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Baseboard Heating Purge Valves

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The Home Wizard app 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

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