[plumeria]

Aloha,
I could definitely use some help, as I recently purchased my grandfather's house in Alaska to keep it in the family after his passing. It had a Sears boiler (oil) heating system that was from the 60s. The house was actually built in the late 30's. My grandfather was a whiz at plumbing, and was an electrician. His house is three stories, with an apartment built on one side, and a downstairs apartment in half of the basement. We have radiators throughout the house. Each apartment has it's own thermostat. The only reason that I replaced the boiler was that it was starting to get impossible to find parts, and it was requiring more repairs. I had a Weil Mclain Boiler installed, as well as a separate hot water tank. That was a new addition. Since the installation at the end of January 2008, we have had problems with heating. At first the registers were not working in the upstairs bedrooms of the main house, but it was working in the apartment (both upstairs and down). Then the heat wasn't working in the downstairs part of the house, and the living room and kitchen, but it was upstairs. This has been going on back and forth. The people that put in the system are at a loss. Last week they said I needed a new thermostat in the main house. I guess this wasn't part of a new system. I should add that I paid $8500 for a new boiler, water heater, and installation. They have been out to the house to bleed the radiators, and it will work for awhile. But, because the apartments are rented, I am not sure they have bled every radiator. But then two will work, and not the others in the same room, or visa versa. With the old boiler, upstairs was always so hot, we would have to crack a window or turn them off. I was told by the repair company, that if I turn them off, it messes up the system. The new repairman is in his late 20's, and I am thinking that he doesn't have any experience with these older systems. I am starting to get billed for additional service calls, and I am at a loss as a woman trying to figure out the problem. If anyone can offer advise or assistance on what they think the problem is. He says that he doesn't have the zones mixed up, as it has three zones. There is some valve on top that he said we shouldn't be touching, which no one has, and he adjusted that. I have to think it has something to do with the pressure. I think something isn't hooked up properly. Please Help!Not sure if I can edit my original question. The house is located in Alaska. The house itself is about 2000 square feet. The one apartment is 750 square feet, and the downstairs one is 550 square feet. Besides the above question, what can be installed on it as a money saving features? Both tenants say they can hear water gurgling in the radiators

[hkstroud]

I take that you have a hot water system and radiators not registers and that you have air in the lines and a service man that doesn't know what he is doing. You certainly shouldn't be paying for service until the entire system works properly. If you are having to pay for service,call a competent service company. The system is not going to perform properly until all of the air is bled from the system.

[plumeria]

You are right. See how much I know, and that is why I need help! I know if gramps was here, he could answer and fix the problem. No, I know that he has bled some of the radiators, but not all of them. Are new thermostats something that should go with a new system? Is there any reason if the radiators were working before with the old system that they wouldn't be compatible for any reason? I don't live in the house presently, as I am in Hawaii, so it's frustratiing, as I have a renter explaining to me what they did, and the problems. I was reading some of the info on here. I am not sure if there is a gauge on the boiler. Could it also require a certain type of pump because the house is three levels. The boiler is in the basement.

[hkstroud]

Logic would say that if a new pump were required with the new boiler the contractor would have included it in the installation. If the old pump is still being used , it worked before, it should work now. If the old radiators work before and were adequate they should work now. Right now it sounds like you have two problems.
One is you have air in the lines. Look at the drawing (poor as it is). The water is circulated around the loop, coming out of the boiler and going around the house and back to the boiler. As the water passes the first pipe of the radiator it goes up through the radiator and back down to the pipe. Notice that part of the water goes through the radiator and part goes straight through the pipe. If there is air in the pipe it will rise to the highest point, the radiator. When this happens the flow through the radiator stops. If you have bleeder valves it is a simple matter to let the air out. You simply remove the cap and press the little valve stem letting the air out. You do this until you get a steady stream of water. Bleeder valves look sort of like the valve stem of you automobile tire. You can even get automatic bleeder valves. Water has air in it and sometimes it will accumulate in the radiator and the radiator has to be bled. When air accumulates in one radiator it will stop working but others will continue to heat.

The other problem you have is that you are in Hawaii and the house is in Alaska. Believe me the contractor knows that. You would probably do better if you can find someone there to oversee this problem for you and talk directly to the contractor. Depending on the relationship you have with you renter and the renters capabilities, maybe you could explain bleeding the radiators and have them do that when one stops functioning. That is assuming you have bleeder valves and it sounds like you do. Or better yet have automatic bleeders installed. The ones that I have seen simply screw on to the existing valves. In time the system will settle down. It should have in the first week after installation.