[slusil]

I have a zone here thats not getting water but it was getting water before.Now its cold and probably could break.It looks like i have to keep it rather high so that i can avoid another break.Anyone experienced such a thing?The guy told me this is cheap but i have it at 72 now.I dont think it will be cheap.Do guys with gas furnaces have to worry like this?

[tuebor]

Other things being equal, forced air furnaces are less efficient than boilers, I think.

I'm trying to remember the problem I had with the last boiler system I had several years ago... I think it was that over time, water gradually escapes from the system so that it can't heat the whole house properly after a while. There's a valve that regulates water intake to the system that has to be set properly, otherwise water escapes and air gets in. If the valve is set properly, then it takes in new water to replace the water that escapes.

[leroythelion]

Originally Posted by slusil

I have a zone here thats not getting water but it was getting water before.Now its cold and probably could break.It looks like i have to keep it rather high so that i can avoid another break.Anyone experienced such a thing?The guy told me this is cheap but i have it at 72 now.I dont think it will be cheap.Do guys with gas furnaces have to worry like this?

You should have an air trap next to where the water returns back into the furnace. It looks like a giant 1-gallon bulb. There is an air escape valve on the top that should automatically release air. It may be broken. You can turn that valve by hand and see if any air escapes. This will need to be replaced short term.

Also, if you system is old (like at least 50 years), there may be an air release valve at the highest point in the zone.

[jackmichigan]

Depending on your system, there may be several places to bleed air out of the lines (which will block water flow). I'd try that first.

[wishIwereintheUP]

There really isn't enough information to figure out what's wrong. When you say 'zone' do you mean a separate room or area that's controlled by its own thermostat? If so, there could be any number of things wrong in the chain that gets heat to that zone. If it's zoned by its own pump, the pump could be bad. If it's zoned with an electrically controlled valve, the valve may be stuck closed. A thermostat or transformer could be bad. Any number of things could be wrong.

If by 'zone' you mean a room or area not controlled by its own thermostat, it might be air in the system, although if nothing has been done on the system and it has worked for years, it's unlikely to be air. Did you check if there are any system valves which might have been closed by someone else? Is the area without heat at a high point in the system? What is the pressure in the system?

[Dave Wojo]

The following is all predicated on your system being similar to mine.

In a multi-zone system, if it's a single zone not working I would think it's more likely that one of your thermostat controlled gate valves isn't opening to allow the heated water to run to that zone. On our system we have four zones. The wires from the thermostat for each zone runs to a motorized gate valve. I know that on our system it is possible to turn the gate valves manually when the motorized head doesn't work. There is a small wheel under the motor head that I'm able to turn to open/close the gate valve.

I recommend adjusting, or having a friend or family adjust a thermostat in one of your working zones so that the gate valve will open/close. Watch the valve opening and closing, and see if there is some way that you can use the information you obtain through observation to manually open the non-functional zone.

I would also check the connections for where the thermostat wires connect to the motor on the gate valve for the non-functional zone. It may be that you just have a loose connection. I had to "jiggle" my wires when we first moved into this house, before fixing the connections more permanently.

I hope that helps