Someone elses problem

gerry gill

around here we are taught to put 3/8'' holes in orifice plates in all the union elbow joints on all gravity to pump conversions to auto balance the systems once a pump goes on.

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Wayco Wayne_2

Just finished

a Munchkin install. Turned out nicely. Homeowner has a complaint though. One radiator upstairs is not heating. This is an old gravity system with cast iron radiators. When an addition was made they added a panel radiator to the gravity system using 1/2 inch copper. The HO is holding 15% of my payment until I can figure out why this isn't heating. It looks like a Myson panel rad with a supply and return coming in the bottom on either side. Could it be that this radiator is flow specific? I wish the contractor who installed this rad would have put it in it's own loop or put in another cast iron radiator to match the system. I feel like I'm suffering because of someone elses bad decisions. (or my own lack of knowledge.....nah!) WW

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Gary Fereday

Your Description leads me to think

AIR ! BOTTOM SUPPLY. 1/2 " tubing. Tough but did it ever heat?

Joe@buderus_2

Rads

With our Panel radiators I suggested a simple test to help narrow the issue. Open the air vent and let alot of water out. If the radiator heats up it leads to a flow issue (opening air vent gives water least path of resistance). If single pipe system, check for monoflow/venturie tee on the return connection. Check suppy is connected to supply on radiator, if there is a flow setter valve make sure it is full open position,check that circulator can handle pressure drop through the radiator. Hope this helps.

Mike Reavis_2

Wayne, I had a house that had a few types of radiation

and what I found, when I got a powerful enough flashlight, and sat down and brooded on the job, was that the old two pipe gravity piping had an 1.25 inch pipe to the last radiator on the branch. This worked great in "the day", but in our day of pumped systems, it was essentially the same as having an 1.25 inch boiler bypass! The answer was to add resistance.
Mike

Mike Reavis_2

Wayne, I had a house that had a few types of radiation

and what I found, when I got a powerful enough flashlight, and sat down and brooded on the job, was that the old two pipe gravity piping had an 1.25 inch pipe to the last radiator on the branch. This worked great in "the day", but in our day of pumped systems, it was essentially the same as having an 1.25 inch boiler bypass! The answer was to add resistance.
Mike

Ted_9

Why is this customer holding your final payment? Does that imply it worked before you replaced the boiler? Maybe it never worked.

I always specify, in my contracts, that we are not responsible for existing piping and radiation.

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Weezbo

That stings....

ok old age and treachery may be at work however lets get off jump street with everything was all good.

I'd book over to the myson pannel bleed all kinds of water out of it till it got hot. dial the trv way open( less about three clicks) and tell the homeowner to turn it down when he feels its warm enough tell him you have it turned down kinda low . (Man I hope its a nice 6' er *~/:) dont tell him how to turn it down when he calls say :ok i will be right over to pick up the check"...and hang up, then take the phone off the hook and beat it on over there:)

Darin_3

I ran into the same problem on a monoflow system and I'll never forget it. I ended up putting a ball valve between the supply and return piping on the main to provide a restriction and force some water up to the convector. Don't know if thats the textbook way to solve the problem but it makes some sense.

Anthony Menafro

Isolation Valves

I'd put Isolation valves or balancing cocks on the supply and return piping and bleed away while opening one valve and then the other. I don't like to have to resort to doing so, but difficult times require difficult measures. you deserve to be paid, so make it happen.

Anthony Menafro

Steamhead (in transit)

Wayne, the pipe size is the problem

You'll never get enough flow thru those 1/2-inch pipes. Compare them to the runouts on the rest of the system. My guess is you'll find they're all at least 1-inch. If you were water, where would you go?

You'll have to remove the 1/2-inch pipes and put in something larger, or give that rad its own little circ like a Taco 003 or 006 or similar.

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don_52

Piping penalty...

Wayne,

Attached a page from a panel rad cut sheet that shows
up to a 20% penalty using the method you described,
perhaps even more.

I'm sure other manufacturer's have similar documentation
to support this as well.

That's just plain wrong, the homeowner making ( or trying )
to make you responsible for something not in your control.

Some people kid's!

HTH, Regards, db

EBEBRATT-Ed

point is it probably never worked before. Tell them to pay what they owe and you could offer to fix the problem radiator at cost--they will probably get shifty eyed when you ask them if it ever worked before.

ED