Got radiators? Then you?ve got a really old house. And ? ever wonder what all that hissing and banging is about?
My first house had radiators and pipes that hissed and banged ? unnerving sounds for the uninitiated. I figured the clanging was the way these cast-iron antiques communicated with each other about which of them wasn?t going to work that winter. There was always one that didn?t.
I came to warmly associate the first days of winter with the unique sounds and smells of hissing, steaming, banging pipes and radiators. It is a symphony you come to miss when it?s gone.
Found in older homes, the steam and hot-water radiator system has not survived into new construction. It can be an intimidating-looking arrangement of pipes and gauges but is a pussycat to manage when you know what to do.
What causes all the racket is a system that needs flushing and/or radiators that need bleeding. Sounds like an episode of “Dr. G: Medical Examiner.”
Consider flushing the system at least once a month during the heating season to keep things quietly moving. If you have a service contract through your utility company, then it may be covered.
And if you are a hands-on gal or guy, then here?s how you do it:
1. There may be directions for the furnace. Find and read.
2. Open the air vents on the radiators located on the highest level of the house.
3. Turn off the furnace?s power switch.
4. Shut off the furnace?s water supply.
5. Let the furnace cool down.
6. Attach a garden hose to the drain cock (faucet) at the lowest part of the boiler (usually at the rear) and lead the other end of the hose into a drain or bucket.
7. Open the faucet. Let the line drain through the hose. (The water will be heavy and brown with rust and sediment)
8. When the flow slows, turn the water supply back on. Flush the boiler with fresh water. Do a few times.
9. When the water from the boiler runs clear, turn off the drain faucet.
10. Refill the boiler by opening the water supply until the furnace reaches its proper water level. The glass water-level indicator should be slightly more than half-full.
11. Turn boiler on.
12. When you hear water filling the pipes, return to the top floor radiators and close the air vents.
13. Open and close vents on all other radiators in the house to release any trapped air.
And by the way, you can crack a furnace by running cold water into a hot chamber, so follow directions and take your time.
How to bleed a radiator
Air trapped in the radiator prevents it from heating properly.
Bleeding the radiator generally fixes the problem.
Here?s how it?s done for a steam and hot-water system:
Steam system
1. Turn radiator off. Give it time to cool down if it is not already cold.
2. Unscrew radiator air vent (looks like a mini-silo with numbers on its head). Shake out any trapped water and replace it.
3. Place a small pan and rags on floor where radiator is connected to the steam pipe.
4. Use pipe wrench to loosen connector. Disconnect radiator from the steam pipe.
5. Tilt the radiator (you?ll need help; the radiator is heavy cast iron) and drain any trapped water into the pan.
6. Reconnect.
7. Slide a shim under the radiator so it tilts toward the connection pipe. This allows proper drainage for the steam return.
Hot-water system
1. Turn the furnace off.
2. Look for the bleed valve at the top end of one side of the radiator.
3. Using a “bleed key” (see photo), turn the valve counterclockwise slowly about a half a turn.
4. You?ll hear the hissing sound of air escaping as your turn the valve.
5. When water begins to come out, close the valve.
Allegra Bennett has covered cops, courts and politics as a journalist for national newspapers for 21 years. She is also the author of three books, publisher of Renovating Woman ? “The Do-It-Herself magazine” ? and is a home repair expert on “Home Made Easy” on the DIY cable network. Got questions? E-mail your question to [email protected]
