Converting Diverter-Tee System to Loop

Question

I have an old house (~130 years) that has a hydronic baseboard system installed. The heating system is improperly plumbed: the 1st floor thermostat controls half the heating on the first floor and half the heating on the second. The second floor thermostat controls the other half of both floors.

I'd like to fix it.

The current system seems to use diverter-tees. More importantly, not all of the piping running to the baseboards are the same size. I didn't measure exactly, but I think most of it is 3/4", and some is 1/2".

Can I simply cut out the existing system and connect all the baseboards together in series? Will the different pipe sizes cause significant issue?

My rough plan is to split the floors into two loops each, so that I don't end up with cold water at one end up of the loop.

d.george · Answer

The system you describe is a "monoflo" system. They work pretty well when installed correctly. It sounds as though yours is installed correctly. If you want individual control in each piece of radiation you could add rad valves to each radiator piece. If you are not well versed in this, I would seek professional help so you don't change something that is very costly to fix. Add to your original question so that we all have an idea just what you are trying to accomplish. There are any number of changes and improvements you can do. None are easy or cheap or quick. Please indicate what you are trying to do.

Answered by d.george on January 10, 2021

Converting Diverter-Tee System to Loop

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