One zone not getting any heat to hot water baseboards

NewbieHomeowner · December 15

I just closed on my house this week, and right before we closed the house was warm and baseboards seemed to be working. Boiler was serviced right before closing. Now one zone of the hot water baseboards is getting no heat, and the pipes to that zone are cold. I do not know anything about boilers, my last house was forced air. There are 2 zones upstairs going to hot water baseboards, and 3 zones downstairs for radiant heat. From reading other threads it seems I may have air in the system. If someone could explain to me like they were talking to a child how to purge the air that would be really appreciated! I cannot find air bleeders on the pipes. Pics attached are the zones, the set of three is the radiant heat and the two are the baseboards, the one on the left is the zone that is not working.

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neilc · December 15

post a wider view of the entire boiler, and these valve stations, and the circ(s), all in one shot, from a couple angles,

the cold zone in that picture,

are you sure the valve is opening? there should be a manual lever under the actuator on the side of the valve or actuator, and a notch to lock it open, (picture?)

to purge, shut off the boiler, and circ(s) if separate (service switch),

shut off the low valve under the hose bib,

and manually open the zone valve,

put a hose on that purge drain and run it to daylight or a bucket, daylight is better so you don't "start and stop" loosing your progress,

find your boiler feed / make up water, (post that picture above), you'll want your pressure up to about 20~25, don't go to 30 or the safety valve will discharge,

while maintaining 25, open the purge drain and let it run till any air stops gurgling,

close the hose, and release the feed valve if on fast fill, reopen the valve under the purge drain, set the boiler pressure back down to 12 by way of the purge hose, and turn it all back on,

HVACNUT · December 15

If you can wait a day, surely there's money in escrow. The seller is responsible for the repair.

pecmsg · December 15

I don’t know about that.
who inspected at closing, a hole inspector? Poor choice

Find a service provider you can trust. (Easier said then done).

LRCCBJ · December 15

Find a service provider you can trust. (Easier said then done).

Rephrased:

Nearly impossible because they cannot be vetted by a H/O.

LRCCBJ · December 15

The odds of air being in the system for a single zone that fails to flow anything are just about nil.

JohnNY · December 15

Wow. I haven't seen those 5-wire zone valves in 20 years. I think they're made by White Rodgers.
You may consider having a next-level boiler tech/company come and show you what's going on there. That blue Tekmar 3-way valve is going to throw some people.

pecmsg · December 15

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1827017#Comment_1827017

I disagree.
Do not shop by price.
ask friends, family, religious and social groups who the recommend.
avoid pay for good review sites like BBB, Angie’s List and all the rest.
take care of the tech on site, cup of coffee, cold water, 10 or $20 tip. $50 after hours or weekends holidays.

There are many service providers out there, you just have to weed out all the money geabing sales techs!

LRCCBJ · December 15

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1827020#Comment_1827020

And I strongly disagree.

Many folks have not shopped by price and have ended up with a complete train wreck because the the crew was basically incompetent. The licensed plumber, as you probably know, was nowhere to be found.

Yes, friends, family, and social groups are more than qualified to determine if they have a properly functioning and efficient heating system. Hell, all of them went to a trade school with advance hydronic training to be thoroughly skilled in the profession!!!!😅😅

You're a bit clueless about this.

pecmsg · December 15

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1827023#Comment_1827023

so what’s your solution for finding a qualified tech / contractor?

im all ears.

LRCCBJ · December 15

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1827024#Comment_1827024

For the typical H/O, who hasn't a clue about hydronic systems and how they must function once installed, I do not have a proper solution. It is a complete crapshoot.

It's very similar to you and I finding a qualified surgeon for an operation. Basically impossible to vet. Sure, you can get advice from others but their condition and their success, or lack thereof, may have absolutely no bearing on YOUR situation.

I would advise them to get photos of previous installations by the contractor. This, by no means, guarantees success at the end of the day but it might give some confidence in the professionalism of the contractor. But, if he uses a 007 on a monoflo system or he puts in a steam system with copper risers and headers, or if he fails to read the manual for the NBP on a steam system, all those pretty photos are basically useless.

One of the most serious issues with large companies is their excellent marketing with the work being performed by mediocre "technicians".

If I had absolutely no knowledge, I would seek a very small shop with the principal being involved with heating for at least 30 years and confirmation that this person would at least attend the installation of the piping.

I realize that this approach is getting more difficult by the day.

p.s: One of the most respected contractors on this site had absolutely no clue about how to properly skim a steam boiler. The employees of that contractor stated that they just run water through the newly assembled boiler and called it a day. I spoke with them personally at one of Dan's seminars!

That's where we are today.

One zone not getting any heat to hot water baseboards

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