Residential Loop Heating Hot Water System

StevePD

I have a house in New England with a hot water boiler (Superior Boiler Co. Model SG5) installed in 1997. I searched the web but cannot find any info. Is the company out of business?

The system has 3 loops/zones, basement, first, second floor. I'm considering charging the system with antifreeze to eliminate draining when winterizing each year. Is antifreeze compatible with the system components (e.g. circ. pump seals, expansion tank bladder, zone control valves, etc.)? 

Al Letellier_21

antifreeze

Not sure of the status of Superior. Not a popular brand here in Maine. As to antifreeze, there are products available specifically for heating systems, but this in NOT a do-it-yourself project unless you have the training to do so. It takes a specific amount and mixture to protect your system and too much antifreeze can hurt your system and home as much as not enough. Also, annual maintenance is critical to maintain protection as some solutions can get corrosive if not checked and adjusted annually. NEVER use automotive antifreeze in a heating system !!!!

You may have to increase your expansion tank size or add a backflow preventer to satisfy local codes. Call your heating professional to do the job, and if he doesn't mention these points, get someone else. It is very important to do the job correctly.

icesailor

Anti-Freeze in heating system:

And I will add that if you have no leaks in your system, you may have many after you fill the system with Anti-Freeze.

The only way I consider putting anti-freeze in a system is when an idiot installer thinks that "pitch" is a musical term and "low points" are a bad time in your life. If they series loop the second floor, and don't put in drains, you can't drain the second floor unless you can blow it out with air.

If ANYTHING needs to be done on the heating system, it is a very expensive proposition because you must save all the anti-freeze solution so you can but it back.

It's easier to drain a wet system than adding anti-freeze to it. There are too many things to discuss. Too many to remember all the minuses. Just not that many pluses.

fireside

air

i have a hot water boiler i have to pipe out a line in my basement if i take the line and go up 5 ft and over 3 ft then back down 5 ft that will cause a air pocket how can i fix that without having the owner bleed out the zone all the time i have to do that because there is a door in the way