Munchkin Gas-Fired Hot Water Boiler - How to Re-pressurize (with pictures)

Malia

I've recently purchased this house and am not familiar with radiator or boiler heating. We bled the radiators earlier today and now I can't figure out how to re-pressurize the system. I know I need to find the fill valve, but there aren't any user friendly diagrams in the manual. Here are pictures of the system if more are needed I will post more.

Gordan

What do you mean by "bled the radiators"?

Bled air? Or drained water? You only bleed air when the system is already pressurized.



What makes you think that the system is not under pressure? That pressure/temperature gauge in the first picture seems to indicate some pressure. Post a close-up.



Also, you see that brass thingy with a blue tag on it, just above the middle of the third picture? And the shiny bell-shaped thing to its right? Those are the backflow preventer and the pressure regulating valve, and they are located on your makeup water feed (which is how water makes it into the system.) There is a little yellow valve handle that's to the left of the backflow preventer in that picture. It is not clear whether that belongs to the ball valve for the makeup feed, and whether it's open or closed - can you post a better picture of that area?

Malia

More pictures.

Bled air? Or drained water? You only bleed air when the system is already pressurized.



---It was pressurized but I think we may have let out a bit too much water on one of them and the system lost pressure.



What makes you think that the system is not under pressure? That pressure/temperature gauge in the first picture seems to indicate some pressure. Post a close-up.



--The min pressure for this system is 10 PSI and it is under that right now, which is why I think the heat isn't working properly or at all rather.

Gordan

Ok.

It sounds like the makeup water feed is turned off, but we won't know until you post those pictures.



May I ask why you bled the rads? Did any air come out? What was the pressure before that step? Pressure shouldn't drop all by itself, unless there's a leak.



If I recall correctly, the Munchkin has a pressure sensor in it which will prevent it from firing if the pressure drops below a certain point, so that may explain the lack of heat.

Malia

Bled because

We bled them because the heat wasn't working so well, and we just moved in and didn't know when the last time they were. And yes air did come out.

Malia

.

Forum won't let me post pictures.

Gordan

Without pictures...

Follow the pipe back from the pressure reducing valve (bell-shaped thing) and the backflow preventer (brass thing with blue metal tag on it.) You will run into a valve with a handle on it. The valve should indicate which way it opens and which way it closes. If it's closed, open it. You should hear water flowing in and the pressure should go up. Keep an eye out for leaks. After the pressure stabilizes, post what it is.

Gordan

By "follow it back" I mean...

...AWAY from the grey expansion tank that's above the boiler.

Malia

okay

So do I leave it open or should I turn it off when the pressure is right?

Gordan

Leave it turned on, at least for now.

So what happened? An update would be nice.

Malia

Something else,

We have a friend who ended up being in the area who is looking at it. There is something else wrong with it, something with the relay that is causing it not to heat. Sorry for the slow response, we've been working on it.



Thanks for the answers and follow up!