bleeding Hydronic Baseboard heating system

[cclark112263]

I have just moved into an old house in New Jersey and the house has two separate heating zones: one thermostat upstairs and one thermostat downstairs. The upstairs thermostat is currently inoperative, so a PSE&G technician circumvented the problem, and now both upstairs and downstairs are being regulated by the downstairs thermostat. The problem is there is no heat getting to the upstairs baseboard fin-heaters; the PSE&G tech said there is probably air in the line, and so bleeding is required. I tried to bleed the line as he had suggested but after I open the 30psi valve release, the hose I connected to the upstairs return-line drain faucet is NOT where the water comes out, but instead the water is being discharged out the 'emergency' valve which has no threaded line for a hose connection; and anyway I think the water is not being 'pushed' upstairs and back down the upstairs drain, but just to the emergency valve. Could someone help me, we're freezing upstairs?

[gilmorrie]

I'm not sure I've followed you exactly - but each of the baseboard units should have a bleeder valve. Bleed each until water comes out.

Are you sure the zone valve for the upstairs is opening when there is a call for heat? You say that the upstairs thermostat was inoperative. Are sure it wasn't the zone valve, not the thermostat?
Doug