along the baseboards in both bedrooms. Bled the lines of air and now that waterfall sound is finally gone and air is purged from the second floor. BUT the water is still cold.
I have 2 return lines, they both have a water spigot but NO shut off valve, the valve doesn't come in until they both connect in a Y and then there is a large shut off valve, followed by the circulating pump, followed by another shut off valve.
Just before the first shut off, a 1/2" pipe is also joined and goes into the wall(it is a return from a first floor run that has no shut off, no bleeders, no spigot) I don't believe traditional purging will work because I've hooked up a hose to these spigots, closed the valve to the circulator pump with the furnace off and let the water run, seeing bubbles rise to the top of my bucket outside and that air always came right back even after running it how over an hour one time.
The runs go like this.. a large 1"(might be 1 1/4 but I'll stick with 1") pipe comes out from the boiler and splits 3 ways going down to 3/4" at different points in the run while down in the basement.
"Zone 0" The first break goes from 1" to a 1/2" (4 inch long pipe) back to 3/4" and goes up to the 1st floor, does a small 32" baseboard. Continues along the living room through another longer baseboard(about 10ft) comes down and converts again to 1/2" copper and meets just after the Y where both zone returns meet before the shutoffs and circulator pump. There is no return spigot for this smaller run Zone 0
"Zone 1" the second break goes from 1" to 3/4" into a baseboard along my basement, back up to the ceiling, runs along the ceiling and up into the 1st floor, continues on the other side of the living room and does another baseboard roughly 10ft, comes back down where there actually happens to be a bleeder valve(too corroded to open back up, afraid I'll break it) and returns to boiler
"Zone 2" Problem child the third break goes from 1" to 3/4" and runs along the basement into the very back room where I have majority of my septic system plumbed and it has fins it heats to keep them from freezing up in that room, goes up into the 1st floor bathroom through 2 4-1/2ft baseboards and up into the second floor guest bedroom closet, this is where I installed a new bleeder valve to purge the air that worked out well, from there it runs along the 3 full sides of the house, through both bedrooms then back down through the 1st floor and into the basement, this portion is where I would hear that waterfall sound from water running that I have now eliminated, and return to the boiler. The bathroom doesn't get warm, typically the coldest room in the house, bedrooms get warm from heat rising before bathroom does.
Sorry if I used wrong terms for anything, really just want to find a way to fix my issue with my Zone 2, which is also the longest run I have in the house, it is more than double the other runs.
The system was installed in 1965. 128,000 BTU furnace that does both my hydronic baseboards and my kitchen/bath hot water lines.
The expansion tank is in good condition, no water is in it. (Yes I need the system inspected but it really does heat well for first floor baseboards, basement baseboards, sink water and shower water)
I added a picture to this thread, if any more information is needed please ask and I will make a video or take more pictures.
2 story 2 bedroom house 1 bath with attic(crawlspace attic) and basement.
My problem is the second floor is cold to the touch, eventually gets slightly warm near the location where the water first comes up to the second floor but that is it.
After following all runs for my baseboards, I only found ONE bleeder valve which is located at the end of 1 run found at the returning line in the basement.
I always heard the waterfall effect from the second floor return going down to the basement. I Installed a 3/4" bleeder valve on the second floor where the water rises and runs along the baseboards in both bedrooms. Bled the lines of air and now that waterfall sound is finally gone and air is purged from the second floor. BUT the water is still cold.
I have 2 return lines, they both have a water spigot but NO shut off valve, the valve doesn't come in until they both connect in a Y and then there is a large shut off valve, followed by the circulating pump, followed by another shut off valve.
Just before the first shut off, a 1/2" pipe is also joined and goes into the wall(it is a return from a first floor run that has no shut off, no bleeders, no spigot) I don't believe traditional purging will work because I've hooked up a hose to these spigots, closed the valve to the circulator pump with the furnace off and let the water run, seeing bubbles rise to the top of my bucket outside and that air always came right back even after running it how over an hour one time.
The runs go like this.. a large 1"(might be 1 1/4 but I'll stick with 1") pipe comes out from the boiler and splits 3 ways going down to 3/4" at different points in the run while down in the basement.
"Zone 0" The first break goes from 1" to a 1/2" (4 inch long pipe) back to 3/4" and goes up to the 1st floor, does a small 32" baseboard. Continues along the living room through another longer baseboard(about 10ft) comes down and converts again to 1/2" copper and meets just after the Y where both zone returns meet before the shutoffs and circulator pump. There is no return spigot for this smaller run Zone 0
"Zone 1" the second break goes from 1" to 3/4" into a baseboard along my basement, back up to the ceiling, runs along the ceiling and up into the 1st floor, continues on the other side of the living room and does another baseboard roughly 10ft, comes back down where there actually happens to be a bleeder valve(too corroded to open back up, afraid I'll break it) and returns to boiler
"Zone 2" Problem child the third break goes from 1" to 3/4" and runs along the basement into the very back room where I have majority of my septic system plumbed and it has fins it heats to keep them from freezing up in that room, goes up into the 1st floor bathroom through 2 4-1/2ft baseboards and up into the second floor guest bedroom closet, this is where I installed a new bleeder valve to purge the air that worked out well, from there it runs along the 3 full sides of the house, through both bedrooms then back down through the 1st floor and into the basement, this portion is where I would hear that waterfall sound from water running that I have now eliminated, and return to the boiler. The bathroom doesn't get warm, typically the coldest room in the house, bedrooms get warm from heat rising before bathroom does.
Sorry if I used wrong terms for anything, really just want to find a way to fix my issue with my Zone 2, which is also the longest run I have in the house, it is more than double the other runs.
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