How to drain water from the boiler

How to drain the heating riser

1. Close the valves on the supply pipe (1) and the return pipe (2).

2. Open the drain cocks (3) and drain the coolant.

In the second figure - also a system with a bottom feed. Only the supply and return risers go in different rooms. Therefore taps 1 and 2 can be removed from each other. And the procedure for draining the coolant is the same.

In the third figure - a system with an upper coolant supply. The supply line is located in the attic or under the ceiling of the upper floor.

The procedure for draining the heating riser:

close valve 1 in the attic;
find valve 2 in the basement and close it too;
remove plug 3 and drain the coolant.

The same systems are made in high-rise buildings.

Produce often becomes a necessary measure associated with an emergency situation in the autonomous heating of the house or the departure of the owners for a long time in the winter. The question of how to do it was considered in another article.

If you have a heating system with natural circulation (Fig. 1), you must immediately take care that the boiler stops working. Only then can you make draining water from the heating system
. The discharge is made through a tap (valve), which must be located at the lowest point of the return line, usually next to the boiler. It is desirable to have a hose for such work. One end of the hose must be put on a tap, and the other end should be stretched to the nearest place with earth, for example, a front garden, a garden, in extreme cases, drain into the sewer. After that, open the tap and wait until the hose stops flowing. It often happens that not everything has flowed out of the system, make sure that after removing the hose, you can remove the remaining water.

In the same way, it is possible to discharge water from forced circulation heating, which includes a pump that is not included in the boiler design. The reset procedure is the same.

Many modern systems are equipped with boilers, which include a circulation pump (Fig. 2). The installation method of the heating system differs from the above, therefore, the supply and return pipes can be located above the plinth or in the floor structure, like the "warm floor" system.

1. First, turn off the boiler.

2. Attach the hose to the tap from which water is drained from the heating system. It is advisable to put it on the return line (the right pipe coming from the boiler) in order to quickly reset. If they are not under the boiler, find where they are. The other end of the hose can be directed to the sewer (an outlet specially made for draining) or simply to a bucket.

3. Open the faucet, wait until the water stops flowing (pressure drops) and turn off the faucet.

4. Now you need to organize air access to the system. To do this, open the highest located Mayevsky crane, usually installed on a heated towel rail (if any). In the absence of it, on any radiator (for a two-story house, on the second floor).

5. Repeat the procedure for draining water with a hose.

6. Now it is already possible to open all the remaining closed Mayevsky taps and again drain the water from the heating system.

7. That's not all, now remove the hose from the return line and put it on the supply tap.

8. And reset again. The lower the hose is located along the entire length relative to the taps, the more water will drain from the heating.

Please note that water cannot be removed from the “warm floor” system in this way; a compressor or other equipment must be used here.

Draining water from the heating system is not a quick procedure and requires some attention.

How to drain water from the water supply system

From time to time, it may be necessary to completely turn off all taps, fittings, plumbing fixtures, or even drain water from the entire plumbing network (for example, if the house is left unheated all winter).

In this case, it is necessary to perform the following operations, which we present in the technological sequence.

Draining. We turn off the water supply to the house. We turn off gas and electricity from water heating systems.In the presence of central heating, it is necessary to open the outlet cock located on the boiler or on the pipes, for which they usually resort to using a hose. Then you need to open all the valves on the radiators. Starting from the top floor of the house or mansion, open all the hot water taps in the shower, bath, etc. Do not forget to drain the toilet bowl as well.

We remind you once again: all water outlet taps on the heater and other equipment must be open. And the last thing: it is necessary to open the outlet taps of the main water supply line so that all the remaining water leaves. If you leave your house or cottage for the winter for a long time, then do not be too lazy to make sure that all the water has left the system. As an additional frost protection, add salt or a tablet of glycerin to the water left in the siphons. This will protect the siphons from possible rupture and exclude the possibility of odors from the pipelines entering the room.

Rice. one.
1 - compression plug; 2 - pin; 3 - threaded plug; 4 - nozzle

In the process of draining water from the system, it often becomes necessary to disconnect some of its sections. In this case, you need to use plugs. The most common plugs are shown in Figure 26.

Filling the system with water. First of all, you need to close the drain valves on the main pipes. Then you need to close all the taps in the house, including the taps of the boiler and water heater. If there is a cold water heater, open the tap on the radiator and let air in. After all these manipulations, slowly open the main valve of the system and gradually fill the system with water.

Even before turning on the boiler, the batteries must be purged with air. At the final stage, turn on the gas and electricity to turn on the heater and boiler.

Measures to prevent freezing of water. There is a possibility of cold penetration from the street due to malfunctions in the heating system

In this case, it is very important to immediately take the necessary measures against the freezing of pipes, since the water frozen in them will immediately break the pipeline. In very cold weather, even those pipelines that were laid without violating the requirements can freeze, which often happens with pipes for supplying heat to a garage or basement

What measures can be taken to prevent this? If the country house is electrified, in a cold area where the pipe runs, turn on the electric heater or simply place a 100-watt lamp near the pipe. For these purposes, you can even use a hair dryer. It is very good if you insulate the pipe before the onset of winter by wrapping it with newspapers and tying it with a rope.

If the pipe is already frozen, wrap it with rags of any material and pour a thin stream of hot water over it so that the fabric around the pipe remains constantly hot.

A properly functioning heating system is an essential component of comfortable living in a house or apartment. Occasionally, there is a need to replace radiators, eliminate leaks in the network, move or move the riser closer to the wall.

Any work in the system requires draining the coolant. And this is understandable. After all, it is impossible to open pipes when the network is full. Therefore, before starting repair and maintenance work, it is necessary to drain the heating riser.

Replacing the coolant causes and frequency

Replacing water in a closed and open heating circuit is carried out:

During the first start of heating.

After installation, the filling and start-up of the system is carried out

After seasonal drying.

When starting after repair work.

Regular topping up of liquid is required during operation, if there was no drain after the heating season.

Why drain water from a home system

The question to which there is no unequivocal answer is whether it is necessary to drain the circuit annually after the end of the heating season? The decision depends on the type, age and material of manufacture of the main elements - pipes and radiators, as well as on the total volume of liquid.

Each type has its own media replacement frequency

Most often, systems with old cast-iron radiators are drained for the summer. The reason is the appearance of a leak after turning off the boilers. Old cast iron fins are screwed together with old gaskets.When there is hot water inside the batteries, the seals expand to provide a stable seal at the seams.

After the water cools, the material from which the gaskets are made naturally shrinks, and at the junction of the ribs, a leak begins. But a long downtime of old radiators without water is fraught with accelerated corrosion, rust inside the radiator and old pipes crumbles in a dry environment, and can disable the entire riser.

In closed new circuits, filling the heating system is not a costly process. But it is not recommended to completely drain the liquid every year - this is not necessary.

The frequency of replacing and topping up fluid in the heating system

How often do you need to change the fluid in the heating system? A few general rules:

In open-type circuits of private houses, it is enough to simply add water if the system is tight, without exposing old communications to stressful checks in the form of long dry downtime. Replacement is necessary only in case of emergency repair or preventive sealing, after flushing.

Leaks - drain and repair

Closed heating systems need preventive flushing and change of coolant after a few years.

The frequency of filling with new fluid depends on the characteristics of the water, the life of the synthetic coolant, and the general condition of the system. With strong airing of the extreme points, it is recommended to identify the cause - find the place of the leak and check the tightness of the heating network. Typically, water changes are carried out every few seasons.

Materials, equipment and procedure for draining water

To perform the necessary work, you will need a compressor, and of good performance, with a receiver for accumulating compressed air.

As you already understood, a car is not suitable for these purposes.

If you plan to drain the spent antifreeze, then you yourself understand that it is not worth it to drain it where it is not necessary.

Clamps of the right size for a secure hose connection will also be needed.

Connect the hose from the compressor to the underfloor heating supply manifold.

The supply manifold may or may not have a special fitting for filling the system under the hose. Therefore, an automatic air vent is unscrewed on the supply comb and a hose is connected through a suitable adapter and tightened with a clamp.

Arrangement of elements on the drain manifold

In the same way, connect the hose to the return manifold and lead it to the drain point.
Close the supply and return valves coming from the boiler in the collector area.
Using flow meters or valves (depending on your collector), close all the underfloor heating circuits, except for one, which, on the contrary, must be opened to the maximum.
Turn on the compressor, open the taps or tap (depending on the type of comb) that are designed to fill and drain the system (those on which hoses are worn). At this point, the coolant will begin to flow out of the drain hose under pressure. Wait until the water runs out and the air comes out. At this point, look at the pressure gauge on the compressor. If the pressure in the receiver at this moment is not large (1-3 atm.), Then close one of the taps on which the hose is attached (it is desirable that it be a tap on the supply manifold, or if the pump is equipped with its own shut-off device, use it better) . Wait for the pressure to rise to 5 atm. (no more) and blow the floor loop under this pressure.
Close the purged circuit and open the next one. Repeat the same procedure with him.
Thus, drain the water from all the contours of the warm floor.
For best efficiency, repeat the procedure after half an hour, as the remaining water droplets in the pipe can connect with each other and eventually block the pipe section in a certain place.

Adhering to this method, you will decide how to drain the water from the warm floor.The only problem is getting a compressor that can do the job.

Self-testing underfloor heating system
The first launch of a warm water floor
Rules for installing a warm water floor based on a concrete screed
How to flush the heating system underfloor heating and how to flush the heating system in a private house with your own hands completely
Installation of a water-heated floor without a concrete screed
Underfloor heating technology

Boilers

Residential premises are heated by a boiler with one or two circuits. In the second case, the owners also provide themselves with hot water.

Many heating devices also have internal cavities where the coolant reaches a predetermined temperature. And after draining the liquid from the unit, its interior becomes free of water, and convenient conditions are formed for working with all nodes and contacts.

The nuances of emptying the boilers in the house were reflected above. But there are some more subtleties:

How to drain water from a double-circuit gas boiler correctly? This refers to the emptying of the heat exchanger. To do this, turn off the boiler, open a tap with hot water until it cools. After that, the flow of cold water is blocked. If necessary, all its contents are removed from the heat exchanger. Then the hot water fitting is unscrewed.

How to drain water from a wall-mounted gas boiler of a modern modification? In such devices there is a drain fitting and an air blower. These elements work automatically. And, in order to free such a boiler from liquid, they simply open the drain valve after the preparatory stages.

Water drain technology, cleaning of heating pipes

Drain valve in the heating system

Before filling the heating system of a double-circuit boiler, it is necessary to drain the old coolant. This procedure is obligatory and, despite its apparent simplicity, must be carried out according to a certain technological scheme. First you need to turn off the heating and wait for the water temperature to drop to room temperature. Only then can the closed heating system be correctly filled with distilled water.

Then the drain cock located at the lowest point of the system opens. After waiting for the water to drain, you need to open the Mayevsky tap, which is located at the top of the circuit. This is necessary to stabilize the pressure in the pipes. After completing these works, you need to flush the system. This is done before the heating system in a private house is filled. To do this, you need to use special tools and equipment. A pump is connected to the heating circuit, which pumps the flushing liquid into the heating system. It also acts destructively on deposits in pipes. After several cycles of passage, contaminants are removed along with the liquid.

The used fluid must not be discharged into the sewer system. It should be collected in sealed containers, which are further disposed of by special companies.

The choice of coolant what to fill in the home system

Before pouring new fluid into a closed-type heating system, it is imperative to select a coolant. Only 3 options:

Water.

Synthetic carrier.

Antifreeze for home systems

Can the system be filled with tap water

Do not try to save money by pouring tap water into the new system. Tap water is "enriched" not only with chlorine, which, when heated, adversely affects the surfaces it comes into contact with. Under the influence of temperature, which can reach 60 - 80 °, plaque begins to form on the inner walls of pipes, connectors, radiators. The deposits resemble scale inside an electric kettle with the same consequences: hard deposits eventually block the internal gaps. As a result, some of the radiators can remain cold even at high media temperatures.

Deposits in the pipe when using tap water

In addition to troubles with water stone, which forms a layer of plaque on the walls of pipes, the use of ordinary tap water can cause problems due to chemical reactions that occur in the media when heated. Aggressive impurities do not have the best effect on the condition of the coating inside radiators, corrode seals, and accelerate corrosion processes.

Conclusion - with a small amount of liquid, it makes no sense to save. It is better to pour distilled water into a closed-type heating system.

Distilled water with surfactants and additives for heating

Advantages:

Low cost.

Reduced viscosity, good fluidity.

No impurities.

No chlorine.

Increased boiling point.

Synthetic coolants: application features

On sale there are ready-made solutions and concentrates based on:

propylene glycol.

Ethylene glycol.

Glycerin.

Concentrate for home use

Despite the imperfect performance of ethylene glycol, it is better not to pour solutions based on it into the home heating network - the substance is dangerous to health.

When buying, you should focus not on the price, but on the degree of concentration of the active substance. Different brands of coolant are diluted in a certain proportion. Before preparing the solution, be sure to read the instructions for diluting the composition.

Synthetic carriers degrade over time, so before you throw away the canister from the concentrate, find information on the expiration date and mark with a marker near the boiler or inlet pipe so that you do not forget to replace the coolant in time.

Prerequisites for draining water

This procedure is carried out in the following cases:

Replacement of heating equipment.
Correction of malfunctions of the boiler and repair of individual mechanisms.
Elimination of leaks on the contacts of valves, fittings and other branch pipes.
Turning off the heating in winter for a long time.
Coolant replacement.

It is also important to know when such emptying should not be performed. There are three situations here:

The boiler is not threatened by cold. You need to leave some water in it to protect the interior from rust.
Water has stagnated in the machine, as it has been turned off for some time. Stale water is renewed. To do this, a full tank is collected several times.
The boiler is still under warranty.

The essence of the

The first step is to block the branch of the heating riser, which goes to the apartment. It is enough just to close the distribution valve located here. For a private house with an autonomous heating system, this process is somewhat different:

first, you need to stop the supply of fuel or electrical energy;
secondly, you should carefully read the user manual for this case.

Only then can the boiler be turned off. Then you should close the valve, through which water is drawn into the system.

To speed up the process a little, you will need to know the places in the system where taps with air-type valves can be located. All of them must be opened. In this case, nothing will interfere with the process of draining water to the hose.

During this operation, small water leaks from the system to the floor are possible. Therefore, at the very beginning, it is better to place a large bowl or basin under the place where the hose is connected to the tap (drain). As soon as all the water leaves the system, it is necessary to disconnect the hose and drain the remaining water from it into a substituted container.

Only after completing all the described procedures, you can proceed to the main thing - to the work for which the water was drained from the heating system of a residential apartment or private housing construction.

If the owner of an apartment or house is not entirely clear how to drain the water from the heating without adverse consequences, then it is better to contact a qualified contractor.For example, to the plumber of a company that services a particular house.

When winter weather sets in, around the end of October, it is imperative to drain all the water from the dacha's water supply system. If the water is not drained, the system will fail, the taps will burst, and the storage water heater will simply break.

In all our plumbing installations, we provide two taps for draining water from pipes inside the room, a drain tap on the water heater and drain valves in the well or well.

To drain the water, we need a little time:

3.
Open taps 1,2,3,4 (see diagram below) - if they were closed for any reason and all taps (faucets) on all floors of the cottage or house, while waiting until all the water from the plumbing in the house is drained.

4.
Open the drain screw in the well to drain water from the main. If you have a drain valve installed, the water will drain automatically when the pressure drops to 0.2 atm.

5.
Unscrew the lower part of the filter (such a transparent flask) after substituting a bowl or other container of at least 5 liters - there is water in it !!! Dispose of the used internal filter. Put in a new one next year. Do not screw the removed flask onto the filter for the winter!

6.
For reliability, it is necessary to drain the water from the sink siphon.

7.
Do not forget to drain the water from the toilet tank and the toilet itself.

Now the water remains only in the water heater, we drain it too:

2.
During installation, we always install a drain cock (6) and a safety valve (5). If the drain cock (6) does not have a flexible connection (optional), install it. With a flexible eyeliner, it is more convenient to drain the water into a container located on the floor. The volume of drained water is equal to the volume of your water heater!

3.
Wait for the water to completely drain from the water heater drain valve. There is now some water left in the safety valve (5). To drain water from the valve, turn the lever on the valve up. Note: On some valve models, the tab is held in place by a small screw. The screw must be unscrewed, drained and replaced.

How to drain water from the heating system

When is it necessary to drain the water from the heating system? Most often, the need for it arises when it is necessary to clean or replace the heating radiator, for example. If we are talking about a city apartment that is connected to a central heating system, then such an operation can be carried out independently on the internal segment of the network. In the case when it is necessary to drain the heating system of a private house equipped with a boiler, it will have to be temporarily emptied.

The essence of the

first, you need to stop the supply of fuel or electrical energy;
secondly, you should carefully read the user manual for this case.

Only then can the boiler be turned off. Then you should close the valve, through which water is drawn into the system.

If the owner of an apartment or house is not entirely clear how to drain the water from the heating without adverse consequences, then it is better to contact a qualified contractor. For example, to the plumber of a company that services a particular house.

Some heating problems that do not require draining water

Most often, heating problems are associated with the fact that water does not circulate in the heating system, for various reasons.

There are many reasons, and the most common are:

Many violations in heating systems are interconnected, for example, water gurgles in heating pipes. This phenomenon can cause discomfort and complaints - the radiators in the house are noisy. Each person differently perceives the sounds that the heating system can make. Someone thinks that the heating is murmuring, the other perceives these sounds as a buzz. Knocking in the radiators during the operation of the system also belongs to unpleasant sounds.

Noises in heating circuits are phenomena of the same order and there are a lot of reasons that cause them:

The reasons listed are the most common. In any case, if there are various unpleasant noises in the heating system that were not there before, you need to carefully examine and analyze the operation of the circuit. After establishing the localization of the malfunction, it must be eliminated.
But if you can’t find and fix the problem yourself, then you need to contact the experts.

TO
Category:
Water supply and heating

How to drain water from radiators

Radiator

With the onset of October, the temperature, both on the street and in the apartments, gradually decreases. Each of us thinks: "the main thing is to hold out until the start of the heating season." However, the situation does not change from year to year. The media announce that the heating was put into the house right on time and without delay, but many of the batteries remain cold. It’s even more disappointing when heat still reaches neighboring apartments, but not yours.

The reason for this unpleasant situation is the formation of air jams along the "riser". These plugs clog batteries on different floors of the building and lead to the fact that hot water, which carries the long-awaited heat, cannot break through them. There are several ways to solve this problem, which I would like to consider below.

Solutions to the problem

The best option is to leave an application to the Municipal Unitary Enterprise or the HOA and wait for the locksmiths. However, the wait can take up to several weeks. Many people want to solve this issue as quickly as possible, so they are independently engaged in heat transfer to the apartment.

Advantages and disadvantages of self-draining water

The main disadvantages are the following:

Damage to battery drain mechanisms

As a rule, any equipment tends to “age”, and those that are associated with water also coke over time. If you open the drain mechanisms of the battery, release the air and drain the water on your own, then you may not be able to close them. And this can lead to flooding of the neighbors, and, of course, the heating will be lost in the entire entrance until the malfunction is eliminated.

Loss of water pressure in batteries

The main advantage of self-cleaning batteries is that heating is brought to the apartment more quickly, because you do not have to wait for locksmiths.

Work order

It is good if all batteries have a Mayevsky tap (valve) and two shut-off valves. Otherwise, you will have to invite locksmiths to avoid unpleasant consequences.

It is recommended to release air and drain water from the battery in the following sequence:
Open battery isolation valves.They are considered open when their handle is located along the pipes through which water enters and drains.
Open the crane (valve) Mayevsky, located in the upper cap of the battery.
Wait for water to flow through the Mayevsky tap. Water will flow as soon as all the air has been expelled through this valve.
Drain water until an even flow is achieved. When there are no more air bubbles left in it, this will indicate the elimination of the air lock.
Close the Mayevsky valve.
Adjust the heating of the battery with shut-off valves, providing the necessary heating to the room.

It should be noted:

It is recommended to drain the water from the battery yourself only if you are confident in the reliability of the equipment and in your own abilities. Otherwise, the water circulating in the heating system will only bring trouble. The safest option is to invite the specialists of the service organization and transfer this "headache" on their shoulders.

How to properly drain water from the system

If a summer water supply was organized on the site and the water rose from a shallow well or well, then in addition to draining the water from the internal wiring system in the house, it is necessary to pull out the pump so that the water in the water supply pipe does not freeze. Such simple systems usually do not provide any specialized methods for convenient draining. If water is supplied to the house from a well with a caisson, then the pump from the well does not need to be raised - just open the drain valve above the head and the water from the water supply system will return to the well. The drain cock is located between the check valve and the accumulator. In the process of draining water, all taps at the points of draw-off must be open. If the house has a storage tank, drain the water from it. Do not forget about the summer water supply located on the street - it will suffer from frosts before anyone else.

To carry out an effective drain, the water pipes must have a certain slope so that all the water is guaranteed to leave the system and not linger somewhere inside. A small amount of water remaining in the pipe and turning into ice can break the pipe and break the tight connection. Even a pipe made of strong steel will not be able to withstand the pressure force of the ice that forms. Water from the water heater is also discharged through a drain valve connected to the tee. The faucet and tee must have a hose nozzle up to the non-return valve on the incoming hot water pipe. Another tee with a cock for supplying air when draining water must be installed on the pipe outlet from the heater.

If for some reason the drain taps were not installed during the installation of the water supply system, and frost is about to hit, then you can remove water from the pipes using a compressor. Getting into the pipes through the tee, compressed air is able to displace all the water out. The compressor can be used even with a drain cock if you want to blow out the system and make sure there is not a drop of water left in it. Air purging is especially important if the internal plumbing in the house is made of hard plastic pipes, which, for the sake of design, are mounted strictly horizontally. In this case, a complete drain from the system is obviously not guaranteed and the use of a purge is mandatory.

If you live in a country house permanently, and the heating system does not use antifreeze, but ordinary water, then before a long departure in winter it will also have to be drained so that the heating pipes and radiators do not fail. Of course, for such cases, options for on-duty heating of a water supply system, heating, or a room as a whole to a temperature of several degrees above 0 C have been developed for such cases. But all these methods do not guarantee complete protection, because the boiler or other heat source is mainly controlled with the help of electronics, and in your absence, electricity can be turned off.In addition, the electric heating equipment constantly turned on in the absence of the owners increases the risk of a fire. Therefore, the best, cheapest and most reliable protection of the heating system from freezing is the use of antifreeze.

But if it so happened that instead of antifreeze, water is used as a coolant, then how to properly drain this water from the heating system? Shut off the boiler or close the distribution valve on the pipe from the riser. Close the valve through which water is supplied to the heating system. To drain the water from the radiator system, use a hose of the required length to divert the water to a point of discharge into the sewer or outside. Open the drain valve on the radiator, and in the heating system, open the faucet with an air valve - this will speed up the draining of water.

Where else can water be left? Do not forget to drain the water from all siphons (water seals). There are water seals in every house, they are located in curved sections of the drain pipe under sinks, under bathrooms, in toilet bowls. Also, water remains in the coarse filter, in the main filter unit, in the washing machine and dishwasher and in the electric water heater. Simply put, before you close the cottage for the winter season, check all the devices to which water was supplied in the summer.

All work on draining water and conservation of the individual water supply system must be carried out at a temperature not lower than + 5 C.

Finally

Periodic draining of water from the underfloor heating system is necessary. The frequency of this operation depends on the intensity of use of the heating system and the quality of the water. In regions with hard water, which also contains a lot of suspended impurities, it is necessary to drain the water from the heating circuit at least once a year.

Replacing the water in the heating pipeline does not require financial costs (except for the possible payment for renting a compressor), therefore it is better to carry out this manipulation regularly, thus extending the time of trouble-free operation of the water circuits.

When using antifreezes, the procedure for draining the coolant is carried out much less frequently - once every 3-5 years, but with increased safety measures - ethylene glycol, used for the manufacture of non-freezing liquids, and its vapors are toxic substances that require the use of personal protective equipment (overalls, gloves, goggles, ventilation) and room ventilation.

Drainage of water from the heating system is mandatory when carrying out repairs in private or multi-apartment housing. It is quite possible to carry out the operation on your own if the fittings are correctly installed and there are no serious damages.