DIYbanter - Hot Water Heating Question

On Nov 1, 10:47 pm, wrote:
I have just compleated modifications to system.......Had to completely drain
system to make changes......can I now turn on fill valve and refill system
and fire up boiler, or is there some kind of addative required?? Also
would like to insulate hot water pipes in basement is there a low cost way
of doing this????? Thanks

A lot of home-fixup books talk about additives to prevent corrosion or
freezup but these seem not to be common outside commercial/industrial
setups, and besides, does your boiler have any built-in way to add
something? Mine doesn't. So no.

But don't just turn on the water and walk away, as your house pressure
is likely higher than what your boiler needs. As you fill the system
have someone at the rads watching the bleed valves and closing them as
water starts coming out, lowest rads first. When the last top-floor
rad is full, shut off the water. Then as the system heats up, visit
all the rads again to see if they need more bleeding as air comes out
of the water. If a lot does you may need to add more water. Unless a
professional tells you otherwise, I would say to run the system at a
pressure just a little higher than needed to keep the highest rad
full. Works for me.

Oh, and have someone watching the area of new work very closely until
the system is at full pressure. (It's a jinx to put your tools away
until you've tested everything.)

Some systems have an automatic valve that's supposed to keep the
system at the right pressure. Even if yours does (mine does), and even
if it works (mine doesn't) if you leave the inlet valve open you run
the risk that if ever a leak develops, water will flow forever until
you discover it and turn it off. With the inlet closed, at least a
leak is limited - large, but not infinite.

Bleeding your rads and monitoring the pressure is just a routine part
of running a hydronic system. More frequently just after filling the
system, by January you can probably forget about it.

For insulation, make a list of the lengths and outside diameters of
the pipes you want to cover, and look for tubular foam pipe insulation
at any big-box store. Usually black, with a slit that closes with peel-
and-stick adhesive. Cheap and easy.

Chip C
Toronto