New house, no heat, any thoughts?

kime

So I moved into a new house recently, yay! It's got I think a bit of an old-fashioned heating system. It's like... water-based, or something? And controlled (theoretically) by these dial-y things:

It worked during the inspection, so I don't think there's some fundamental problem with the system. It's just... no matter what I turn the little dial-y thing to, the heat doesn't turn on.

I can call the previous owners and ask them, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't something really stupid that I should try first. Like, it feels like there's some master "on" switch I'm supposed to hit. I'm just not sure if there's a well-known thing to do to make it work, or if it may just be a quirk of the house that the previous owners would best be able to answer.

Thanks!

schuss

Look for a big red switch in the basement to turn the boiler on/off. Typically turned off during the summer...

kime

schuss wrote: »

Look for a big red switch in the basement to turn the boiler on/off. Typically turned off during the summer...

But TV shows have taught me my entire life to never touch the big red switch!

(Thanks! I'll try that)

schuss

I've also seen them next to an electrical panel.

Rainfall

It could also be a valve attached to the pipes. I've got a big red one in my current condo.

CelestialBadger

See if there's a battery to replace in the dial-y thing. We had this problem with our heating once.

kime

CelestialBadger wrote: »

See if there's a battery to replace in the dial-y thing. We had this problem with our heating once.

Pretty sure it's affecting multiple dial-y things, so it's probably not that all of them ran out of batteries at once.

I am just hoping that the big red switch/lever is clearly labeled, since otherwise I'm gonna be super nervous pulling some random lever on the big expensive machinery :P

schuss

kime wrote: »

CelestialBadger wrote: »

See if there's a battery to replace in the dial-y thing. We had this problem with our heating once.

Pretty sure it's affecting multiple dial-y things, so it's probably not that all of them ran out of batteries at once.

I am just hoping that the big red switch/lever is clearly labeled, since otherwise I'm gonna be super nervous pulling some random lever on the big expensive machinery :P

It's usually just a light switch with a red plate that says "boiler on/off"

mts

there could also be a switch on the boiler itself

spool32

Just press every red button and throw every switch on the property. I'm sure it'll be fine...

Soggybiscuit

And for the always unconventional possibility, check the breaker as well. With older houses it's uncommon but not impossible to find the breaker being used as an on/off switch. I'm assuming your house is older since it has a boiler.

Veevee

And if flipping that switch makes you nervous, it's time to stop asking the internet and time to call a professional.

Or at least a friend that knows what they're doing and can come over.

tastydonuts

Radiator heat is pretty popular and rather modernized... outside the states.

As others have mentioned, there should be an on/off switch either near the top of the stairs to your basement, or directly on the boiler. But I believe it's required by most code to have one. The breaker could also be the source of the not powering up.

Failing that, has the boiler actually been filled? Another required safety feature is sensor switch that will prevent the unit from ever cutting on if there isn't enough water to do so without risking exploding. Yes, it can explode. But yeah, if you have confirmed there's water in the boiler, and there's enough (check the pressure gauge on the boiler but if it has an autofill thinger then maybe the supply is shut off too, but then the next step will be to bleed the radiators which I can assure you can be very exciting, from recent experience. :pop:

WiseManTobes

tastydonuts wrote: »

Yes, it can explode.

Kime's next two thread's

"Pooped self reading a thread, cleaning help?"

"Haven't slept in a week, what to do?"

mts

tastydonuts wrote: »

Radiator heat is pretty popular and rather modernized... outside the states.

As others have mentioned, there should be an on/off switch either near the top of the stairs to your basement, or directly on the boiler. But I believe it's required by most code to have one. The breaker could also be the source of the not powering up.

Failing that, has the boiler actually been filled? Another required safety feature is sensor switch that will prevent the unit from ever cutting on if there isn't enough water to do so without risking exploding. Yes, it can explode. But yeah, if you have confirmed there's water in the boiler, and there's enough (check the pressure gauge on the boiler but if it has an autofill thinger then maybe the supply is shut off too, but then the next step will be to bleed the radiators which I can assure you can be very exciting, from recent experience. :pop:

we have two switches, one on the boiler itself and the red emergency cutoff which is at hte top of hte basement stairs

hwoever our old house which had ac actually had a light swtich that alternated between the furnace and the AC and needed to toggle for heat

tastydonuts

My emergency switch is on my boiler, which is terribly amusing to me. I don't think city code required it when the old owners bought the boiler and had it installed. And it wasn't brought up during inspection either. I think that I am going to get an electrician to run an emergency shutoff switch from the top of the stairs too though.

The switch you're looking for should have the a switch plate labeled clearly like so, Kime: