A picture of my trouble.

ralman

That is exactly what is in my vent tapping behind the corner covers. The vent tapping is in real bad shape(photo above) I got the nipple out this morning with some mapp gas, a pipe wrench, and some luck. I have the vent tapping drilled to fit a nipple extractor but have to wait until I can get one. My corners are piped on the bottom in black iron pipe with a brass/bronze elbow union in between. If I can get that vent out, do you think the baseboard will still be okay to use? What are my options for piping in the top? EDIT: what is a wood-wheel manual type?

ralman

Need advice.

I noticed some rust at the bottom of a baseboard underneath the corner cover where 2 baseboards meet. I removed the cover and found the 2 baseboards were connected at the bottom and there was a bleeder valve at the top. Must have been leaking for a long time. Should the baseboards be connected at the top and bottom, just the top, or just the bottom? I don't want to replace the cast iron baseboards with fin tube. I can't salvage this one but I have an extra one in good shape the same size. What method would be best for connecting them together. Copper tube, iron pipe, pex al pex? The baseboards are 6 inches from the corner of the wall.

Unknown

Ross

Normally, just the bottom connections are used for the supply and return flow tappings and air vents installed in the upper tappings of each piece that is isolated from another by means of pipe. These air vents are normally manually operated air removal vents such as coin or key vents and not automatic vents. This ensures that they remain water tight unless they are operated manually. If at that point they refuse to shut off completely, then at least someone will be aware that that is the case and they should be changed. About the only time you would use upper tappings for water flow would be where there is concern over expansion and contraction of the connecting pipes. In this case the "S" connection from one to the other serves as an expansion point. I have attached a link to the Burnham 9A Installation Manual which pretty much shows the way it should go together.

http://www.burnham.com/PDF/baseray_I&O.pdf

Glenn Stanton

Manager of Technical Development

Burnham Hydronics

U.S. Boiler Co., Inc.

ralman

Thanks for your response.

The manual leads me to the conclusion that on a hot water series loop the baseboards should be connected at the top where two baseboards meet at a corner of a room to allow for venting at the return of both assemblies(pg 8). Mine are not piped at the top, so there were vents behind the corner covers that I did not know were there. I would prefer to vent at one end of two assemblies if that is an acceptable method. Also, My calculations for water content do not match the manuals data of .3 gallons per lineal foot. Do you know if .3 gallons is correct or maybe a mistake in the manual?

Unknown

Ross


If you wish to connect the two assemblies together at both top and bottom, that is acceptable as well. All be it unusual but acceptable. here is some verbage regarding this from the manual.

VENTING
When two or more BASE-RAY assemblies are connected in
series on a hot water job it is necessary to vent each assembly, unless the assemblies are connected at the top tapping.


Glenn Stanton

Manager of Technical Development

Burnham Hydronics

U.S. Boiler Co., Inc.

ralman

Thank you.

I appreciate your assistance. I may just leave them the way they are, piped at the bottom since either way is acceptable.

Unknown

Ross,

if it had those old Taco auto-vents (as most did), they were notorious for that. They used to drip down over time and rust-out the nut on the union 90, let alone the metal covers.
I changed all mine to a wood-wheel manual type.
And also, mine are connected top & bottom on inside corners

Dave

bob young

cape chisel

not a good idea to use an easy-out [ extractor ] on cast iron . good chance you will crack the iron. chop it out.

Unknown

Oh sure Ross,

with some elbow grease, and much cursing I would not hesitate to use them again. Mine is Mono-Flo with a valve at 1 end(that`s where the vent is), but as I said my inside corners are piped top & bottom.
The union elbow is brass, but the nut is CI(on many).
I enclose a pic so you can see what a WW vent is(along with a few other fittings).
Hope this helps!

Dave

ralman

Thanks Bob!

I thought just the opposite. I had chiseled the end off flush and worried everytime I hit the chisel that I would damage the baseboard. After reading your post I chiseled the rest of it out and it looks okay. A great tip that probably kept me from splitting the end with the extractor. Thank you so much.

ralman

It is out.

Dave, I got it out with a chisel that Bob suggested. Looks reusable to me. I had not seen or heard of that wood-wheel vent, thanks for the picture.

Tony_23

Vents in corners

I wouldn't vent in the corners. Plug the corner tappings and vent on the outside ends above the inlet/outlet. Much easier to get to and serves the same purpose.