Water in Radiator- new boiler

alanm

Recently boiler had to be replaced (crack)- they replaced block . they then said they had to skim for oil in the new block. After skimming, was seeing problems (heat not even and the worst- water actually came out of two radiators like a spigot). they then skimmed again- I can still hear water gurgling in a few radiators and one is not even getting hot . any suggestions. Thank

JohnNY

Changed the block? I'm already concerned. Can you post a few pictures of the boiler and radiators in question?

alanm

Here is picture of radiator and boiler. I don't know much about boilers- but this is a one pipe system but it seems one run goes around and comes back to boiler...another run "hits" a few radiators and I guess the condensate just travels back but not directly into the boiler (see photo)- runs back along feeder. Only vent I have on main is the one on that run... thanks. before new boiler and skimming, system was running pretty well

Ironman

There should be no water in your rad's other than a small amount of condensate draining back. Are the radiator valves fully open? They MUST be left that way on a one pipe system.

What's the pressure on the boiler when it's steaming and what is the Pressuretrol set at?

Has anyone flushed the wet return lines? What's the water level in the sight glass when the boiler's cold and hot?

Fred

It most likely needs more skimming. Hopefully they didn't add any "cleaning" chemicals to the boiler. If they did, drain and refill the boiler, then skim it very slowly. Make sure the pressuretrol is set properly, scale on front (Cut-in) set to.5PSI and white wheel inside the Pressuretrol set to "1".
Check, or have them take the Pressuretrol off of that pigtail (looped pipe) that the Pressuretrol is mounted on and clean it. It doesn't look like its been off for a while. I'm not even sure how they replaced the block and those fittings look untouched??
If that green cylinder I see peeking out on top of that pipe, in one of the pictures is your vent (a Hoffman #75) that not enough venting for the system and more venting should be added.

alanm

thanks-- they did not flush the return lines- just skimmed the boiler..first time they used chemicals and there were problems, so they have skimmed it twice since then. I have 2 radiators which are not getting warm at all- not even by the valve. I can hear air escaping thru vent but I also seem to hear a gurgling sound.

alanm

also, they cleaned pigtail after first skimming. yes, that is #75 Hoffman vent-- it is on the "run" that goes all the way around. the other pipe off the system goes to only a few radiators , and it does not "go around"- just goes up to the "radiators" and I guess condensate runs back same line. No vent there- should it be? where? and not having it for those few radiators, what will that do? thanks

Fred

You do need to add more venting where that #75 is. How many radiators are on the main that doesn't have a vent? Are the ones that don't heat on that main? Does that main have a drip at the end of it that drops to the floor, into a wet return? If not, that main sounds like a counter flow. Is it pitched bach towards the boiler? If so, is there a drip leg on it anywhere near the boiler or does it appear the condensate runs right back into and down the riser off of the boiler? If it does, that's not right either. It should have a drip leg on it that drops down into a wet return.

To your question about the main that has no vent on it. It should be vented after the last radiator run out. Not having a vent on that main means that your radiator vents have to do all the work of venting the air out of the main, as well as the run-out and the radiator. That will make those radiators slower to get steam and depending on how long the boiler runs, during a heating cycle, they may not have enough time to get any steam.