Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Boiler with radiant floors, need help with valves

Options
bennyblanco99
bennyblanco99 Member Posts: 8
in Radiant Heating
Hi everyone - I have a boiler setup in the house and what looks to be a fairly complex set of piping, circulators, valves, etc. Certain valves are opened/closed depending on the time of year and now that winter is approaching I need to get the heat rolling. My normal technician is MIA right now so I need help to figure this out.

Is there a virtual service that I can pay a professional to go over the system with me on camera and ensure it is configured correctly?

Thank you.

Comments

  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 1,907
    Options
    I bet if you posted a few photos of the system and labeled the items in question, that you'd have a number of the helpful folks here willing to assist you for free. I can't think of a single reason to be opening or closing valves between seasons though, if the system is properly piped.
  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
    Options

    @GroundUp
    Could be for an electric water heater in the summer and a tankless coil in the winter....

    We like pictures! Stand back and get the whole thing in focus, and point out the valves in question. 
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!
  • bennyblanco99
    bennyblanco99 Member Posts: 8
    Options
    Thanks all. I actually have a tech coming, but it won't be until the end of November at which point it's going to be really cold and I can't let my garage freeze. To be honest, I don't recall if any of the valves for the radiant were flipped come summer, but for a few days when it got cold here, the garage was much colder than it would normally be which has me thinking the heating is not making it's way to them. I do flip the valve to start/stop the heat going through the exchanger when season changes. I posted some pics here:



    https://imgur.com/a/lDORFwD
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,569
    Options
    There really isn't any reason a properly piped system should need valves turned seasonally. I wonder if there are ghost flows in the summer the way it is piped.
    Your photos are missing some detail to the left and upper right where the zones take off.
    What model boiler is that?

    From what can be seen, it looks like valve #9 should be closed.
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,569
    Options
    I just looked at the panorama from your previous post.
    It looks like #9 should be closed and everything else open.
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/180051/boiler-heat-bypass-how-to-tell#latest
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 1,907
    Options
    I would agree that #9 should be closed. What I'm not seeing though, is a boiler circ. Is there another pump hidden behind the boiler somewhere? To the left of the #9 valve are two tees close together in the main, there needs to be some flow through the boiler from those tees during any call for heat but I am not seeing how that's possible.
  • bennyblanco99
    bennyblanco99 Member Posts: 8
    Options
    Hi all - thanks for the time. I flipped the #9 closed. When the boiler started up I let it go for 10 mins or so.. I could feel flow through the tubes going into the floor, but they weren't hot which seems strange?
  • bennyblanco99
    bennyblanco99 Member Posts: 8
    Options
    Couple more pics

    https://imgur.com/a/qRGqYNW
  • bennyblanco99
    bennyblanco99 Member Posts: 8
    Options
    Correction to above - Didn't realize it wasn't the radiant flooring calling for the heat. I increased the temp on the basement flooring and sure enough I could feel warm flow to the foundation floor. Seems like it is working. Thank you all.

Categories