Filling at 10

michaeldonahue

How can I fill a hot water system at 10 degrees? House has been vacant for a few years. Have leak tested with air & fixed. Thanks

Steamhead

Set up enough portable heaters to get the house above freezing. Then fill one story at a time.

Jamie Hall

Good luck. It can be done, but you're going to be walking a tightrope -- and the possibilities of real and serious damage are ample.

If at all possible, my first choice would be to bring the house up to about 40 throughout using construction heaters. We used to call them salamanders; I'm not sure what the current term is. Propane or kerosene fired. Since they are fuel fired, there is some danger involved! Carbon monoxide, for one, as well as the obvious problem of setting things on fire.

Assuming this is hydronic...

If that is not possible, then in principle you can fill the boiler and the immediate piping, if it's primary secondary, with warm water and fire it up. When it hits its limit, open the valves to the lowest of the zones and start filling that zone; as soon as possible get the pump for that zone running and get hot water circulating (if there is a mixing valve, set it for as high a temperature as possible). Keep the boiler going! The whole thing is going to want to freeze on you, but keep pumping. You're not purging here, just trying to get it warm. Once you are getting a decent return temperature -- say 80 to 100 -- repeat with the next zone, and so on. Do not let the water stop flowing in any zone until the building is up to at least 40. Don't leave the operation unattended until the whole system is giving decent return temperatures and the building is up to 40. It may take a while. It may take quite a while, depending on the size of the boiler and the type of system (radiant floors, for instance, could take days).

Note that you will need a water supply. You may find that you need a construction heater just to keep that from freezing in the intervals when you are not filling the boiler or a zone.

If you can't fill the boiler and run it without also filling a zone at the same time, I can't recommend you try, unless you can bring in a portable boiler and use it for your hot water source. Very hot water...

If it springs a nice new leak while it is warming up, which is quite possible, be prepared to shut it down and drain it completely, fast.

Another possibility would be to prepare enough antifreeze/water solution to fill the system completely, and fill with that and fire it up. The problem with that, of course, is that then you are using antifreeze/water in your system, which has problems of its own to cope with.

Or, of course, just wait until the house warms up above freezing. Spring is coming...

michaeldonahue

Thanks Will give it try. But may not be Abe to get temp up & walk into house safety! Can I use R/V antifreeze then bleed off? Thanks Steamhead

Zman

Use propylene glycol. You can buy it at any supply house. Premix it at 30% concentration with warm water.

hot_rod

How large of a system? I'd error on the safe side with hydronic glycol, probably 12 bucks a gallon for a premix solution.

michaeldonahue

Could I cut the glycol depends on temp? Do one zone get above 32 then feed the next zone with wash hose to next zone ect 1st floor 2end & so on House temp will going up? Thank you all for good info!

hot_rod

Yes you could go down to a 30% mix that would offer burst protection at those temperatures.

michaeldonahue

Thank you hot rod

Zman

I would not recommend trying to fill and dilute the mix one zone at a time.
Murphy and his law's will be with you when you attempt this. What happens if you get a zone air locked with a partial fill of water?
Fill the system with 30%, get it circulating, then fire the boiler.
If you need to add water to top the system and you end up with 25% or so in the system that is not an issue.