Baseboard Heating
Overview
Routine Care
Q & A
ArticlesQuestion Topic
Baseboard Heating Purge Valves
Home-Wizard™ calculates your ideal home care program to avoid problems with your Baseboard Heating, but sometimes trouble can still occur. Here are answers to questions about baseboard heating purge valves.
QUESTION FROM Bob
Where is the valve to purge air form base board heat? I can not find it. Are there pictures?
ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD
Dear Bob:
Actually, some baseboard heating systems do not have purge valves located near the radiators, but rather, you purge air out of the system using drain valves on the water return pipes, as described in our tutorial video (starting around the 6 minute point of the video): http://www.home-wizard.com/Baseboard_Heating_101.asp If your baseboard heating system does have an air purge valves at the radiators, then they can look something like this: http://www.inspectapedia.com/heat/AirBleedValve113DJFs.jpg
Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
FOLLOW-UP FROM Bob
What is this thing? (see attached picture)
ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD
Dear Bob:
The picture you sent is a bit fuzzy, but it looks like it is an air purge valve for you baseboard heating system. But again, it's hard to see in the picture, and I don't see specifically where you un-screw it, and where the air/water would come out. If you want, you can send me a close-up picture of the top of it.
Home-Wizard.com
FOLLOW-UP FROM Bob
There appears to be a set screw in the front and vent holes around the top and some sort of cap at the top. Possibly spring loaded. Could this be an automatic one? I think that If I loosen the set screw that air/scolding hot water will spray out of the vent holes. Probably burning my self and breaking the screw. After research it appears to be similar to a 417 Coin Vent. http://www.taco-hvac.com/uploads/FileLibrary/100-7.1.pdf i have air in the system and I think this vent is turned off/closed. sending close up of it. sorry so fuzzy.
ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD
Bob:
I agree with you . . . from the close-up picture you sent, it looks like this could be a small automatic air vent. And you are correct, you need to be VERY CAREFUL not to get scalded with hot water when you work around this valve. It is possible that this valve may have become plugged or be defective. However, you may still be able to use the vent to manually purge out the air (although you are probably better off replacing the valve).
So here are a couple of thoughts: 1) First, you should locate where in your home that the water supply shutoff valve is for your baseboard heating system. And not only know where this valve is, but also make sure you have clear access to it, so that if you need to shut off the water in a hurry, that you can get to this shutoff valve very quickly. 2) I would suggest that before you spray your automatic air vent valve with penetrating oil or white lithium grease, and let this sit for a while so that the screw will turn easily. 3) Place rags on the floor around air vent. 4) Place a rag over the air vent and slip your screwdriver underneath it (so that if water starts to spray out, that it will hit the rag and not you!). 5) Carefully back out the screw until you can start to hear air coming out, and then when water starts to flow, tighten the screw back up. Loosen the screw SLOWLY, and try NOT to back the screw all the way out, as the water is under pressure, and you could a lot of water on the floor before you get the screw back in. If the screw does not loosen up, then you will probably have to replace the entire air valve. To do this you will need to shut off you water supply and open a drain valve to reduce the pressure in the system. And then you can un-screw the air valve assembly and replace it.
Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
FOLLOW-UP FROM Bob
Home-Wizard, The info I found on the US Patent office web site was useful. I followed your cautions and found that only a small bit of water squirted out when manually bleeding this type of valve. The screw-valves are in great shape. The small amount of water that came out would also explain why the previous owner had to bleed them so frequently as it does not purge the system thoroughly and aggressively.
Thanks
ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD
Bob:
. . . great ! Glad everything worked out for you.
Regards,
Home-Wizard.com
Other Topics
- Baseboard Heating Not Heating Uniformly >
- Baseboard Heating Noise Problems >
- Baseboard Heating Purging Air >
- Baseboard Heating Frozen Pipes >
- Baseboard Heating Modifying Baseboard Unit >
- Baseboard Heating Replacement Parts >
- Baseboard Heating Winterizing System >
- Baseboard Heating Drain Heating Zones >
- Baseboard Heating Draining System >
- Baseboard Heating Performance Issue >
- Baseboard Heating Pipe Burst >
- Baseboard Heating Radiator Not Working >
- Baseboard Heating Baseboards Not Heating >
- Baseboard Heating Clean Soot >
- Baseboard Heating Noisy Zone Valve >
- Baseboard Heating Water Leaks >
- Baseboard Heating Won't Turn Off >
- Baseboard Heating Aquastat Issue >
- Baseboard Heating Baseboard Heater Size >
- Baseboard Heating Cold Baseboard Pipes >
- Baseboard Heating Energy Efficiency >
- Baseboard Heating Heater Does Not Work >
- Baseboard Heating Heating System Question >
- Baseboard Heating Heating Unit Not Working >
- Baseboard Heating Miscellaneous >
- Baseboard Heating No Heat >
- Baseboard Heating No Hot Water >
- Baseboard Heating Pressure Relief Valve >
- Baseboard Heating Relay Issue >
- Baseboard Heating Remodeling Around Baseboards >
- Baseboard Heating Water Dripping >
- Baseboard Heating Water Level Cutoff >
- Baseboard Heating Adding Humidity >
- Baseboard Heating Bad Circulator >
- Baseboard Heating Bad Zone Valve >
- Baseboard Heating Baseboard Heat Won't Shut Off >
- Baseboard Heating Black Wall Stains >
- Baseboard Heating Cleaning Bathroom Baseboard >
- Baseboard Heating Cleaning Louvers >
- Baseboard Heating Cold Baseboards >
- Baseboard Heating Draining The System-Purging And Refilling >
- Baseboard Heating Excessive Heat >
- Baseboard Heating Gas Valve Noise >
- Baseboard Heating Heat Control >
- Baseboard Heating Heater Won't Turn Off >
- Baseboard Heating Heating System Size >
- Baseboard Heating How To Drain >
- Baseboard Heating How To Purge Water >
- Baseboard Heating Leaking Baseboard Radiator >
- Baseboard Heating Leaking Heater System >
- Baseboard Heating Leaking Pressure Valve >
- Baseboard Heating Missing Pressure Relief Valve >
- Baseboard Heating Modifying Baseboard Unit Cost >
- Baseboard Heating Noise-Not Heating Uniformly >
- Baseboard Heating Noisy Pipes >
- Baseboard Heating Noisy Radiator >
- Baseboard Heating Not Enough Heating >
- Baseboard Heating Odor Issue >
- Baseboard Heating Open Valve Question >
- Baseboard Heating Pipe Size Reduction >
- Baseboard Heating Piping Configuration >
- Baseboard Heating Placing Baseboard Radiators Around Drapes And Furniture >
- Baseboard Heating Poor Insulation >
- Baseboard Heating Radiator Valve >
- Baseboard Heating Reconfigure Heating System >
- Baseboard Heating Reducing Energy Costs >
- Baseboard Heating Replacement Pipes >
- Baseboard Heating Rust Buildup >
- Baseboard Heating Soot Formation >
- Baseboard Heating Thawing Frozen Water Pipe >
- Baseboard Heating Thermostat Question >
- Baseboard Heating Thermostats Won’t Turn Off >
- Baseboard Heating Too Long To Heat >
- Baseboard Heating Turn Off Heater >
- Baseboard Heating Water Flow Question >
- Baseboard Heating Water Flow System >
- Baseboard Heating Wrapping Pipes >
- Baseboard Heating Zone Not Heating >
Compliments of
- Building Specs Home Inspection Service
- Rick Yerger
- 888-773-2711
- info@buildingspecscorp.com
- http://www.buildingspecscorp.com
