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Guide to Heating Radiators, Baseboards & Convectors: Inspection, Repair, Maintenance InspectAPedia®  -

Here we discuss the diagnosis and repair of no-heat or leaks or other problems with heating radiators, including hot water radiators, heating baseboards, steam radiators, and other water-containing heating radiation devices such as heating convectors. Our photo above (at page top) shows a typical "one pipe system" steam heating radiator. A single pipe delivers steam to the radiator and condensate from the cooling steam returns to the heating boiler via that same pipe. Also see RADIANT HEAT.

Our photo of a heating baseboard (left) shows a typical modern hot water heating system installation. If your baseboard is not getting hot, feel along the piping entering and leaving each section of baseboard in each room to find which sections are hot and which are cold - this is a first diagnostic step in determining what's wrong. More details are provided below.

This website answers most questions about all types of heating systems and gives important inspection, safety, and repair advice. The heating system articles provided at this website explain how to inspect and detect defects and hazards on heating systems, boilers, furnaces, and other equipment. Methods for saving on heating cost and on improving heating safety are included. If you don't know what kind of heat your building uses, see our introduction at BOILERS, HEATING. If your heating system is not working properly, see NO HEAT - BOILER / FURNACE DIAGNOSIS.

Our photo (at left) shows a heating convector unit in a 1920's home in New York. A heating convector unit operates much like a radiator (page top photo) but instead of thick cast iron used to radiate heat, the convector is made of copper tubing covered with metal fins. As the convector gets hot, cool air is drawn up from floor level, is heated by the fins on the convector, and warm air is supplied out of the convector's front grille.

Below we provide articles that help in diagnosing and repairing no-heat problems with each of these types of heat delivery systems.

Criticism and content suggestions are invited from heating service technicians, home inspectors, and home owners. © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

What to Check First if your Radiator, Baseboard, or Convector is Not Getting Hot

Here are links to some key articles that will help you correct a problem with heating baseboards or radiators that are not working:

• If some of your steam heat radiators are not getting hot, see Steam Vents and also STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS. You'll also want to learn if your steam heating system is a "one pipe" or a "two pipe" design, but in either case, if the steam supply or condensate return piping have been moved or settled so as to have lost the proper slope, correcting those conditions may be needed.
• If you need to bleed or remove air from a hot water radiator, baseboard, or heating convector unit, see Air Bleeder Valves
• If none of your heating radiators, baseboards, etc. are getting hot, start your diagnosis of the problem at NO HEAT - BOILER / FURNACE DIAGNOSIS

Where to Check for Leaks on Radiators, Baseboards, Convectors

Obviously, first look at the floor around each heating component to see if you see water stains or water damage. (Water damage can occur at steam radiators too, as condensate could be leaking at the condensate return pipe fittings.)

Here are some other common leak locations on heat radiating devices:

Sometimes a leak at a steam radiator is not critical - you may at least make it through the heating season, or the leaking may occur only when the radiator is cold (photo, above-right of a leaky steam radiator).

If you see rust stains and leak indications between radiator sections such as in our photo (above-left) we recommend that you ask for repair advice from your heating service company.

Leaks also occur at radiator valves, and at the piping fittings where valves and pipes join the radiator bottom or top.

On heating systems using hot water baseboards, leaks can occur anywhere in the piping system, including at air bleeders located at the ends of baseboard sections, at couplings or elbows in the piping system, or where freezing has cracked or burst a heating baseboard pipe.

Unfamiliar Heating Radiators?

How to Inspect Heating Systems

• Heating System Inspection & Repair Procedures for Oil-Fired Heating Boilers and Furnaces Detailed step by step approaches for inspecting complex systems] - this is our detailed heating system inspection course

Additional Hot Water & Steam Heating System Inspection & Diagnosis Detailed Articles

Here is a partial list of technical articles on heating diagnosis and repair that may help with no-heat and radiator or baseboard problems:

• See links at page left for complete index to online articles on heating system inspection, diagnosis, repair
• Blueray Heating Boilers/Furnaces Safety Recall by the US CPSC, with additional history, photos, and technical details; Blue Flame Blue Ray
• Boiler Controls & Switches: a description of heating boiler controls and switches, what they do, how to set them, what problems to watch for
• Boiler Leaks, Corrosion, Stains: where to look for leaks on heating boilers, which leaks are important, dangerous, costly, & what to do about leaks at a heating boiler
• Boilers, Heating Inspection, Diagnosis, Repair - controls, diagnosis, inspection, repair, service of hot water heating systems
• Boiler Operation Details, 39 steps in how a heating boiler works
• Boiler Operating Problem Diagnosis examples of defects on hot water heating boiler systems and how to recognize them
• DIAGNOSE DARK STAINS on Indoor Surfaces, how to diagnose stains on walls, floors, carpets, and how to determine the stain source
• ELECTRIC HEAT installation, diagnosis, repair guide for baseboard heat, electric furnaces, electric boilers, etc.
• Heating Cost Reduction Advice: How to Save on Home Heating Costs - Book Review & Actual Heating Savings and Energy Savings Tips for homeowners and service technicians
• Heating System Inspection & Repair Procedures for Oil-Fired Heating Boilers and Furnaces Detailed step by step approaches for inspecting complex systems]
• Heating Loss Diagnosis: How to diagnose loss of heat, when the oil burner, boiler, or furnace won't run, or when the system runs but heat is not delivered to the living area
• Hot Water Systems - Tankless Coils - on hydronic or steam boilers for making domestic hot water
• How to Calculate Heat Loss in a Building
• NO HEAT - Boiler & Furnace Diagnosis Guide - where to start in figuring out why the heating system is not working
• Radiant Heat Floor Mistakes to Avoid - don't let these foolish installation errors ruin your radiant heat floor system
• Stain Diagnosis on Indoor Surfaces, how to diagnose stains on walls, floors, carpets, and how to determine the stain source
• Steam Heating Systems - care & maintenance, controls, diagnosis, & repair, safety devices
• Thermal Tracking & Stains & Signs of Heat Loss how to recognize thermal tracking or thermal bridging & how to diagnose Stains on Ceilings & Walls, Building Air Leaks & Insulation Defects, as well as other indoor air quality or building concerns
• Water Feeder Valves automatic water makeup valves for hydronic boilers and steam boilers
• Weil McLain Model GV Gas Boiler/gas valve CPSC recall/repair

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• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.

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More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Links to our list of additional information on heating system inspection, repair, maintenance

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