Guide to the maintenance of heating systems
The maintenance of a heating system with water circulation is the prerogative of specialized personnel. For a small plant, such as that of a detached house or a small apartment, you can still implement the measures by which to avoid some annoying problem or do some small repairs.
Make sure you have on hand: The keys from the hydraulic system, New elements, Containers, and rags.
The most common problem, which is occurring at the moment when we turn on the heating for the first time after the summer break, or after evacuating the system for a repair, is the formation of air bubbles.
If the problem arises when you first turn the autumn, the radiator will be hot just at the top or in some elements and cold in the remaining part. This is because the air bubbles create a kind of cap that prevents the hot water to circulate.
If the radiator has the appropriate vent valve will open enough so that both the air, both the water can flow on a regular basis. Place a container below it, and, after freeing the pipes from the air, the water will begin to flow from the tube in an irregular manner and spray. Provide also to protect the wall with a cloth to prevent staining.
If the radiator does not have a relief valve, you can try to clear the air, raising nearly the operating temperature of the system. Otherwise loosens the screw positioned in the upper part of the radiator, at the opposite end of the feeding tube.
Do you need a special key to get it, and you probably want to turn to experts. If a heater is leaking water from a compression fitting, you just need to tighten being careful not to force it. To repair a pipe or to replace it you must first drain the system. If the loss is present due to a hole in an element or between the junction of two of them need to replace force.
Close the shut-off valve that controls the water supply. It is located on top of the heater. If the lower end is another valve, remove the cap and close it with a key. Be careful to accurately count the turns of the key that you do to close it.
After closing the valves, the radiator will be isolated, and you can take it apart without the need to drain the entire system. Unscrew the nuts of various joints and of the radiator from the brackets that hold him.
Put some rags on the floor to avoid wetting the floor when you take away from the radiator. Make the appropriate substitutions, wrap the Teflon on the threads of the joints before tightening the nuts and re-open the valve doing many laps as you have done to close it. Reopen the shut-off valve and make re-circulated water.
