Draining Heating System to Remove Radiator

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Bjferri

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Draining Heating System to Remove Radiator?

:confused:I have a 2 zoned hot water baseboard radiator system in my 2 story home.

I had a new Weil Mclain boiler installed last year and asked that they add lots of shut offs so I can easily remove a radiator w/o draining the entire system. Shutoffs were also added to easily remove the expansion tank w/o draining the system..

My Problem - I want to remove a kitchen radiator. I know how to do the plumbing but I don't understand where to begin or what shut offs to use. This is not familiar territory for me - I don't even know which direction the water enters/exits the heating system.

Let me know if I should post pictures and if so, of what...

Thank you!
 
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Jadnashua

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Both the circulator pump and any check valve(s) in the system will show water flow, usually with an arrow. Also, the boiler itself will usually have the input and output labled. If there's a shutoff at the radiator, it's on the inlet.
 

Bjferri

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Here are pictures showing where shut offs are...

Can you tell me if I'm correct if I drain this way?

1st Pic - I'm assuming I'm draining from the blue shut off, the lower one I think drains the boiler itself and I don't need to do that...

2nd Pic - I'm closing off the right shutoff to the upstairs because I only need to drain the first floor...

3rd Pic - This looks like the main shutoff I need to shut off before starting. I think the brass fitting the main enters is for backflow...I don't understand what it's doing but the copper pipe extending down from it is opened, like a pressure relief valve on a hot water heater...I don't get it.

4th and 5th pic I threw in because there are more shut offs my head is spinning.

Does it look like I'm shutting the right shut offs?

Thank you - I don't know what I'd do w/o this forum...
 

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JohnjH2o1

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I see valves on the return side but I don't see any on the feed side. Also the way the circulators are set up they are working against each other.

John
 

Bjferri

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Can someone answer my shut off questions? Do I have the right sequence? I know you plumbers out there don't want me to mess up...

:)
 

JohnjH2o1

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You are right in the valves you a turning off to drain the system but if there are no valves on the feeds you will drain the entire system.

John
 

Bjferri

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I guess I don't understand the feed side. I thought buy shutting off the valve for the 2nd zone would block that water from draining? Sorry this is hard for me to understand.

Thanks
 
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