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No water to third floor

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Akurei_Ryu
Akurei_Ryu Member Posts: 2
in Radiant Heating

We recently purchased a home that has a hot water boiler system and I am trying to figure out how to get water to the third floor radiators. But if add any more water to the system the pressure will be to high and bleeding the radiators does not lower the pressure allowing more water to be added. One other thing is I think the flow pump isn't working add when I checked the pressures while the boiler was heating i couldn't hear the pump running at all and the motor was just hot. But didn't feel like it was spinning

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 15,610

    wat is the pressure? how far above the boiler is the radiator? does water come out of the bleeder on the 3rd floor?

  • retiredguy
    retiredguy Member Posts: 1,081
    edited November 15

    Measure from the top of the highest radiator on the 3rd floor to the pressure gauge on the boiler. The measurement does not have to be exact but close. Next, divide that measurement by 2.3 to get the pressure setting for the boiler pressure gauge. Example; 23 feet /2.3= 10psi or 46 feet/2.3= 20 feet. So, whatever the distance you measure divided by 2.3 = the minimum pressure required to push the water up to the top of the highest radiator. Then add 1-2 lbs for safety to get the pressure where it needs to be. The next thing I would do is have the whole system serviced by a reputable service company. Check on this site for someone near you to fix all your problems.

    HomerJSmith
  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 3,117

    post some pictures, the boiler and circulator(s) floor to ceiling, a close up on the pressure temp gage, and a close shot of the hot circ,

    known to beat dead horses
  • Akurei_Ryu
    Akurei_Ryu Member Posts: 2

    Thank you for your replies. I will get some pictures soon. The pressure gauge is at about 20 pounds right near the red mark on the gauge. No water comes out of the bleeder valves on the second or third floor. Most of the home has the old cast iron radiators but the main floor bathroom and the third floor have baseboard radiators.

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 26,839

    You are saying you open a bleeder on a radiator on the second or third floor and no water comes out? The pressure gauge may be lying to you. Get a gauge from the big box which you can fit on a drain connection in the basement and try that.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    bburdIronman
  • DanielDAY
    DanielDAY Member Posts: 42

    What kind of expansion tank do you have? If there’s a shrader valve on it, press it in and see if water comes out of it. If water comes out it is water logged, if just air it’s good. If it’s good, check the pressure in your pressure tank. I would spitball and say you need 20psi for your three story home.

    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 15,610
    edited November 18

    though they could also have expansion tank problems, that wouldn't cause the pressure to be too low to get p to the 3rd floor. it has to be a prv issue or gauge issue if they're filling it manually. bourdon tube gages are really easily physically damaged and made to be very inaccurate

    Ironman
  • DanielDAY
    DanielDAY Member Posts: 42
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1872832#Comment_1872832

    I’ve had expansion tanks be the issue for buildings not getting pressure to top floors.

  • HomerJSmith
    HomerJSmith Member Posts: 2,710
    edited November 18

    We are talking about static pressure, here, not dynamic pressure. 20 PSI is more than adequate to raise water 30', as stated. The pressure EX tank has nothing to do with raising water, only acceptance of heated water in a closed sys. Verify pressure with an independent gauge that you can screw on the boiler drain valve hose connection, as stated.

    A Fil-trol EX tank can have a stuck valve or plugged inlet screen or be water logged all which can prevent sys fill, just saying.

    If you have verified 20+PSI and functioning air vents on the 3rd floor and no water release, look for closed shut off valves somewhere on the system. That would be my tact.

    Ironman

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