2009 Furnace Game

It has been pretty chilly the past few evenings. Chilly enough to motivate me to reactivate the boiler and turn on the furnace. So, if you had October 7th at about 6:37 in the P.M., you are the winner of this years competition. Unfortunately, nobody had that date and time so the $100,000.00 goes back in my pocket. I was one day short of last years re-activation of October 8th and I believe that remains the record.

I had a couple of issues to straighten out before re-hydrating the system and lighting the pilot light. We have removed two radiators from the systems (temporarily) in order to sand the floor underneath them. I was able to properly cap off all the pipes except one in the hallway.

It is the valve connection going to the radiator in the hall just outside the kitchen and I figured that closing the valve would be enough. It's a good thing I didn't rely on my figuring.

I could not find a cap that would go on the fitting so I came up with this hokey contraption of a rubber hose that clamps over the fitting and then a plastic cap that fits in the other end, both sides being held in place by hose clamps.

As I filled the system, I found some slight leakage around the plastic cap. I got out the socket wrench and tightened that baby down good and...well, you know...tight.

It seems to be holding as of this morning and I assume it is designed to withstand water pressure in a plumbing system. If it happens to blow off, it could be very ugly for the main floor.

There is a LOT of water in them thar pipes.