Help with baseboard water heat gurgling noise?

[BobMCT]

I've been in this house for over 30 years. Only this year the heating system is chugging and gurgling a lot. I had my heating contractor come out and he supposedly drained, purged and recharged the pipes and a week later... same noises.

I would like to resolve this but I would like to know if there is anything I can look for or correct myself or at least be able to explain to someone what to look for.

So, please, any who may know what to look for or perform... respond away?

Thanks (and stay warm if you're in the NorthEast)

[Ed Pawlowski]

If your heating contractor did not repair or replace anything, he did not do a good job. There is a bad part in the system allowing air to get in.

You probably have a fill valve and pressure regulator, perhaps in series. If it is going bad, water will backflow and you get air in the system. It is not maintaining the fill as it should.

There is also a valve on the expansion tank that should be letting out air and not water.

You need a better technician.

[Stormin Mormon]

I'm in the Northeast, and I am cold.

Please do some research on "air eliminator". Yours may be bad. Spirovent makes one, that's supposed to be the totally best on themarket. The rep frm the company says so. He had a little display, and a bike pump to put air into he display. The Spirovent took the air out, immediately. And, it was fun to watch.

This Groton #1

in the picture is laying on its side. The screw on cap seen in lower left of photo goes up.

If you find such a device on your system, unscrew the little cap, and make sure the valve core is working. Push it, and see if air comes out.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

.

I would like to resolve this but I would like to know if there is anything I can look for or correct myself or at least be able to explain to someone what to look for.

So, please, any who may know what to look for or perform... respond away?

Thanks (and stay warm if you're in the NorthEast)

[Stormin Mormon]

Wonder if the fill valve isn't maintaining the 12 PSI, so expansion is pushing water out, draws air in?

I agree, with a more skilled tech.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

.

If your heating contractor did not repair or replace anything, he did not do a good job. There is a bad part in the system allowing air to get in.

You probably have a fill valve and pressure regulator, perhaps in series. If it is going bad, water will backflow and you get air in the system. It is not maintaining the fill as it should.

There is also a valve on the expansion tank that should be letting out air and not water.

You need a better technician.

[The Daring Dufas]

Try adding a bottle of Pepto-Bismol to the system. It always help me when I start gurgling. ^_^

TDD

[nestork]

Bob:

Gurgling in a hot water heating system is typically caused by air in the radiators.

On every cast iron baseboard radiator, you should find an air vent at the top of the radiator somewhere.

If air doesn't escape from the radiator when you open the air vent, then the problem is that the pressure in your heating system is too low.

On your heating system boiler, you should find a pressure gauge. If you guestimate the difference in elevation from the pressure gauge to the top most radiator in your house, and multiply that difference in elevation by 0.4333 psi per foot, that's the pressure you need to see on the pressure gauge to have water at the top radiator.

You add water to your system until the pressure is the number calculated in the previous paragraph, or 12 psi, whichever is higher. That's cuz you need a minimum of 12 psig to prevent cavitation from occuring on the impeller of your circulating pump.

[Ed Pawlowski]

But most copper/fin types have no vents. . . . and the air should not be back in two weeks.

[George]

Depends on the quality of the install. On a good install they will use a vent tee in place of a 90 el when there is a drop.

They put a key vent in the tapped leg of the tee.