Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

No heat upstairs...kids cold...help!

Options
2»

Comments

  • Kris_3
    Kris_3 Member Posts: 24
    Options
    Mark...

    I cannot tell you how much this helps and how much we appreciate it! This picture will most likely get framed next to our boiler for future reference as well! We will attempt to purge after work today...luckily we're having another unseasonably warm day so the kids aren't complaining about their rooms being cold. I'll let you know how we make out.
  • Brad White_152
    Brad White_152 Member Posts: 23
    Options
    What a great

    "How-To" diagram, Mark.

    You rock!

    Kris- keep us all posted.
  • jackchips_2
    jackchips_2 Member Posts: 1,338
    Options
    Ditto

    what Brad said, Mark.

    Jack
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Options
    Glad to help

    Glad to help, guys. It might not be such a bad idea to provide customers with similar diagrams after installations.
  • Bernie Riddle_2
    Bernie Riddle_2 Member Posts: 178
    Options


    You should have an automatic water feeder on the pipe that brings water to the boiler . It will ave a tag on it that says s1156 , or Watts 911 or a simillar thing this gives your boiler water . It sounds like it is not working . You need a half pound of pressure to raise water one foot . It sounds life you have enough pressure to get water to the first floor , but not the second . Please call a service tech before you crack your boiler over a simple fix ! Dave

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Kris_3
    Kris_3 Member Posts: 24
    Options
    Successfully Purged BUT.....

    We purged each valve individually and with great succes...the upstairs has heat !!!! Now, I am concerned with the pressure though....It seems to be a little high and we're not sure how to reduce...we do not have a pressure reducer as thought labeled on the picture. Can anyone explain to us how to reduce the pressure and where it should safely be at...it's about 20 right now. THANKS!
  • Kris_3
    Kris_3 Member Posts: 24
    Options
    Mislabeled Relief Valve....

    Mark,

    Where you labeled pressure relief valve...it isn't anything, but I think we found it...is it in the background of the purge valve?? If I was to need to use this, how do I do that? If I want to reduce the pressure, do you just lift until it's right?
  • Mitch_6
    Mitch_6 Member Posts: 549
    Options
    Question to all

    please do not take this the wrong way but since this thread was started 11/25/06. Would the home owner not have been better served by a visit from a pro by now.

    Based on what I have read so far a one hour service call to go over the basics then recommend any further service.

    1) Has anyone checked this boiler for proper draft. Heat is
    great but what about spillage.

    2) Does the combuston chamber need cleaning is there signs
    of roll out.

    3) Are the limits working.

    4) Is there proper protective devises on the boiler.

    I can go on but I hope you understand, I have no problem with a quick question and answer but for this amount of time back and forth if I was in the cellar with the home owner their would have been a better evaluation within one hour.

    I always go over with my H.O.'s what I am looking for what I have found what I will do. Then go over with them what they should be looking for and what they should do.

    I also stress that having us over for an hour or two just before the heating season can reduce the risk of a simple service issue from becoming an emergency situation.

    Just my 2 .00.

    Mitch S.

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    I agree with Mitch,,,,,,,,,,,

    on this. Everyone has done a great-job trying to help Kris out, but there may be more things at play here! Suppose the wrong valve gets turned, even with the great diagram to go-by?
    We, as tradesmen, should realize our limitations using this, or any other "forum", and know when to call it quits. If the system still won`t work properly after all-this consultation on the matter, then it`s time for a Pro to visit the home, as we-all know where the "wrong" advice gets us.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Options
    Pressure relief valve

    I labelled the pressure REDUCING valve, which is the fill valve. That's the one that you use to let water into the boiler.

    I didn't label the pressure RELIEF valve, which automatically opens if the pressure gets too high. You can also use it to manually reduce the pressure a little bit. The two valves look similar but are very different, don't confuse them!

    The pressure relief valve on your boiler is coming out of the top. You can see it in the far corner on your picture. It's the one with the pipe coming out, and heading down toward the ground at an elbow - that pipe ends, open, before reaching the ground. If you lift the handle on the relief valve, it'll let some water out through that pipe, reducing the system pressure. You might have slow drip for a couple of days, but it'll eventually stop.

    Your boiler pressure is related to the maximum height of the system above the gauge. Unless you've got really high ceilings or three floors, 20psi is high. You can drop it down to the 12-15 range.

    Mark
  • Kris_3
    Kris_3 Member Posts: 24
    Options
    PERFECTION !!

    I can finally say.......everything is perfect!!! Thank you all for your help. I have learned a great deal!
  • Kris_3
    Kris_3 Member Posts: 24
    Options
    Homeowner

    I understand your thinking...however we didn't attempt this for days...the weather was warm, we weren't using the heat and we wanted to make sure we had all the information to satisfy our own worries. I really appreciate everyone's time and effort on this. This woman might have taken a while to get the job done, but what a great feeling to have accomplished it finally!
  • Murph'_5
    Murph'_5 Member Posts: 349
    Options
    If your name was Karl

    you probaly would not have gotten any replies, with the kids getting cold was a nice touch. to all that "helped" might just make the headlines yet, I am surely with Mitch on this one!!

    Murph'

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Brad White_9
    Brad White_9 Member Posts: 2,440
    Options
    I bet that feels really, really good

    at a number of levels, Kris- Career change for you?

    Thanks for letting us know how it turned out.

    Mitch et. al. did bring up some excellent points about the process which fortunately did not apply to you in any haste but for future reference they should be heeded by most of us.

    This was in a way analogous to talking down a plane from the control tower with a non-pilot at the controls....

    Good for you, Kris.

    Happy Heating,

    Brad
  • John R. Hall
    John R. Hall Member Posts: 2,246
    Options
    Great story

    I plan to bookmark this and write up an edited version for my eCommerce focus issue in The NEWS next month. Good stuff from a a lot of very good professionals posting on a very, very good discussion board!
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,535
    Options
    Karl

    You made me curious, Murph', so I used the Wall search engine to check if we've ever helped any homeowners named Karl. Turns out we have!
    Retired and loving it.
  • paul reardon
    paul reardon Member Posts: 7
    Options
    Mark

    Can I ask what computer program u used to do the labeling on the photo? Thannx
  • Kris_3
    Kris_3 Member Posts: 24
    Options
    confused?

    Not sure if you are refering Karl to me, not getting the joke. I sincerely hope you are not excusing me of stating kids cold need help as a way to get responses. Just to clarify...we live in Ma, and started to use the heat, realized it wasn't working upstairs...then this past week it was unseasonably warm, so we weren't using the heat again so that was why we just did it. I came across this board while looking for answers to the problem, barely living paycheck to paycheck was why we were trying to do this ourselves especially with Christmas on the way. For those of you who offered assistance, we thank you so much. For the other comments...I just don't get it.
  • Kris_3
    Kris_3 Member Posts: 24
    Options
    Many Thanks...

    Again, many thanks to those who helped. To those who are professions, I'm sure you felt like you were dealing with a school kid, but this every day Mom appreciates all your patience and kindness!! What really prepared me to do this was the labeled pictures though, without it I may not have attempted this. By the way....it is now framed next to our boiler!
  • Kris_3
    Kris_3 Member Posts: 24
    Options
    Exactly

    Perfectly Put!
  • Murph'_5
    Murph'_5 Member Posts: 349
    Options
    No Dan

    No reference

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Murph'_5
    Murph'_5 Member Posts: 349
    Options


    > Not sure if you are refering Karl to me, not

    > getting the joke. I sincerely hope you are not

    > excusing me of stating kids cold need help as a

    > way to get responses. Just to clarify...we live

    > in Ma, and started to use the heat, realized it

    > wasn't working upstairs...then this past week it

    > was unseasonably warm, so we weren't using the

    > heat again so that was why we just did it. I

    > came across this board while looking for answers

    > to the problem, barely living paycheck to

    > paycheck was why we were trying to do this

    > ourselves especially with Christmas on the way.

    > For those of you who offered assistance, we thank

    > you so much. For the other comments...I just

    > don't get it.





    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Murph'_5
    Murph'_5 Member Posts: 349
    Options
    No Joke

    "I sincerely hope you are not excusing me of stating kids cold need help as a way to get responses. I came across this board while looking for answers to the problem, barely living paycheck to paycheck was why we were trying to do this ourselves especially with Christmas on the way."

    Kris,
    Please EXCUSE my antagonistic approach (something I grew up around) but you fail to take the advice from the "Pros" who tell you to get your system checked by somebody in the field. Of course not taking anything away from the responders knowledge, but they are not there (you may miss some things). They are only gone by some (mis?)labled pics.


    yes perhaps maybe a "pump" was changed a few years ago but appearently nothing else was done for awhile, hence your airlocked system. Though I have been AWOL here at Heating Help .com, I still recieve many news alert to systems wiping out families from non-maintenance issues!!


    Please dont take this as a crack toward you personally: More to come.........stay tuned.



    Murph'





  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Options
    GraphicConverter

    Paul, I used a program called GraphicConverter to mark up Kris' photo. It's available for Macs only, but it's been described as a Swiss Army knife for images, and it's great when you don't need something heavy - not to mention, it's inexpensive. I've been a user for about ten years.
  • Chris_82
    Chris_82 Member Posts: 321
    Options
    Thanks, Paul and Mark...

    Does any one know of a similar program for P.C.s? Boy that sounds a lot like that commercial thats been running on tv lately dosen't it? Thanks again, C
This discussion has been closed.

Categories