Winterizing hot water radiators

Couderay

Yes drain the system and blow compressed air thru system until no more water comes out.(one section at a time if possible) Not always 100% effective but works enough for me. Make sure no new water can get into system,after draining,and keep the drains open.

Di

We need to winterize the hot water heating system of a house built about 1948. It has radiators with painted metal covers - not the old style cast iron radiators. Any suggestions on doing this would be appreciated.


Should we drain the system as best we can, then add antifreeze to fill it? Some other method? Any special antifreeze?

The house needs major work, windows are missing in some rooms. Too much to do since freezing weather is here. The previous owner just vacated and left no oil in the tank. The smell of fuel oil is throughout the house. There was no maintenance to the heating system.

We can manage the kitchen and bath plumbing OK, just more concerned with the heating system.

Matt_67

What are your intenions

It depends on what you are going to do. If your intention is to fix the house then putting anti freeze in the system, the percentage of antifreze to water would be determined by the manufacture and the temps in your area. this would allow you to keep the house heated at min temps and have heat to when work is being done. using antifreeze decreases eff. and could get expensive to run.

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Di

We do not plan to heat the house at all. I hope it can be repaired but that will be determined or at least influenced by a strutural engineers evaluation (Jan. or Feb.). It will be expensive to heat the house all winter as it is - so much work replacing missing window sashs for a house that could be torn down. We know we will not be able to TOTALLY drain all the rads, so we wanted to protect them from freezing. We have meters to test for the water/antifreeze ratio, that part we can determine. I just wanted to be sure we weren't missing something. Something to make the job easier or something/place we should pay special attention to.