new zone not wking

Kaapso

Hi,
I had a one zone hydronic heating system. Recently I add a room and the contractor messed up and connect the heater for the new room with an existing heater and a new heater in the Attic in one loop. I am not getting heat in the new room, the attic. The Attic heater get hot but after an hour or more. And the other just becomes warm after about an hour+.

Trying to correct the problem I installed zone valves without any contractors. One zone valve separate the existing zone and the other for the new room, and attic. The Attic and the new room conneted on one loop. I used the existing pump. The zone valves are working but I am still not getting heat in the new room nor in the Attic.

Does anyone know what is my problem?
I am thinking to change the pump to a high velocity. or a pump that can pump high into the attic which is like a third floor.

Am I on the right track or can you suggest another way?

Thank you in advance.

Weezbo

You need to consider purging the line

Kaapso

Ah, forgot to mentioned that each heater has bleeder valve and I bled them all. Is that what you meant by purging?

Weezbo

not really....

you would need some means of introducing a solid stream of water thru the supply and return on each zone. say a wayne pump and three washing machine hoses a 5 gallon bucket filled with water and two gated purge valves or no kinks.

Kaapso

I have a valve, gate valve, on the return line of each zone. If I turned on the system pump and open a zone valve for some time say five minutes would that purge it.

Each zone valve has a manual open lever. If I turn on the water from the main and manually open the zone valve lever then open the purge valve at the return line I get a full flow. Can this work as a purge?

Otherwise I am going to have to cut the pipes befor each zone valve and put a feeder line and pump water through until I get a solid stream.

Weezbo

an air lock is somewhat elusive...

lets see if we can isolate one zone at a time. gate the return to the boiler attach a hose to the purge valve on the return header,run the water out of the valve on the return header while keeping the fast fill open and under 30 lbs per square inch when the bubbles quit comming out of the hose under water in the bucket...gate off the hose bib. then do the same with each sucessive zone.

or, if you only have a valve on the supply side ahead of the pump gate it pump 30 psi into the boiler ,open every zone....any gurgeling sounds are air.make sure the boiler is off.what you have done is Back feed the zones...go bleed all the risers.... when water and no air bubbles are comming out...go back to the boiler. check the pressure. close all the zones and gate them..then lift the relife valve lever and drop the boiler water pressure down to like 20 psi.turn the boiler back on and open the lowest zone only...go turn the t stat up to like 90. for the lowest zone...bring the boiler up to temp...when the pump turns on the pressure will be maybe 26 or so....let it roll.when the return water pipe is burning hot,turn off the boiler,gate that zone supply and return turn the t stat down and then do the same thing for the next zone...keep doing that and listen each time you shut the pump off for "Water "sounds... when you get to the last zone leave it on then turn all the other t stats wide open....go back to the boiler room and open all the supply side gates...if that doesnt make heat come out of the pipes it could be you have a long long loop that cannot be purged by that method.if so you got alot of new experience ahead of you.

Kaapso

I will give it a try. Do you think I should change the pump to a higher velocity one?

In addition to your procedure, I will bleed each bleeder valve more. When I bled them I did so until no more air was comming out. I will do it again until hot water comming out.

I am very thankful for your help. I thought there might be no resolution left. And did not want to bring in another contractor/plumber to screw me more. With your input I will do more testing until I get it righ. Eventually I might have to break some walls and shortening the loop. I was hoping a high velocity pump can take care of that for now. Maybe next summer I can break the walls and make the loop shorter.

Thank you again for all your help.