why some hot water baseboard just doesnt get hot

learn about trapped air in baseboard heating system, loop sys. VS. mono flow system. Like these videos? just type in loudepot in any APP store, and for .99 cents you get a lifetime of fantastic tutorials, updates for free every month..forever, thanks Loudepot!!

[@jayray1215]

youtube needs more videos like yours. pure information. every angle possible in 9 mins

[@bryanbaker1799]

Just bought a house built in 57. Removed a wall and upgrading from radiators to baseboard. Have 1” main supply lines with 1/2” monoflo tees that fed the radiator. I was going to re-use the existing lines but the 30 seconds of this video just saved me. I’ll use elbows for the baseboard to use 100% of the water flow.

[@loudepot]

Also to everyone who enjoys these tutorials, PLEASE click on the BLUE support button,and chip in so I can keep them going, I'm going to try to get central air conditioning and electric in the videos but takes a lot of time , and need some help $$. Thank you all. LOU :-))

[@jasonkulick]

Louis, I cant thank you enough for this vid. Years ago, I converted my system from exactly what you drew up here and had this very same problem. The boiler was always running and the basement, was just as warm as the living level. This past weekend, I remove all the monoflow tee's and extra piping, took out all the 1/2 pipe and replaced it all with 3/4. I gave every baseboard an elbow and the change is dramatic. From the bottom of my heart and wallet, Thank You!

[@NorthernChev]

I've been struggling with this issue ever since I bought this house. After watching your video I investigated following your instructions and found that I had BOTH of your first two scenarios. That is exactly what they did. They installed baseboard heat with Ts in the line allowing 90 percent of the water to just bypass it AND they put air bleeds in the wrong ends of most of them... Thank you, I've been struggling with this issue for seven years.

[@rumpanuthabetha]

Same situation in my new house. Please could you let me know if they had to cut open the dry wall and what is cost you to correct the problem? Just the the bed room in the lower level is always cold. I haven't checked if it has the Ts

[@NorthernChev]

In my house they go straight down through the hardwood floor. None of mine have anything to do with the walls other than leaning up against them for mounting.

[@caru3257]

Likely you need a air purger and Extrol tank. Extrol is type of expansion tank.

[@wuamay19]

omfg! we have been going through 300-400$ every month during the winter. we have base boards and none of them are even warm to the touch. thank u so much for this video been researching on my own since my landlord isnt the best handyman

[@Uziavenger]

Thanks for posting. I understand whats wrong with my system now

[@mrbig4532]

What about multiple zones , you need a bleeder on the return at the boiler before the valve but you also need one on each individual heating zone ...

[@richardjohnson1427]

Lou, I really appreciate your videos! They are no-nonsense and get right to bottom line. I was wondering if you might be able to answer a question? My sisters house has a NG boiler with 4 zones and aluminum fin baseboards. The plumbing is 3/4" copper. I am wondering how the system would work if I was to swap the current aluminum fin baseboards for cast iron baseboards? I am not a heating expert by any means, but every house that I have seen with cast Iron baseboards used a mono-flow loop. I have never seen a house that used cast iron radiators with a full-flow plumbing configuration. My sisters house is plenty warm, but the cast iron baseboards have so much more thermo-mass and store the heat after the boiler turns off. Any thoughts that you have would be much appreciated.

[@dianebeland3290]

We purged the system and replaced a few parts and now heat doesn't reach all rooms.

[@valeriehofmann2615]

Wow I could have written this. Did you find the cause?

[@jjjj-uf4bw]

Just a few short sentences. YOU hit the nail on the head for the issues I have for an old mono flow system and then some. No other youtube video that I could find came close. a billion thanks!!

[@jjjj-uf4bw]

+jj jj - One more positive comment - I like how you present the information in the video. Cool, calm, collective and easy going while I seen many other videos where the presenter looks like they got a pipe up their butt and their presentation is very rigid and boring. Excellent job!

[@hprokop5865]

Wow, can't believe you explained exactly what is happening in a property we just purchased. (1) section of heat was ice cold, bleed lines, added bleeder above cold section and it got hot, downside, another section of heat went cold. Added bleeders to (2) other base boards on main floor (there is no basement). Now original cold goes in hot but feels cold in fins and is cold in return. 2nd floor is warmer than 1st, so we considered adding a reducer to 2nd floor, then considered added another pump to cold section to push water thru.... would love to hear your thoughts :)

[@hohdude]

What about three levels townhouse sharing the boiler...what I find is the second floor, living room dining room, gets so cold...there is rarely heat in the baseboard. But the third floor, bedrooms, gets the heat. Also the second floor has the longest baseboard dimension.

[@doriskelly2119]

During renovations, a contractor put a new baseboard heater in my small bathroom on the top floor. When it was time to turn on the heat, there was nothing. I was able to bleed enough air out to clear half of the lowest level of the house and the living area. Nothing upstairs. I called the contractor who just kept promising to send "his" plumber. I called my oil burner man who spent at least an hour trying to find a bleeder on one of the baseboard heaters upstairs. No luck. Then I found your video. I warily went to the burner, closed the valve you described and ran the water into my sump pump. That evening I noticed how warm it was upstairs. Thank you so much.

[@tvm73827]

Sounds like a male version of Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny!!

[@synlt]

You da man. I have been having issues in my old home. All the radiators are nice and hot but there are a few rooms that have base board that only get warm and this video explains why. Thanks!

[@mevans8267]

I will never say “radiator” the same again

[@robh1908]

Wow finally someone that knows what he's talking about.

[@grumpchong]

I have a total of 5 cast iron baseboards on my first floor. The first three of them (in water flow direction) are about 80 to90 degrees colder than the last two according to an infrared thermometer. I definitely have the T connections and always thought it seemed kinda weird for the water to flow both into and past the heaters at the same time. I cant wait til the weather warms up so I can fix those suckers. Thank you

[@larrycurrier290]

grumpchong with cast iron baseboard you wouldn't want to direct Loop them the last cast iron baseboard would not get water hot enough to sufficiently do its Duty. this is why you have monoflow tees so that every piece of cast iron radiation gets hot water at the same time and sufficient hot water

[@ATeamAdam]

If you have a mono flow system or a system pipes in series, either way, the radiators at the end of the loop will output less btus. The biggest problem with monoflow is when you should use one or two mono flow t’s AND t spacing. If the t’s are spacing is too close, the water will not flow through the baseboard. Rules need to be followed.

[@juliasituamailonorris3686]

Hi Louis! I have a question- i have a split level house with baseboards on both levels. The thing is only the upper level baseboards get heat while my downstairs level is FREEZING! It winter in ND right now and my husband and i cant stand to sleep in our bedroom! We are camping out upstairs in our living room at the moment lol! Our landlord has sent his guy out three times and the guy insists everything shows its working- yet we are freezing! Idk what else to do:( help, please!

[@toddt6730]

I have the same thing with a house I just bought, basement and livingroom baseboards get warm all upper rooms get hot real hot,I've tried bleeding replaced circulation pump, hyvent, not sure where to go from here

[@valeriehofmann2615]

Any of you ever figure it out? Ours was fine then the other day. A few will heat to warm the other ice cold

[@KwasiJohnson96]

I will give you this....Great Video and lecture..............If someone can't understand the dynamics and principles of this video....LEAVE IT ALONE AND CALL a PRO! It really helped!

[@Jorge.O85]

Thanks for the explanation boss. ^_^

[@loudepot]

Bleed the air out of the system

[@martin2005mvp]

Thanks a lot i made the mistake , fixed it with some 90 elbows ... Thank you

[@blackpine6693]

My dad ran baseboard with mono flo Ts …….had a valve in each room to adjust water flo …….never had a problem……if you run pipe straight thruogh…first rooms will get hot each room that follows less hot last room will be cold…..where you put the stat ? First room - last room cold……last room - first room hot…….straight runs cheapest way to do it ….mono flo most expensive in time and material …but the right way in my book… With mono flos one could also put a stat and control valves in each room…….or one could run separate zones to each room……even more time and material. …but probably the best way in terms of heat in each room……

[@selmaraj]

I guarantee that the 55+ thumbs down are plumbers who love and did the shortcut plumbing of what you are explaining to fix......lol

[@michelemiller5388]

You want to come to Delaware and fix my baseboard? LOL

[@orlandob9958]

Not all my baseboards are getting hot. My second floor ones are doing great but my first floor does not reach the desired amount of heat. It's always cold on my first floor. I dont have a basement im on a concrete slab , i don't know if that makes a difference.

[@dannyrodriguez5249]

About to be 2019 and still this video helped me out so much 💯

[@JenniferKrisystin]

2021 video still works

[@sammybully5030]

exactly what happened to mine where my handyman just cut the line and replaced it with baseboard to my 2nd floor dormer and it gets no heat. tried to bleed the system for 2 3 hrs to no avail

[@TheElevenBravo]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, Louis! Great piece of tutorial!

[@corrinedirks1601]

Does hot water or very little hot water is it connected to a hot water baseboard heaters. I don’t own the building. Just trying to figure out how they work. I rent no heat

[@WA-hornet007]

It looks like my system is currently using gas only to provide heat and not water , what could be wrong with it ?

[@briansav1]

can you add zone valves to direct water through different t-valves to fix the problem?

[@chrisharm6242]

Thanks for breaking it down “shotgun “ style,..video helped me a lot

[@Eneas1976]

Great explanation! Straight to the point. Thanks!

[@WoodandBricks]

Thanks. I’ve had three different plumbers check out my system and none of them could tell me why I don’t have heat. Also the last guy didn’t purge the system after replacing a broken valve. All my two inch lines are hot from the mono tees up they are cold. This is turning into a nightmare. I took a metal straw and blew air into one of the bleeder valves hoping it would pull a prime when it blew back out. It did end up pulling hot water up from the mono tee but only for 10-15 seconds. I have been tinkering with this system and watching videos all day. I wish I had found this one sooner. Thanks again. Plumber #4 will be over Monday.

[@loudepot]

Sounds like an old gravity system Dan, not very efficient but very expensive to update to a new system if you don't have an extre $9000.00 leave it alone. They do work. Just heats an awful amount of water

[@deppurple700]

Just like the guy before me said good vidio right to the point and very informative thanks

[@mrciano393]

Excellent video Thanks' Master!!!

[@abaidaramex2818]

If we have multiple baseboard still we gone follow same roll???

[@NathanThePrezPretlow]

Can you bleed the boiler with the circulating pump is on?

[@kennyplay5982]

Hello. I have a 1 zone system. Old "mono-flow" valves. Boiler in basement. Pipe go out of boiler and splits in 2 at first radiator, then returns. (All radiators on first floor). 14 years ago, we replace whole heater system, from 1947. The plumber installed a second pump on the return right before the boiler. The outlet has a pump right at top of heater. That stopped working a few years ago. I never bothered to put in a replacement (Taco) until now because 1) it's summer , so I can work on it, and 2) the first baseboard hasn't been working. There is bleeder valve but only on the return back end of the mono-flow valve. And I believe that maybe that baseboard isn't working because there isn't enough pressure to get the water fully through because the outlet pump isn't working. Another thought is that there might be resistance at the non-working pump too slowing down water to get thru the radiator. Any thought about this??? Thank you

[@vinceleto]

Would you say monoflow setup feeding baseboard increases head pressure? Or rather you should consider that it increases head pressure for pump sizing. Having an issue and I’ve tried to increase water pressure and nothing. I have baseboard that is warm and a radiator that is cold. I think the baseboard is a path if least resistance and the radiator needs more pressure to get the hot water to flow through. The system worked with a old B&G 100 but nit with a Taco 007

[@erikbogart676]

In under 10 min you saved me a hour watching 15 other guys getting fractions of the info I needed at a time. The thumbnail was just another instructional in appearance. Then the video started and I seen the mustache! I knew this was the video I was looking for. A man with a beard (which includes myself) being a sign of experience, patience, dedication, and masculinity has been so diluted by all these hipsters, yuppies of my era, and just lazy bastards who find its too much effort to shave. While the beard has been taken down multiple levels, the mustache remains solidified! there is power on the upper lip brother! My only suggestion is on your thumbnails stache forward! And thanks again for the great info without the b.s.

[@michelemiller5388]

Well well well..... Imagine my surprise when I just happened to be researching why my baseboard heat won't work well and what pops up? This video of my old friend Louis Tsalikis giving advice. Of the millions of videos out there, I found this one....What are the chances, Louis?

[@ccastro306]

how can I tell if there's those bad monoflow Ts in the system if it's on a 2nd floor with all finished floors and walls in that room and the ceiling below? I have some baseboard that doesn't get overly warm and some of the other rooms on that floor get very warm

[@lmakulmauk6781]

Hey lou how are you. you still working. I need help man

[@j.rodriguez7435]

I came across your video and the house that I bought has a finished basement with two zones. Many of the baseboard heaters are hot to the touch. In one room it's cold. I probably have a leak, but it will be difficult to locate the leak when you have a finished basement. How would you tackle looking for a leak in this case? Thanks

[@maienduo]

Great explanation Lou. Do you have any advice for me? I am home owner, not a plumber. I recently got a used indirect water heater tank removed the thermostatic control and pump and tab into the return of my baseboard heating system return to preheat the domestic water before sending it to the electric water heater. I live in the country and oil is the source of energy for my heating system.

[@ShirleyXu]

Louis, my house has baseboard heat, downstair not hot, heater guy said he can't find leak, most likely it's pipe leak in concrete, this house has no basement, how do you pin point which section of pipe under ground leaking, instead of dig up the whole concrete floor? Please help shirley

[@toddt6730]

My house wasn't converted but, the problem I have is the baseboard in the living room and basement doesn't get that hot, you can keep your hand on it, the bedrooms and bathrooms, even the one in the basement get hot, you cant touch them, I cant figure it out, replaced circulator, tank, purged it to death, the only thing I can think of is that the living room and basement are the last spots before the water returns to the boiler, any ideas?

[@maxforce]

very informative thank you.

[@anthonyrolan8020]

maxforc

[@rumsiker]

Yassu Tsalikis ( Tsalikis meaning tree brush in Turkish)

[@alexandereugene7580]

Great video! Informative! Thank you so much! I have been trying to figure out why my kids hot water radiator is cold every next year for 3 years. No plumber I hired could figure it out. You’re a real professional plumber. Wish you were in New York.

[@mariabowen4030]

I know zero about plumbing boilers whatnot but was wondering why some of my heaters were hot and some were not. I now have a much better understanding of how this works. Thank you so much! This is the most straightforward HELPFUL videos I’ve ever seen.

[@Piezonno]

You mentioned the one thing I needed to purge the system and the is to turn off the value in front of the purge valve, of course , that makes sense, 50000 gals later. Lol. I still have a zone making a little noise but I'll live with it for now. Thx

[@patcupolo9274]

I used the valve solution on the header after customer installed his own baseboard to replace convectors. How many times I seen plumber? put blenders on the wrong side, your right, no bleders, just purge manifold. Too the point, excellent easy to grasp explanations

[@daisyrodriguez4019]

Thanks for information- however, boiler was serviced by gas company but there is no water flow through the pipes.

[@worldview730]

Hello Mr. old school, you sure know your business! 👍

[@nykid8849]

hay louise you video is very helpful my friend never get his baseboard hot as other ones I checked it for him after bleeding by the boiler & increasing pressure it worked for 1 day same problem again what could be causing his baseboard not giving enough heat can u help

[@lawrence6115]

Thank you for this video, the first reason you explained is what I’m dealing with at my grand moms house. It’s an old house and it has the mono flow tees feeding each radiator, I replaced two sections that weren’t getting hot because I thought they were clogged because there 65years old and thought maybe there clogged. Me being inexperienced I put baseboard tees with bleeders on the leaving lines of the baseboard and one of the sections isn’t getting hot. I bled the shit out of it with no barely any result. The leaving line with the bleeder was starting to get warm but the entering line was cold. I’m going to put a valve in the return line to force it through that section, that’s my cheapest option. I really appreciate your video because I was starting to feel defeated. I even soldered in a drain valve before the boiler on the return line to try and purge it out that way and same result.

[@digitalincometactics9858]

I find the baseboard heated by water gets hot actually too hot and when the valve is shut off it is slightly cold! Can I keep the water valve half ways to adjust the heat the sliding thermostat (non-digital) doesn't always shut off the heat. Inside the apartment water valve.

[@tedlahm5740]

Called BLEEDING the air out?

[@redsquare2]

Hello Louis- I’d like to ask a question abouting the heating of my apartment in a prewar building. Please let me know if you think that you might be able to help out with an answer even though this is not a house but instead, an apartment building. Best - Ed

[@nykid8849]

hello sir I watched your video,I have customer his entire 2nd flr baseboards are not getting heat he wants me to add air vents which I don't recommend for him I bleed by the basement the return gets hot but not for long he has this problems for years what would be the solution for his 2nd flr baseboards? if u can advise me

[@mikeh7434]

Great video! Thanks! Just like you said, baseboards were installed with the mono-flow tees still in place, which I will replace with elbows, however is it okay that a mono-flow tee with radiator comes right after the baseboard and elbow on the same line? Thanks!!

[@LiveFreeR_Die]

Good explanation, Let me call my Fuckn plumber before I forget it.

[@HungryIronWolf4]

Your random comment about the hose and waiting 10 min to bleed the air out of the hose section while keeping the other section closed totally helped me solve my problem. Thank you! You are awesomeness.

[@MrPromerican]

That's probably whats going on my bathroom...very little heat coming out of baseboard. Damn plumber

[@alljenny23]

I have an older home and its a two family. the basement and the first floor get heat but certain rooms on the second don't. what should be my first plan of action. thanks

[@sureshotandrew]

Etsy Bravo Greek! Nice Explanation helping people to solve some very perplexing and annoying problems!

[@ronaldkratz8371]

thank you, my 90 yr old mom is freezing! tytyty, but can we reduce to half inch w/o decreasing btus on down the line?

[@banius03]

This is a fantastic video! Superb! Not only what but why and how. Spectacular job.

[@Joy-yu6pw]

Great video, easy to understand and now I have some knowledge when I call a plumber to bleed my baseboards Thanks

[@kennyplay5982]

question... when you say remove the t's, .. I have the old black pipe. how can i connect the copper to the black pipe?

[@rumpanuthabetha]

Wow you sure know your stuff! Hoping that our basement bedroom will finally be warm after we correct the problem.

[@MrCharlie1384]

Straight to the point very helpful. I tried putting in a valve between the monoflow tees too see of it would fix the problem. It def gave more heat to that pipe but it still wont go up to the baseboard on the second floor any ideas

[@Rainmaker88]

Had one baseboard not hot off mono flow tees, I thought the tee was gunked up but this makes sense it is the longest run of baseboard and the hot water would rather run by it than go through it going to need to cut open a nice finished ceiling to put a valve in

[@XellosMetallium]

if the boiler have no hot water then the heater is cold? is this mean the basebaord dont use electric?

[@NathanThePrezPretlow]

Is it better to installed the circulator pump on the supply line than the return line.? My boiler is 50 year's old.

[@gregkeel4155]

Thanks. Looks like I am gonna be putting a shut off valve on the main line for the room that always stays cold

[@comment6864]

Trying to buy a townhouse but they all have forced air, which i hate! Is it possible to replace it with boiler and baseboard? Or do i have to get a house instead? I'm willing to pay for installation but i can't seem to find any info on whether it's possible or what i have to check in any unit i go to see. Is there no way to retrofit a hot water heating system into an existing home with forced air?? I want to scrap the furnace and keep the duct work just for a/c. I like to stay very warm in winter and heating air is the stupidest concept - it is drafty and unpleasant when air moves around. I have always lived with baseboard and love it. Can't believe there are no newer townhouse out there with baseboard!! And please, nobody start telling me how i need to get this or that improvement to the hot air system. Hot air is a bad form of heat because it does not heat objects like radiant heat does, which is what hot water heat is all about. I don't want hot air, i want heat that radiates from a hot object, like a baseboard.

[@jhanlon1903]

i have baseboard on two floors, i added a vent on the top floor not a bleeder a small key vent at the highest point, it works great,i open and close as needed.

[@selmaraj]

Thank you, I appreciate this information. Nicely explained.

[@jimu57]

What about on a 2 pipe system? Has a separate return. A house has old finned type heaters all over the house. I am replacing one in a small bathroom with a new 3 ft unit. 3/4" copper with fins. All heaters are fed with mono flow tees and all heat well. They all return on separate pipe. Seems this is an ok way to use mono flow tees with finned heaters. Another problem is a heater on the 2nd floor, there is no water reaching the heater. Once I replace the heater in the 1st floor bath, I am going to bleed the entire system at the boiler. Does this sound like a proper approach?

[@fleetwin1]

OK, makes sense. I know this isn't the case with my house, but still the slant fins don't get hot, just warm....I think my system is full of air. I'm confused when you mention not having a bleed valve up top by the highest register, I would think this is where all the air would be trapped at the highest point... Oh well

[@mikegee3991]

I have the same problem with my slant fin baseboards. I would love to convert at least my main level back to radiators. I have no idea why one of the previous owners decided rip out the radiators and put baseboards.

[@johnm.evangelis693]

Hey Louis the Greek, how you doing? Let me ask you a question why was my old oil boiler better heat wise than my natural gas boiler both well-mclains

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Really great. Thanks. I was thinking of three bleeders, though. One on the supply one on the return and one in the middle

[@ashleyjaylen8882]

Hi like you vidio you speak spenich or potugues where yuo live because i need classe abaut boiler and reater

[@SGspecial84]

This video has not aged well.

[@philprenz]

Louis, thanks for the video. It was very informative. I wanted to ask how do I add a purge to my boilder. Please provide different options/brands of devices needed.

[@NathanThePrezPretlow]

Can you bleed the boiler with the circulating pump is on?

[@omarujagana8012]

Can you put full size tees ?

[@tayebbouzid1421]

Hi, How about if I have baseboard on 1st. floor and radiators in second floor

[@j.a.armour2427]

This video was precious to me because it touches on two issues I'm having with a basement radiator! I turned the basement radiator around so that the bleeder valve is now on the outlet side of the radiator and happily the radiator at least fills up with water. However, it still doesn't get hot. I'm considering installing mono-flow tees to help get the hot water flowing to the branch that this particular radiator is on. However, I have a two pipe system. Do mono flow tees work on two pipe systems? That's my question. Many thanks!

[@thesebastianjimeable]

I am having issues with this in one of my properties. Brand new boiler put in April 2017, however, the baseboard heaters in some of the rooms are not producing adequate heat. Do I consult a plumbing professional for this? Do plumbing companies swap out old baseboards and put in new ones? How do I know when I need to get to that step?

[@mikegee3991]

Good luck. I have the same problem and the hardest thing is finding a good plumber. All they do is come in and start draining water and wanna charge 200 bucks and you still have the same problem.

[@danstock7660]

My system is over 50 years old , and doesn't have a circulating pump , can I install one ? To make it more efficient ? Was told it use to be a coal boiler but in the 60 s ? They attached a burner to it ( oil) and called it a day lol, it has the radiators and the heated water just travels up

[@loveflying2]

Yes put circulating pump, will help a lot

[@eugeneedwards5073]

Thanks so much. Very comprehensive. You’ve helped me understand my system.