Staple up radiant heat - How to bleed air

ewang

I will be installing staple up radiant heating with aluminum plates. My house is a quad level, so the highest point of the water loops will be the staple up radiant pex.

My question is, do I need to install a bleeder or air-vent in the concealed ceiling?
My worry is that eventually, it will need to be replaced and there isn't a good place to hide it.

Will I be able to fill the system and adequately purge the air, assuming I have the appropriate air removal devices in the rest of my loop?

Thanks!

hot_rod

Will you have a remote manifold? Often times the manifold up in a closet becomes the high point for the upper level loops.

Or are all loops going back to the mechanical room?

Install an auto vent on the manifolds, to help remove air, the rest you should be able to power purge when you fill.

A good micro-bubble separator at the boiler will do 99% of the air removal once flowing.
Here is an example of the manifolds up in the building somewhere.

ewang

All loops will be going to the basement for ease of control and location of manifolds.

Zman

As long as you give yourself the ability to individually power purge the loops, you should be good to go. Pay attention to be sure you are "pumping away"

hot_rod

Connect all your loops to a manifold that has isolation valves on each loop. Purge one or two loops at a time, valve off, move to the next. That assures a good flow to move the air. A fast fill valve or purge pump will speed up the process.

Avoid ups and downs.

ewang

Thanks all! I shouldn't have any air traps, just the ups and downs when it travels up the wall to the joist area.

Zman - what do you mean by pumping away? Do you mean during fill, or that my radiant circ's should be drawing vs pushing those loops?

ewang

Zman - I see what you are saying. Nicely explained in this video, to pump away from the boiler...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMLwFeYNYKs

hot_rod

Here are some graphics to help understand pumping away from the expansion tank.

jumper

Tricky to fill and pressurize but an inverted U above ceiling going back down to basement.......