How do i bleed off a water logged expantion tank.

Denny

How do I bleed a water logged expantion tank safely. Also how much air pressure should be in the expantion tank.

Mike Kraft

Denny

Is the expansion tank the type that has a diaphragm tank such as an extrol or is a long cylindrical tank that is strapped up in the joist bay of the basement ceiling.This would be a tank that gathers air from the system itself.

cheese

Denny

expantion tank

The expantion tank is the kind with a bladder that hangs from one of the pipes. It is a small red tank about maybe a foot long and 10 inches around.

Mike Kraft

OK.......

May sound like a dumb question but how do you know that it is waterlogged?These tanks have a bladder.This allows a compartment of air.The air should equal the static fill pressure of the sytem.In a typical residential application this would be 12#'s when the sytem is empty or when the tank is disconnected from the system.

If the tank is indeed water logged then this would mean that the air has left the tank.A sign of this would be the pressure relief valve blowing off at temperature rise.To eliminate this you need to isolate as much of the distribution of your heat(supply and return) as you can.Then you will need to shut off the water feed to the boiler.If the tank does not have a valve to isolate it then the above is a must.Be sure to turn the power off.Removing the tank can be a wet proposition.You can see if the schrader(air valve) will allow any draining of the pressure inside.But maynot.So then you are faced with unscrewing the tank slowly and carefully as it will be under pressure and may also be scalding.

Once the tank is off you can empty it of water and see if you can pump it with air.Very doubtful.Usually the bladder is shot and your facing a new tank.You will add 12#'s of aid typically.

Once you reverse all of the above you may have introduced air into your heat!Then you are faced with purging.My advice woud be to bite the bullit and call a heating company.Check the "Find a Contractor" feature on this site.You may want to leave it to the professionals.

good luck ........cheese

Denny

expantion tank

The reason I think the expantion tank is water logged is because when I pressed the air valve on the bottom of the tank there wasn't any pressure release. Also when I knock on the tank it sounds like it is full. I have a ball valve on either side of the boiler on the incoming and outgoing lines. Are these the valves that I should close? Also could this be the reason that I only get intermittent heat to one of my zones. It is the farthest zone from the boiler that always seems to be the problem. I have in the past bled the base board heaters and it seemed to help some but the heat has not been concistent to this zone.

Robert O'Connor

vent rite and watts

Vent rite and Watts tanks were generally red . Most of them did not have much life. The bladder may be gone. I would suggest consulting a pro for possible replacement.

Regards,
Robert O'Connor

kevin

sound like...

your have two diff. "problems" that have little to do with each other. Why did you touch the air valve? That can only cause problems. What is the pressure in the boiler on the gauge? Ha the relief valve been discharging water of the floor? I would attempt any of this unless I has another Extrol tank ready to go. Be very careful because you could get scalded as Cheese said. It would be a bummer if you got in over your head and had no heat.If you are not 100% confident please get a pro to help. The heating problem on a far piece of heat is another story. Do you get air when you bleed the Base bd.? how long of a run is it?What circ./pump is on the system/ zone? kpc