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Toe kick heater not working
rugman
Member Posts: 12
I plumbed a toe kick heater according to the instructions (I think) - it's not working - hot water doesn't seem to be flowing through it. i shot a video and I will put the link here. i am sure it's something obvious but I can's see it. It's on the supply side and the unit is above the boiler. Thanks for any help!
https://youtu.be/ge9hiIK0LPQ
https://youtu.be/ge9hiIK0LPQ 0
Comments
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Did you replumb the entire house in Pex and still use the monoflow tee system?
Simplest try is to put another diverter tee (monoflow tee) where the toekick heater returns to the supply system you have. After the toe kick where does the supply go to?
Do the rest of the emitters work with the diverter tee system or are they in a loop?0 -
I would have used 2- 3/4x 1/2x 1/2 tees0
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How did you bleed the air from the heater?0
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The heater was already in before I started - I thought about that but I dont see anywhere to bleed it. Also - the loop it's hooked into is above the unit so I thought it would bleed out with the heat loop.adambnyc said:How did you bleed the air from the heater?
My other thought - is there a direction of water flow through the unit? It's hard to see it the way they installed it. I couldn't see any arrows or anything that was marked in or out.0 -
That zone is all pex - it's an addition. Heater was just added. i initially had a second monoflow (pointing in the same direction) on the output side of the system (where the tee is now) - same result. I took it out because the directions showed a tee.JUGHNE said:Did you replumb the entire house in Pex and still use the monoflow tee system?
Simplest try is to put another diverter tee (monoflow tee) where the toekick heater returns to the supply system you have. After the toe kick where does the supply go to?
Do the rest of the emitters work with the diverter tee system or are they in a loop?
The toekick is in the beginning of the zone. After that it goes up to an addition with 3 bedooms on its own zone. The bathroom it's in is in the MBR of the zone.
This is the only toe kick on the zone. Heat works fine on that zone0 -
So here is a Red Green idea: Pex is supposed to have a memory to return to it's original shape with a little heat applied..right??
So between your tees to the toe kick heater take a wood clamp with wide jaws and start to squeeze it shut. See if the water flows thru it and produces heat. That is in essence what 2 diverter tees would do. You said the main loop is above the heater? So that usually calls for 2 diverter tees to induce the water to flow down.
You could try this and if the short pex piece is smashed beyond redemption then replace it, pretty cheap experiment.
Or put a 1/2" piece between the tees and with 1/2 going to the heater some water would go into the heater. FWIW.0 -
You need to bleed the tk seperately via a 1/2" baseboard 90 with a coin vent on it, installed at the tk connection. A few brands have a bleeder factory installed.
The monoflo t. Is it a scoop type or venturi?0 -
I did originally have 2 monoflows instead of 1 and a tee. Same issue. Both arrows pointing in the same direction.0
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Scoop mono types go on first, direction of flow, scoop in obvious direction to grab some flow. Regular T down stream. The tk is higher than main, no need for second monoflo.
If it's a venturi mono, it goes downstream, cone in direction of flow, regular T comes first.0 -
I'd put a full port ball valve between the tees. Hopefully the rest of the system is set up to easily purge.0
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That'd throttle down flow to the rest of the emitters, wouldn't it Paul?0
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Not 3/4 full port, just for purging the toe-kick? Sorry....I wasn't implying leaving it throttled.0
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Gotcha. I'm always doing these tks. Lot of kitchen and bathroom reno. 2 last week in Tarrytown, NY.0
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So no one is in favor of the pinch tube experiment, it was to be only temporary. I believe he said the TK is below the main loop. The ball valve would look better than the clamp.0
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Thats my set up as far as I can figure.Bob Bona said:Scoop mono types go on first, direction of flow, scoop in obvious direction to grab some flow. Regular T down stream. The tk is higher than main, no need for second monoflo.
If it's a venturi mono, it goes downstream, cone in direction of flow, regular T comes first.0 -
Maybe I throw a 3/4 ball vale in between to push air through the TK by closing it? The zone purges air pretty easily for the most part.0
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Or a pinch clamp.....temporally.....to see if that fixes it.
(Look, there was no duct tape involved
) 0 -
You still have two parallel 1/2" lines feeding the down stream 3/4". Losing only the BTU that the TK will use, assuming the fan is running.0
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I see the logic, but wonder why the manufacturers don't size the tees that way.0
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Better maybe to hook this up to the return side maybe? Then the zone gets full flow till it hits the TK?0
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What's the difference if you do a 3/4 x 1/2 tee and a monoflow tee? Have you looked at the restriction on a mono flow tee? Its a lot smaller than 1/2"Paul48 said:I see the logic, but wonder why the manufacturers don't size the tees that way.
I do it this way all the time and never have an issue.0 -
Put the 3/4 full port ball valve between the tees. Close it and push the air out. Then open it and leave it open. If the tk will not get hot after that, you have to add another diverter tee to the return.0
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Elevation is maybe 18" at the most - prob less. Instructions show the set up just as I have it - no clue about the second tee being put in opposite. My second tee is just a 3/4 to 1/2 inch tee.ratio said:
Aren't the monoflow tees supposed to point in opposite directions in a two-tee setup? What's the elevation change from the line to the heater?rugman said:I did originally have 2 monoflows instead of 1 and a tee. Same issue. Both arrows pointing in the same direction.
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With two monoflows, they have to be installed in something like a push-pull configuration. If they're both trying to force flow through the bull, i.e. arrows in the same direction, no pressure differential will present.
That's not your problem though, since you replaced one with a normal tee. Pinching the PEX as suggested above is probably the quickest purge/proof of flow. I'd guess that you wouldn't even need to pinch it completely shut, but at some point you'll start forcing water in & air out. Might even be able to hear it. If the system is hot you will certainly feel it.
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I definitely would NOT try pinching that tube. The fact it has crimp rings on it tells me it is probably pex b, which does not have a memory. If you squeeze it, it will stay crushed.
Easiest way to tell if it is is if you have a leftover piece of tube. Bend it in half a few times and see if you can pull it apart. If you can, it is not pex a.
Rick0 -
You'd want a bleeder on the tk no matter what- piping and valves tend to get buried down the road.0
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OK - put the 3/4 ball valve between the inlet and outlet - closed it off - pushed all the air out. So far so good! Seem to be working fine. Will see as the weather cools down and the heat begins to run. Thanks for all the help!!0
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