How do I properly ''bleed'' the cast iron radiators in a home hot water heat radiation system


Hard Time , Monday, 9th of August 2010 10:54:19 AM

My home heating system is not operating quite as it should. Not bad, not 
Hard Time
good. l have one radiator that heats on it is lower half and not the upper 
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half. Another does not heat at all. The first/ground floor radiators in my 
Joined: Friday, 28th of May 2010, 20:58:47
house seem to work just fine and the two problem radiators are both on the 
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second/upper floor. What is going on here?

When l bleed water 
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from a radiator does the heating system automatically compensate for this 
by taking in new water?

If the water bleed produces discoloured 
water does this indicate a problem?

Yes! Go ahead and recommend 
a website that discusses this particular problem in detail if you would 
prefer.

Thank You !!
 
 
 
 
 

Monk , Tuesday, 10th of August 2010 07:30:15 PM

Not Enough information Is It Hot Water Or Is It Steam.  
Monk
 
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duffe luffes , Wednesday, 11th of August 2010 06:02:35 PM

You don't need a website just read the answer from jojo234 and  
duffe luffes
make sure the bleeding valves are not to hot to touch and they are clean  
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from built up paint ect.  
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Browneyes , Thursday, 12th of August 2010 10:35:12 AM

first of all, is this a steam system? if it is you don't need  
Browneyes
to bleed it. there probably is a clog. if it is not steam then does the  
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heat make any noise like a gurgling? that is a sign of air. most furnaces  
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will replenish water but to do this faster there is a valve on the water  
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pipe going into the furnace (it will be the cold pipe). the water that  
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comes out will probably be brown. this is rust. you can flush the system  
until the water comes more clear. this may take several buckets.  
 
 
 
 
 

jenna bare , Friday, 13th of August 2010 06:15:44 PM

!. Shut the boiler off & let system completely cool  
jenna bare
2. Go to the very last radiator & open the bleeder valve, leave this valve  
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open  
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3. Go to the very first radiator & open the bleeder valve, allow water to  
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flow out until there is a steady stream.  
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4. Go to the second radiator & continue the process  
5. Go to each additional radiator & continue the process until you reach  
the last radiator. when the last radiator has a steady stream of water  
coming from the bleeder, close the bleeder  
6. Return to the boiler but do not turn it on yet, Locate the high  
pressure pop off valve ( High pressure relief valve) & open it, leave this  
valve open until a steady stream of water comes out of the over flow tube.  
When you have a steady stream of water let it continue to run out for  
about 15 minutes to make sure all of the air has been purged from the  
system.  
7. When you are certian all the air has been purged from the system close  
the high pressure relief valve & fire ur boiler  
8. After the system has built enough pressure to make steam heat locate  
the jocky pump (circulation pump) & make sure it is working properly.  
Your problem may not be air in the system, it may just be a bad  
circulation pump. If ur circulation pump has gone bad or is not working  
properly then you will only get heat to the first one or two radiators in  
the line. Also if you have a very old heating system scale build up may  
have clogged the line.  
If you have discolored water coming from the system when you bleed it then  
you need to flush the system until the water shows clear again. Boiler  
systems should be flushed periodicly to keep the rust & scale build up  
flushed out of the system.  
 
Never ever turn the cold water make up valve on unless you are sure that  
the boiler is completely cold unless you want to blow up ur boiler. Cold  
water will bust the tubes inside the boiler & possibly cause serious harm  
to anyone standing close by.  
 
One last note: Never listen to idiots who have no experience with steam  
boiler systems unless you like taking risk with ur life.  
You also dont have to trust my advice, you can call an Industrial Steam  
Boiler Company & they will be happy to talk with you on the telephone. If  
you cant find one in ur local telephone directory then call the nearest  
Manufacturing Company near you & ask the Director of Maintenance to  
recommend some one who services steam boilers.  
 
Please post the type & model of ur boiler. some systems are hot water  
systems & some are steam systems the procedure is differant for each. If  
you have a steam system instead of a hot water system then you will want  
to flush all of the trunk lines & then make sure all of the water is  
drained from the radiators & trunk lines before firing the boiler because  
a water flooded steam system will also only heat the first one or two  
rdiators in the line  
 
 
 
 
 



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