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Terrorized by a bad bleeder (baseboard radiation)

weedhopper
weedhopper Member Posts: 59
in Oil Heating
So with the new boiler installed on Monday I helped the guys run the house and bleed the radiators. Today I found a cold unused bedroom that needed a little more bleeding so I got my trusty screwdriver, the bleeders have screw heads, not a key. Successfully bled the air out and turning the screw would not stop the flow. I was able to turn the screw tight enough to stop the flow. I don't dare open it again and don't need to. I attached a warning note to the wall inside the radiation.

So in an emergency is there a way or trick to stop the water flow? It's a first floor bedroom so the idea of draining the system "a little" is out.

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 13,442
    When your bleeding turning the screw CCW is supposed to open the bleeder to let water and air out. CW should shut it off. I don't see the issue
  • weedhopper
    weedhopper Member Posts: 59
    Clockwise to turn off would not stop the flow. Jamming it shut as hard as I could, did. It's abnormally tight and the cheap screw slots wear open.
  • BDR529
    BDR529 Member Posts: 269
    Had same problem on Monday. Gets to the point where you got to suck it up and just replace them
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 10,572
    Some contractors include new air vents with a boiler change out for this very reason.
  • BDR529
    BDR529 Member Posts: 269
    JUGHNE said:

    Some contractors include new air vents with a boiler change out for this very reason.

    100% correct! Any monoflow boiler replacement you get new vents.

    Remember the little dutch boy? Or ever been the little dutch boy?
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,026
    edited November 2020
    BDR529 said:
    Some contractors include new air vents with a boiler change out for this very reason.
    100% correct! Any monoflow boiler replacement you get new vents. Remember the little dutch boy? Or ever been the little dutch boy?
    At the very least they should be inspected during the initial visit and added to the proposal, or write a disclaimer if necessary. 
    EdTheHeaterMan
  • SuperTech
    SuperTech Member Posts: 1,919
    BDR529 said:
    Some contractors include new air vents with a boiler change out for this very reason.
    100% correct! Any monoflow boiler replacement you get new vents. Remember the little dutch boy? Or ever been the little dutch boy?
    I 100% agree.  I have had issues with houses that have monoflo and cast iron baseboards. Sometimes getting to them is an issue.  Or getting the screws out with years of paint on the covers can be a problem.  But I've found that with a good pumping away setup and a microbubble resorber air elimination usually isn't an issue. 
    EdTheHeaterMan
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 5,634
    Rita Mae Brown sums it up with this quote.

    Good Judgement comes from Experience... Experience comes from Bad Judgement.

    I wonder if @weedhopper will include new air vents on the next job? (or at least an option for them)
    Edward F Young. Retired HVAC ContractorSpecialized in Residential Oil Burner and Hydronics
  • weedhopper
    weedhopper Member Posts: 59
    edited November 2020
    No. I was the homeowner. I actually thought about changing the vents when the system was empty. They were fine when I bled the system in the past.

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