Steven - I am an Engineer by education and like to do all my own work around the house. I recently replaced 4 sections of baseboard heaters in my upstairs and needed to drain and purge my boiler. So hard to find information, but when I came across this video, it hit everything I needed to know. I have a lot of respect for the trades profession. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and inspiring people to take on such tasks. My hat is off to you.
this guy is a champ, I would be in a jumpsuit going into that bathroom!!! my ocd is at a all time high watching this!!! about to go vacuum my heater NOW!
Man, they didn't even try to hit the bowl. Great reminders of my days as a NYC plumber. My first boss always said neatness is ninety percent of the job.
Wow excellant. I just bought a house and all my baseboard heat is all banged up, the fins are bent to hell and was wanting to replace them. Looks fairly easy thanks for this video!
Excellent video! I have to replace one of those baseboards in a few days - now I have a better understanding of what to do. It's my first one. Thanks Steve!
great stuff, I love the way the old boilers are plumbed, very interesting. great job on fixing the baseboard. I see your well supplied truck in action.
You sure do a great job of fixing things Steve, i always enjoyed watching your repair videos. I watch them all the time, you have a lot of good videos.
Nice job. Looks like the bathroom could have used a total rehab!!!! Thanks for the info on the rubber boot on the wax seal! It seems like a good idea, but everything has a drawback.
most of the time i get a complaint of water around the toilet its one of them waxes with the funnel to blame i will never use them .more plumbers keep me busy removing them its fucking crazy .and know one has a clue there bad in 3 months they will start to splash out after sitting on the toilet you end up pushing it back a bit over time
2 things. How do you attach that heater backer to brick. Did you buy the copper with flutes already attached. You didn't talk about that at all. Thanks
Very interesting, my two family has a similar hydronic system, except it is gas fired. I suspect I have never gotten the system properly bled out, should have run the line outside and let the water run much longer I guess....The third floor system pipes run back on themselves for a lot of the run, wondering if I should add some sort of bleeds up there other than the one at the first 90 degree bend of the supply side....
hey steve if it takes 1 hr to purge water out of zone is that ok ? i was purging air out and 1/2 hr later still had small bubbles coming out (i used a bucket to see) and i was worried so i stopped purging it cause it took long . so does it matter how long i let water flow out until all air is removed ? or will i have to also bleed air out from cast iron baseboard after purging from boiler? please reply thank you
Not an easy job, but a definate improvement! One question, why did you put the bleeder behind the toilet as opposed to the right hand side of the baseboard?
There is so many shitty instructional videos and info out there on boilers and servicing the systems, but this video isn't one of em. Well done, and thanks!
+steven lavimoniere I am a bit confused on what is the difference between bleeding and draining the system out with a hose. can u explain? and how often do u need to drain ur system out? thanks
Great videos Steve. hey i have a question, i have a teladyne larrs mini therm boiler. The boiler bangs when only one zone valve is open. If 2 are open it does not bang. Someone had the water supply turned off. Shouldnt that be left open? If i open it the pressure keeps going up and the relief valve pops. SO I’ve been running the system with it turned off. A heating guy told me that should always be open and that if it is causing the relief valve to pop then that means you have a bad auto fill valve. He also said that by leaving it closed what happens is that your running out of water and that is why i have to keep bleeding it as air keeps building up in the system. Bleeding it solves it for a few days. And then there is air again. My question is should the water supply line coming from outside be left on or off? And if its supposed to be left open the does that mean i have a bad auto fill valve?
One zone that was airlocked forever finally started working which I assume pushed the air everywhere. So I had two plumbers try purging my system and they didn't do more than a bucket full worth, it got worse so I tried it.Main question is, do I need to wait after purging my two zones for it to cool off to less than 100degrees F? It is taking FOREVER! I believe air is also trapped in the boiler and no idea how to get it out while not draining the entire boiler and having to repurge everything ? Thanks, love your videos, first one I e tried
Yeah I looked around my house I didn't see any elbow with a mini purge valve like the one you used. Is that something more common now then 30 years ago? What substance did you put on the mini valve prior to install? Was that to seal it? What were you using to clean the copper pipe surface prior to sweating it?
well i had a bit of trouble with the flange and the closet bolts but i got her done .. usually it goes very easy but in the real world not every thing is a bed of roses shit happens
Steve, once again amazing video. My head was hurting trying to figure out how on earth am I going to remodel my basement. Little obstacles were on my way such as... removing radiator out of the way.. and I wasn't sure how to do it.... I was confused how on earth can I cut the pipe, but now I got the idea.... I watch your other HVAC videos and noticed you are using acetalyne torch and silver bright 8 with some flux. Good stuff... it's funny how tools in one trade overlap with another trade like plumbing. In fact i also had a grinder all along... but simply never imagined using a grinder to cut through the pipe as crazy as it sounds. I guess now I will put my grinder to use to finally do something myself and cut the radiator pipe. I am sitll learning a bit about supply and return.... to see how turn off the radiator pipes, but essentially your videos are very helpful. It always amazes me how, you just do stuff... and sometimes basically either use the torch so close to the house... or make the surface wet... and you just continue discussing non chaulauntly like it's not a big deal... about the next steps... While me on the other hand would be freaking out trying to figure out how i can use the torch without setting the house on fire... or what i can do not to spill too much water... or thinking about all the little details that pretty much just prevent me from doing action Steve. That's my problem, I watch lots of videos but it takes me forever to take action... It's just anything I touch i feel like I don't have enough tools and just get stuck.. until i get the tools and by the time i get the tools entire year passed by... That is pretty much what happend with my journey of attempting to learn HVAC field... as i described here in StudyGuide.net/HVAC other then that... it's very amazing to see such wonderful videos. It's funny how sometimes you make fun of the old ladies, who are yapping behind the scenes or taking your dog with you for a work day. Very interesting stuff. It's also funny how mindset of people is like... when they are actually complaining about toilet not being clean around and saying oh my gosh... when in reality... they have no idea how hard it is to get the job done and everything else being involved. It's also funny how sometimes people ask u why... u record with the camera and what is the purpose behind that.. and you tell them... that you like to record your work... and they all get confused... and then realize your passion... Very good stuff... maybe one day you can help me figure out how to fix my central air because I just feel like I failed learning about it...and spending entire last year... getting the tools and stil not able to fix my central air... I am coming from non so handy background... but it's just amazes to the level of detail you go in your videos! Thank you for sharing this cool video about the radiators.
Good video.I have a couple of questions when you get a minute.Have you ever tried a SaniSeal ring instead of a wax ring,when replacing a toilet and if you have what have been the results.Also when you do videos, when there are parts involved,such as the baseboard heat in this video,could you just mention the approximate retail cost of the part/fitting etc.I do not want to know what your cost or what the job cost was,just the ballpark retail cost.I think that may be helpful to us RUclipsrs.Thank you
i only use the old style wax with no plastic funnel.....,nothing else..some of these rubber wax seals are a joke .. the old style wax is the only thing that is worth carrying in my truck
That wafer valve on the zone reminds me of those cheap plastic water heater drains that take a screwdriver to operate the plastic screw a quarter turn.
Hello Steve thanks for the video awesome video and videos you've helped me tremendously over the last couple years I have a question on a hydronic baseboard heater maybe it's with the thermostat connection I want to say it's a capillary tube disconnected from a t stat are you familiar with that on a t-stat
Steve, I have a leak in the pipes of my hydronic system. I have 4 zones and the upper most piping is leaking somewhere down the wall into the living room. Help - how do i start to figure this out?
@steven, LOVE your videos!!! I'm installing new baseboards in my dining room this weekend. (Never had base boards in this room) Do I need to use a an elbow with a valve on it or can I just bleed it out from the valve on the burner? (I know, may be a dumb question....Sorry)
steven lavimoniere Thanks again! did the project this weekend. Worked out great! Still some water in my system...(I can hear it)...but I'll purge it again. One more quick question if you don't mind. I used PEX tubing (w/ oxygen barrier) and I have a couple of sags in the line in the crawl space. Should I go back in there and try to mount them all to the joists? Will that help with pushing water more efficiently (and allow more air out of the line?) Sorry if this is a dumb question...Thanks again! your videos are awesome!
That thing was nasty. Whether replacing it, or just straightening out the fins, I'd be inclined to make a custom cover out of plywood or cement board, one that could handle the abuse. It could even be tiled over, along with the rest of the bathroom.
steven lavimoniere shoot man, a bunch of little stuff! But basically I have a much better understanding of how those types of heating systems operate overall. But I learned how to drain and bleed the air out of a loop. The whole process of replacing a baseboard heater like that. You gotta know, that us guys down south never see stuff like that. I'm sure guys that work older buildings in Atlanta might be accustomed to seeing them. But I've never set foot in a house that had a boiler. Oil burning furnaces either... I also learned you shouldn't install one right by a toilet unless you want it pissed on. I've set a few toilets here and there, but I learned to only use the wax only rings. And I learned, drier than a frogs ass... but again the big thing was the draining and bleeding of the water lines.
ok good glad you picked up a few pointers . we all learn from each other .i always say . i learn from watching other guys videos also . its just how it works . we all do stuff differently
Steven - I am an Engineer by education and like to do all my own work around the house. I recently replaced 4 sections of baseboard heaters in my upstairs and needed to drain and purge my boiler. So hard to find information, but when I came across this video, it hit everything I needed to know. I have a lot of respect for the trades profession. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and inspiring people to take on such tasks. My hat is off to you.
Michael Riddell thanks for watching
Michael Riddell thanks for watching
this guy is a champ, I would be in a jumpsuit going into that bathroom!!! my ocd is at a all time high watching this!!! about to go vacuum my heater NOW!
Man, they didn't even try to hit the bowl. Great reminders of my days as a NYC plumber. My first boss always said neatness is ninety percent of the job.
It's satisfying to see something used and abused be replaced in a clean and professional manner. Thanks for sharing.
Wow excellant. I just bought a house and all my baseboard heat is all banged up, the fins are bent to hell and was wanting to replace them. Looks fairly easy thanks for this video!
Tronix102 good luck with it
Excellent video! I have to replace one of those baseboards in a few days - now I have a better understanding of what to do. It's my first one.
Thanks Steve!
+James Carter good luck with it .
great stuff, I love the way the old boilers are plumbed, very interesting. great job on fixing the baseboard. I see your well supplied truck in action.
thanks for commenting protonhead
You sure do a great job of fixing things Steve, i always enjoyed watching your repair videos. I watch them all the time, you have a lot of good videos.
Very nice brother. Thanks for sharing your skills and knowledge.
What is the torch that you are able to turn down to a lower flame 🔥 when working in tight areas, not to burn things?
Nice job. Looks like the bathroom could have used a total rehab!!!! Thanks for the info on the rubber boot on the wax seal! It seems like a good idea, but everything has a drawback.
most of the time i get a complaint of water around the toilet its one of them waxes with the funnel to blame i will never use them .more plumbers keep me busy removing them its fucking crazy .and know one has a clue there bad in 3 months they will start to splash out after sitting on the toilet you end up pushing it back a bit over time
Finally after almost 20 year using this heater I finally know how it works!
1:25 - why is the baseboard only rusty next to the toilet ?
Urine.
I think radiant heated floors is a much better way to distribute heat nowadays.
2 things. How do you attach that heater backer to brick. Did you buy the copper with flutes already attached. You didn't talk about that at all. Thanks
Why are you wearing gloves😂Good job brother! Love your videos! Thank you so much for posting!
Very interesting, my two family has a similar hydronic system, except it is gas fired. I suspect I have never gotten the system properly bled out, should have run the line outside and let the water run much longer I guess....The third floor system pipes run back on themselves for a lot of the run, wondering if I should add some sort of bleeds up there other than the one at the first 90 degree bend of the supply side....
Used to use asbestos paper to protect surfaces when soldering. I suspect that is no longer available?
hey steve if it takes 1 hr to purge water out of zone is that ok ? i was purging air out and 1/2 hr later still had small bubbles coming out (i used a bucket to see) and i was worried so i stopped purging it cause it took long . so does it matter how long i let water flow out until all air is removed ? or will i have to also bleed air out from cast iron baseboard after purging from boiler? please reply thank you
Outstanding video! And you seem to know what you're doing. I'd hire you. We don't have any good contractors here.
Great video! Thanks for showing steps by steps. Great job!
At minute 24:45 what is the small soldered T with a small cap? I had a few on my system and one of the caps has a small leak/ corrosion. Thanks!
Great stuff. I am still a little confused about the steps to follow to purge the system but still great stuff. Thanks!
+1800NoFault i have a play lists on my station look up purging air from hydronic heating system and watch some then you will under stand the process
How the heck do the fins get all messed up with the shield covering protecting them? Home owner could have cleaned the outside of the toilet.
Damn Steve I swear your the best this the videos they should be having in plumbing schools.
Not an easy job, but a definate improvement! One question, why did you put the bleeder behind the toilet as opposed to the right hand side of the baseboard?
There is so many shitty instructional videos and info out there on boilers and servicing the systems, but this video isn't one of em. Well done, and thanks!
Here in Southern California I've never seen one of these in any of my customers homes... crazy amount of additional plumbing needed for this system.
But no ducts.
Can baseboard style heating systems be converted to cast iron radiators?
Oh, I didn't know why it was all rusty until you said that. Nasty.
+bg147 lol all in a days work
+steven lavimoniere I am a bit confused on what is the difference between bleeding and draining the system out with a hose. can u explain? and how often do u need to drain ur system out? thanks
Jim Hunt you drain the system to work on it ,,then you purge the system to remove air from zones .
+steven lavimoniere my plumber didn't drain the entire system. he replaced water feed. he didn't connect the water hose.
steven lavimoniere how do u increase and decrease PSI.
You having a run on piss covered heaters, Lav. Lucky you! Thought I had déjà vu there for a minute. Nice video
thats why i were gloves
Its the cornbacks thatll get ya stevie!!!😁
Hey nice job Steve.You know your stuff.
thanks d.c. for the support
Great videos Steve. hey i have a question, i have a teladyne larrs mini therm boiler. The boiler bangs when only one zone valve is open. If 2 are open it does not bang. Someone had the water supply turned off. Shouldnt that be left open? If i open it the pressure keeps going up and the relief valve pops. SO I’ve been running the system with it turned off. A heating guy told me that should always be open and that if it is causing the relief valve to pop then that means you have a bad auto fill valve. He also said that by leaving it closed what happens is that your running out of water and that is why i have to keep bleeding it as air keeps building up in the system. Bleeding it solves it for a few days. And then there is air again. My question is should the water supply line coming from outside be left on or off? And if its supposed to be left open the does that mean i have a bad auto fill valve?
wanted to also add that i have an auto fill valve that screws into the top of the expansion tank. i dont have the kind that has the little flip lever.
Why didnt you replace the baseboard cover? Slant-fin sells "dummy baseboards"
how makes those closet bolts
One zone that was airlocked forever finally started working which I assume pushed the air everywhere.
So I had two plumbers try purging my system and they didn't do more than a bucket full worth, it got worse so I tried it.Main question is, do I need to wait after purging my two zones for it to cool off to less than 100degrees F? It is taking FOREVER!
I believe air is also trapped in the boiler and no idea how to get it out while not draining the entire boiler and having to repurge everything ?
Thanks, love your videos, first one I e tried
good tip about cutting the black flange. splashing water.
Hey Jim. Thanks great vid. Do you recommend adding inhibitor to the system? If so can that go in at the purge station?
+huey216 my name is steve not jim
+steven lavimoniere. sorry Steve there was a lot of "Jim", a bit new to using this. Any answer on the question though.
Hey Steve why don't they insulate any of the hot water pipes?
+James Mclaughlin because the instation will melt off
Great stuff Steve. How did you get that 2nd 90 on? The camera cut off and then it was just on...
Yeah I looked around my house I didn't see any elbow with a mini purge valve like the one you used. Is that something more common now then 30 years ago? What substance did you put on the mini valve prior to install? Was that to seal it? What were you using to clean the copper pipe surface prior to sweating it?
+1800NoFault there is some way to get the air out .maybe purge stations up in the ceiling . or bleeders on each radiator
Fitting a toilet in the us looks a pain in the ass! I thought it was bad over here in the uk but it takes a fraction of the time
well i had a bit of trouble with the flange and the closet bolts but i got her done .. usually it goes very easy but in the real world not every thing is a bed of roses shit happens
whats kind of base board units is them how much b t u they give off
Steve, once again amazing video. My head was hurting trying to figure out how on earth am I going to remodel my basement. Little obstacles were on my way such as... removing radiator out of the way.. and I wasn't sure how to do it....
I was confused how on earth can I cut the pipe, but now I got the idea.... I watch your other HVAC videos and noticed you are using acetalyne torch and silver bright 8 with some flux. Good stuff... it's funny how tools in one trade overlap with another trade like plumbing.
In fact i also had a grinder all along... but simply never imagined using a grinder to cut through the pipe as crazy as it sounds. I guess now I will put my grinder to use to finally do something myself and cut the radiator pipe. I am sitll learning a bit about supply and return.... to see how turn off the radiator pipes, but essentially your videos are very helpful.
It always amazes me how, you just do stuff... and sometimes basically either use the torch so close to the house... or make the surface wet... and you just continue discussing non chaulauntly like it's not a big deal... about the next steps...
While me on the other hand would be freaking out trying to figure out how i can use the torch without setting the house on fire... or what i can do not to spill too much water... or thinking about all the little details that pretty much just prevent me from doing action Steve. That's my problem, I watch lots of videos but it takes me forever to take action...
It's just anything I touch i feel like I don't have enough tools and just get stuck.. until i get the tools and by the time i get the tools entire year passed by... That is pretty much what happend with my journey of attempting to learn HVAC field... as i described here in StudyGuide.net/HVAC other then that... it's very amazing to see such wonderful videos.
It's funny how sometimes you make fun of the old ladies, who are yapping behind the scenes or taking your dog with you for a work day. Very interesting stuff.
It's also funny how mindset of people is like... when they are actually complaining about toilet not being clean around and saying oh my gosh... when in reality... they have no idea how hard it is to get the job done and everything else being involved.
It's also funny how sometimes people ask u why... u record with the camera and what is the purpose behind that.. and you tell them... that you like to record your work... and they all get confused... and then realize your passion...
Very good stuff... maybe one day you can help me figure out how to fix my central air because I just feel like I failed learning about it...and spending entire last year... getting the tools and stil not able to fix my central air...
I am coming from non so handy background... but it's just amazes to the level of detail you go in your videos! Thank you for sharing this cool video about the radiators.
Good video.I have a couple of questions when you get a minute.Have you ever tried a SaniSeal ring instead of a wax ring,when replacing a toilet and if you have what have been the results.Also when you do videos, when there are parts involved,such as the baseboard heat in this video,could you just mention the approximate retail cost of the part/fitting etc.I do not want to know what your cost or what the job cost was,just the ballpark retail cost.I think that may be helpful to us RUclipsrs.Thank you
i only use the old style wax with no plastic funnel.....,nothing else..some of these rubber wax seals are a joke .. the old style wax is the only thing that is worth carrying in my truck
"There you go... it's clean." Hahaha! Great educational video- very helpful! Thanks!
Steve......is that propane or Mapp?
This is great. so hard to find a damn good video on this.
Anthony Moriarty thanks for watching
Looks much better now.
+Dan C. thanks
"somebodys been pissing on this sukka" .. hahahaha
lol
jonny rotten I almost died when he said that😂😂😂
Classic... He's serious about it too... Laughing my ass off.
That wafer valve on the zone reminds me of those cheap plastic water heater drains that take a screwdriver to operate the plastic screw a quarter turn.
well there called purge stations i like to make my own with a ball valve and boiler drain and a tap tee a ball valve will not leak by
Hello Steve thanks for the video awesome video and videos you've helped me tremendously over the last couple years I have a question on a hydronic baseboard heater maybe it's with the thermostat connection I want to say it's a capillary tube disconnected from a t stat are you familiar with that on a t-stat
Steve, I have a leak in the pipes of my hydronic system. I have 4 zones and the upper most piping is leaking somewhere down the wall into the living room. Help - how do i start to figure this out?
Call a plumber
what is the blue stuff you put on the bleeder valve on the elbow
1800NoFault thread sealant aka pipe dope. Just a lubricant. Typically used in combination with Teflon tape
@steven, LOVE your videos!!! I'm installing new baseboards in my dining room this weekend. (Never had base boards in this room) Do I need to use a an elbow with a valve on it or can I just bleed it out from the valve on the burner? (I know, may be a dumb question....Sorry)
+Greg Jones you can purge it from the purge station in the basement if you know how to.you have to get the air out or it will not circulate the water
+steven lavimoniere Holy crap. Fast response! Thanks man!
steven lavimoniere Thanks again! did the project this weekend. Worked out great! Still some water in my system...(I can hear it)...but I'll purge it again. One more quick question if you don't mind. I used PEX tubing (w/ oxygen barrier) and I have a couple of sags in the line in the crawl space. Should I go back in there and try to mount them all to the joists? Will that help with pushing water more efficiently (and allow more air out of the line?) Sorry if this is a dumb question...Thanks again! your videos are awesome!
"As dry as a frog's ass and that's water tight." -Steven Lavimoniere
lol
nice-looking baseboard
Very good video. Thank you for all the specifics!!
That thing was nasty. Whether replacing it, or just straightening out the fins, I'd be inclined to make a custom cover out of plywood or cement board, one that could handle the abuse. It could even be tiled over, along with the rest of the bathroom.
Thanks for the video, now I know how to do the job...jaa
Jorge O. good luck with it
Ok Gracias
Great job and video
Another fine job in a place that "ain't no Taj Mahal"! That toilet was gross! Why do you wear gloves??
nice job steve i think they should do away with that wax piece and find some sort of rubber gasket. thats my thoughts
keith richards on the toilet??? wax is the best in my oppion the rubber will not let the toilet hit the floor many times
Wow. Now I learned some stuff watching that!
sad hvacman what did you learn???
steven lavimoniere shoot man, a bunch of little stuff! But basically I have a much better understanding of how those types of heating systems operate overall. But I learned how to drain and bleed the air out of a loop. The whole process of replacing a baseboard heater like that. You gotta know, that us guys down south never see stuff like that. I'm sure guys that work older buildings in Atlanta might be accustomed to seeing them. But I've never set foot in a house that had a boiler. Oil burning furnaces either... I also learned you shouldn't install one right by a toilet unless you want it pissed on. I've set a few toilets here and there, but I learned to only use the wax only rings. And I learned, drier than a frogs ass... but again the big thing was the draining and bleeding of the water lines.
ok good glad you picked up a few pointers . we all learn from each other .i always say . i learn from watching other guys videos also . its just how it works . we all do stuff differently
I really like watching you hvac guys that are plumbers too. You show us alot of stuff we never get a chance to see.
that toilet flange area ain't clean enough. toughen up buttercup and clean with some cleaner and a proper rag. Otherwise good job.
steven lavimoniere Nice detailed work my bro! Lol @ Frog!!!!!! 😆💃
Thank you.
I'm really surprised a fire station bathroom is that dirty. Somebody's not doing their housework.
Looks like a projects tenement
Always satisfying when you take something totally nasty and make it nice in life
Great vid. Thank you. really helped me out.
Good Stuff, Great Tips and Info!
Excellent Steve especially the part about the frogs ass lmao
tight as a frogs ass and thats water tight .lol
lmao
Thx
No Taj Mahal that's for sure
Good job and explain
wall mounted heater with fan would be nice get rid of that piss target
The most RIP HEADPHONES video of all time
Somebody been pissing on this son of a bitch.... That's the funniest thing I've ever heard Steve say.. and his tone speaks volumes.. CLASSIC.
I put a smaller one in so they can't piss on it
9:48 Bleeeedah!!!
Nice job. Love the videos :thumbsup:
***** thanks for watching
They need a new floor. Who puts block floors in a bathroom.....
Good stuff Steve!! Dry as a frogs ass!! LOL
thanks for watching larry
Phone always rings when your doing a dirty job
CaptainUKnowWho always
That powder room or bathroom is disgustingly filthy. Don't they know how to use cleaning implements?
u are great!
+Jim Hunt thanks for watching
frogs ass lol. Great vid Steve.
Must have been a lot of drunken people missing the toilet.
They always put baseboard by the shitter, wtf..
Someone using that bathroom has poor aim.