Resolving leak

oil-2-4-6-gas

suggestion for you turn off the boiler --for couple of hours ---put some cardboard under the suspect baseboard or radiator turn on the boiler in a few minutes check the cardboard if there is no water theres no leak if you see water --you'll have a better idea of where it is --

Frank_61

drip that lasts only a few minutes at startu...radiator or pipe?

Maybe this will sound familiar:

Only when my boiler kicks in for the very first time on any given day, after a long stretch of being inactive:

While in the basement, I hear dripping noises in ceiling for about 5 minutes. This was the first 5 minutes after boiler kicked in. boiler is across room, but I follow steam pipe to source of the drip noise...it's up above in ceiling. The drip is noticeable...maybe one drip every few seconds.

OK I have a 'leak' somewhere of course. But then I realize the spot under ceiling...it's coming from right under my 1st floor, baseboard steam radiator. Exactly to the spot.

This is a home built around 1920. The radiators in each room are the antique accordion style. The only baseboard radiator is in the 1st floor living room (its fairly new about 5 years). The location of which I am now standing and hearing the drip.

My question to the group of experts here:

The dripping sounds disappear altogether very quickly...definitely within 5 minutes....then no more drips...nothing until perhaps next morning.

Short of ripping out the ceiling sheet rock, is there any other suggestions? As a novice, I have been reading as much as I can about my steam system (bought Dan's "We Got Steam Heat")...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think the dripping source would most likely be the accumulated condensate from the radiator? I'm actually hoping this is so, and not the pipe leading upwards from basement to 1st floor, inside the walls.

I'm sort of making the connection between the dripping start point and duration (for 5 minutes only, after boiler is started and after a few hours where steam was allowed to settle and condensate to water).

I'm not seeing any leak in the baseboard heater itself though, or on the wood flooring beneath it. But it's difficult to spot underside leaks on a baseboard radiator.

Any idea what I should check next? Vents or valves on the unit perhaps? If the radiator is the source of my issue...could the dripping be a result of too little or too much pitch?

My wife is saying that I should let it go ('the dripping is a minor annoyance for a few minutes only'). But I know that over time, that water drip can damage, corrode, weaken, mold, etc.

I know the pipe leading up to this 1st floor radiator could be problem too, since it's the water return. And although I hate to rip up sheetrocked ceiling, I have no problem doing this. But it just seems so much more likely to be the radiator.

The overall system is working great. Low pressure, clear level water in glass, uniform heat in each room, quiet with no water knocks.

Thanks in advance for advice. Of course any work that is done will be by pros. I'm just a novice. We bought the house 2 years ago and the steam system is something that really fascinates me....so unique. In NYC, everyone I know has stale forced air or hot water.

kpc_40

if you don't see....

any water it is probably expation noise from the metal heating up and cooling off.Probabaly just touching some wood.

Frank_61

that's a great idea and I will update my post soon with results. thanks!