Air in hot water baseboard

[sfalvey]

How would you guys report hearing air in a hot water baseboard system. I know it shouldn't be there, it certainly doesn't warm the house up as good as a solid flow of water.

Input please.

Thanks.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by sfalvey

How would you guys report hearing air in a hot water baseboard system. I know it shouldn't be there, it certainly doesn't warm the house up as good as a solid flow of water.

Input please.

Thanks.

If you truly have air as you suspect. Report it just as you would any other defect its not suppose to have air in the system. I like the word (appears) to have air and recommend that it be serviced by a heating company.

You don't suppose it is a water hammer do you just a thought.

[jschulte]

Hot water heat systems need to be bled on occasion. It is not uncommon and part of regular maintenance. There should be a valve at the radiators that can be opened slowly until the air escapes and water comes out. This may need to be repeated several times.

It also helps to make sure that the water supply to the boiler is on.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by jschulte

Hot water heat systems need to be bled on occasion. It is not uncommon and part of regular maintenance. There should be a valve at the radiators that can be opened slowly until the air escapes and water comes out. This may need to be repeated several times.

It also helps to make sure that the water supply to the boiler is on.

Jeff I thought the question was baseboard heat not radiators to me these are two different systems????

[jschulte]

They are the same to me. They both are run with a boiler and both have valves to bleed the air (My current house has radiators, my former house had HW baseboard.) I believe the baseboard models are just the current fad (however current boilers are??)because they are out of the way.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by jschulte

They are the same to me. They both are run with a boiler and both have valves to bleed the air (My current house has radiators, my former house had HW baseboard.) I believe the baseboard models are just the current fad (however current boilers are??)because they are out of the way.

I would label as similar in operation only; walk into a supply house and ask for a baseboard heater and they bring you a radiator are you going to be happy???

Yes I agree they all get air in the system and need to be bled if the plumber did not forget to install the bleeders???

I would also agree that this is a maintenance item but is not performed by the HI
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[jschulte]

Originally Posted by cbottger

I would label as similar in operation only; walk into a supply house and ask for a baseboard heater and they bring you a radiator are you going to be happy???

Yes I agree they all get air in the system and need to be bled if the plumber did not forget to install the bleeders???

I would also agree that this is a maintenance item but is not performed by the HI
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I don't do any maintenance, but I would be happy to tell someone how to do it.

If the plumber did not install the bleeders it still needs to be done, you'll just have to have bleeders installed first.

[bandag]

I had a home with gas hot water baseboard heat. there was a little hammering at first start up, not much. There was a bleed valve at the furnace, sort of like a valve stem on a tire, (but not rubber) had to bleed it manually once or twice a season. no bleed valve on the baseboard system. worked fine.

[Jason A. Sieg, CMI]

Bleeders are not required at the radiators! I just don't want anyone to think they are.

The system with out bleeders (at the radiators) would be bled by closing off each zone, attaching a hose to the Purge & Balance Valve (some may call this a bleeder valve) at the boiler.

I'm not going to explain the whole process here, but you do waste a lot of water this way. Although it isn't a bad idea to flush the old water out of the system once in a while.