Reply With QuoteIt sounds like you have air in the system . Have you tried bleeding the radiators?
John
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Boiler Problem
Am having a problem with my boiler. Its in a duplex house and it feeds cast iron radiators in the second floor only. The boiler fires up OK put the radiators dont get hot, just warm. In the basement the supply pipe is hot but the return lines are just warm. Ive checked the aquastat relay box and the temp in there is set to 180 (low) 200 (hot). Also the pump and reducing valve was changed two weeks ago. Can the problem be the circulation pump? How do I know if its working correctly? When the pump was installed I could feel the water reciculating in the pipes but not anymore. Is the boiler just heating up standing (convection) water and thats why the radiators dont get hot?. The pump is a series Taco 005 pump.
It sounds like you have air in the system . Have you tried bleeding the radiators?
John
Whats the best way to start? Should I go to each radiator and bleed them out for a couple of minutes?
Just do one at a time. Open the vent on each radiator until you get water.
John
Before I bleed the radiators I checked if the radiators were hot, five out of seven were indeed hot. I bleed them any way and I got a little air out of one, the rest water came out right away. Ive included an overhead drawing of the piping. Can the problem be with the pump is it "air locked" because I dont feel any movement in the return piping by the boiler.
Last edited by jc60618; 12-13-2009 at 09:44 AM.
Turn the thermostat down then bleed the radiators. This will allow the air to go to the high points of the system which will be the radiators. You will not feel any movement in the return piping at the boiler.
John
When I turn the thermostat down should I wait for the system to cool down before bleeding the air out.
No, just bleed the radiators.
John
Sounds to me like your circ pump is acting up. If you don't have any leaks i the system or have never had any problems with air before I doubt it's air.Originally Posted by jc60618
He stated he replaced the cir. and the auto feed two weeks ago. That is more then likely where the air came from.
John
Ooops sorry sometimes I read through the posts so fast I miss those little tid bits of info
My bad.
Thanks guys I think that solved my problem. I have heat on the two radiators now. By the way how can I tell if the pump is doing its job. The manufacturer of the pump says its real quiet when operating. Also what are some of the common malfuction of circulation pumps. Can something get caught in the impeller preventing it from moving? Finally what does the impeller "spin" is it water or steam? I have gotten different responses from two heating guys?
It sounds like your system is hot water...if it had steam it wouldn't need a circulator. So, the circulator is moving water.
Jim DeBruycker
Important note - I'm not a pro
Retired Defense Industry Engineer
You can usually hear the circ running. Is it installed with the direction of flow correct? Is it wired correct? If it's running, you have an air problem or not enough pressure. Pressure should be 12 - 18 lbs
My system has many circulators and it was tough to tell when a pump was running. They make a slight humm. I was told to take a screwdriver and touch it to the pump and my ear and the sound would be much louder.
Now that just tells you the motor is running, doesn't necesarrily mean it's working!
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