I have just compleated modifications to system.......Had to completely drain system to make changes......can I now turn on fill valve and refill system and fire up boiler, or is there some kind of addative required?? Also would like to insulate hot water pipes in basement is there a low cost way of doing this????? Thanks
Water additive? Mine was just replaced and all I needed to do was add water and turn on the burner.
I want to make sure that I answer your questions in order of priority.
Should I assume that the question with the 5 question marks is a higher priority than the question with only 2?
A lot of home-fixup books talk about additives to prevent corrosion or freezup but these seem not to be common outside commercial/industrial setups, and besides, does your boiler have any built-in way to add something? Mine doesn't. So no.
But don't just turn on the water and walk away, as your house pressure is likely higher than what your boiler needs. As you fill the system have someone at the rads watching the bleed valves and closing them as water starts coming out, lowest rads first. When the last top-floor rad is full, shut off the water. Then as the system heats up, visit all the rads again to see if they need more bleeding as air comes out of the water. If a lot does you may need to add more water. Unless a professional tells you otherwise, I would say to run the system at a pressure just a little higher than needed to keep the highest rad full. Works for me.
Oh, and have someone watching the area of new work very closely until the system is at full pressure. (It's a jinx to put your tools away until you've tested everything.)
Some systems have an automatic valve that's supposed to keep the system at the right pressure. Even if yours does (mine does), and even if it works (mine doesn't) if you leave the inlet valve open you run the risk that if ever a leak develops, water will flow forever until you discover it and turn it off. With the inlet closed, at least a leak is limited - large, but not infinite.
Bleeding your rads and monitoring the pressure is just a routine part of running a hydronic system. More frequently just after filling the system, by January you can probably forget about it.
For insulation, make a list of the lengths and outside diameters of the pipes you want to cover, and look for tubular foam pipe insulation at any big-box store. Usually black, with a slit that closes with peel- and-stick adhesive. Cheap and easy.
Chip C Toronto
Chip C.................Thanks for the detailed answer....much appreciated
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