Sometimes you have to learn the Hard Way

Bill and his guys had drained the radiators so they could remove the one in the kid's bath. He stuck around for a few minutes yesterday to show me what I needed to know to bleed the radiators. So I splurged on the 99 cent radiator key and got to work.

A couple of the radiators in the attic went off without a hitch. Another couple did not. I could get the bleed valve open, but nothing would come out...

So I went to the second floor and started doing those. I finished all of them without any trouble.

Then I remembered that the back bedroom radiators are disconnected. And there are shutoff valves where the lines go up to the attic (see picture). It's obvious that's why nothing came out of the other attic radiators - the valves are closed!

What's not obvious is *why* the valves are there at all.

One might assume that they are to shut off the heat in the attic. After all the previous owner was living here alone and there would be no need to heat the attic.

And one would be wrong.

So I gently opened the valves and listened to make sure I was hearing all the right noises (or not!). I also checked for leaks around the joints and valves.

It was looking good. So I went to the basement to check the water pressure in the boiler and add more water. When everything was looking good there, I started back upstairs.

And as I passed by the basement workshop, I heard water dripping...

Not a little bit.

But like Niagara Falls.

So I sprinted up the stairs.

And Niagara Falls is flowing down the walls in the kitchen. I haven't messed with the radiators there yet, so I know this isn't the source.

So I sprint up the stairs to the back bedroom.

And Niagara Falls is flowing down the wall above the window in the picture.

So I sprint up the stairs to the attic and...

Nothing. No water. Anywhere.

So I run back down to the back bedroom and shut the valves. And Niagara Falls quickly subsides. Obviously there are holes or cracks in these radiator lines somewhere in the ceiling.

Everything cleaned up fine, but this was excitement I didn't need.

And now I know why this room looked like a disaster zone when we moved in. It's OK though, we'd planned to gut this room to the studs anyway. Now I have some entertainment to look for when we open the walls.