gravity hot water

laurence salvatore_2

Why not put the new radiators between the boiler and the rest of the radiators. Make them part of the return as it were. You don't need 180 degree water to heat the basement. You won't need circulators, valves ect.

jeff klaverweiden

gravity hot water

I have a gravity hot water heating system.Basement boiler 2 inch mains that snake around the ceiling up to the radiators.Can I put a cast iron radiator in the basement. I can pipe it off the main but without a circulator pump pushing the water will it work? Isnt Hot water to lasy to go down without being told by a pump?Help!!!

Unknown

Jeff

Yes you can go off the 2" gravity flow main, but you should come off the top of it(main), and enter the top side of your rad, and your return line piping(lowest on the rad), will have to be above the lowest return entrance to the boiler,,so you may have to locate-it (rad), higher on the wall.(no up & downs allowed)
Heated water is lighter, cooler water is heavier, hence gravity circulation.
If there are doorways, this may create a prob.

Dave

kevin coppinger_4

no ...

you will need a circulator...BUT...I would not go messing w/ the system if you plan on keeping the rest of the house gravity. Chances are pretty high you will have issues. Upgrade the whole house and system. You will save a bundle. kpc

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Unknown

Have to disagree with you Kevin,

it IS possible, but balancing is another issue.
How did the Dead Men do-it without circs?

Dave

kevin coppinger_4

i am just saying...

that he is asking for a headache...kpc

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jeff klaverweiden

gravity hot water

The good thing is I might not be smart enough to know but I am smart enough to ask. Thank you for your knowledge I need it on this

Unknown

Could be Kev,

but if he has gravity now, and installs valves like he should anyway, pumping the system will also take balancing too.
I am not looking for biz, I was just answering his question.

Dave

kevin coppinger_4

fair enough.



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Mike T., Swampeast MO

How the Dead Men Did It

This is the only situation where I've seen standing iron rads piped in series. The basement rads utilized the return from upper floor rads (preferably served by a riser at least to the 2nd floor) for their motive power with separate low return(s) run to the boiler. In other words, impossible to go back up to the return mains near the basement ceiling.

Note it was stated that the basement rad served by downfeed riser "E" would have more circulation power than the one served by downfeed riser "D" even though they were taken off from the "express" riser at nearly the same elevation. Why? More cooling from the two rads means more gravity circulation. While not specifically stated, I suspect that the "cooling leg" was piped one size larger than would normally be required.

Illustration attached. Pay especial attention to the connection method (supply top, return bottom opposite) as well as the bypass lines around the upper rads. Also note the "cooling leg" notation. Should the upper rads be shut off of throttled down the bypass will still provide a flow path with the "cooling leg" providing some motive force. The basement rad cannot have a valve unless it too has a bypass.

I have a feeling it would be extremely complicated and expensive to retrofit a basement rad into an existing gravity system.