Have to keep adding water to steam boiler

Edward A. (Ed) Carey_3

Mad Dawg,

If you are adding water 5 times a day, it is definitely going somewhere.

If it were a problem of leaking vents alone, your house would be like a sauna. That water or steam is being lost to somewhere, in quantity.

Just for my own information, is this a gas or oil boiler?

I suggest that you have a professional open up the flu passages of the boiler and visually check the casting for a hole or crack. They can also inspect the entire system with a trained eye to find any other points of leak problems.

If you are positive that there is no steam or water leaking from any pipes in that system and you are filling to boiler 5 times a day, the only other place it can be going is up the chimney.

Good luck,

Ed Carey

Mad Dawg

Have to add water to my steam boiler 5 times a day

I have a crown steam boiler that is about 6 years old. Last heating season, I had to add a little water about once a day. This year I'm barely making it through a 40 minute heating cycle before running out of water. I have to fill it about 5 times a day. I usually have the thermostat set to about 65 degrees. (We also use electric to heat) The boiler is also my hot water heater, which before heating season needed water about once every 2 weeks. I ran the system up to 70 degrees this morning, having to add water about halfway through to top it up. I checked all the pipes in the basement, I see no leaks. There are 2 radiators that do not heat up, I removed the valves and they started warming up. So I know those valves need to be replaced. I have no idea where the water is going, I can't find any leaks near radiators, nor in the main pipes. There are 2 valves in the main pipes, one on the far supply and one on the return line. Both have some rust below the vent holes. I have 12 radiators, so it's hard to listen for all of them to "hiss and click" at the same time. One radiator is turned off at the valve, because it is in an unused spare room. I don't want to have to replace 12 valves if I don't have to, but I have no other ideas where the water is going to.

Edward A. (Ed) Carey_3

Loosing water?

Do you have ANY concealed pipes, such as underground returns or pipe in a crawl space? One of those could possible be the offender. If you find a steam or water leak, the leak must be repaired immediately. Excess make up water causes all types of problems.

Also, turn on the boiler and let it run to steam. Go outside and check to see of you have white smoke (Steam) coming out of your chimney.

If you do, there is a hole above the operating water level of the boiler. If there is steam exiting the chimney, call the installer immediately. The boiler (or at least the casting) will have to be replaced.

Ed Carey

Mad Dawg

there are no hidden pipes, everything in the basement can be seen. When the furnace was running, I went out to check for steam, there was none that I could see exiting the top of the chimney. I also looked in the exhaust while it was running and didn't see anything.

Keith_41

water

Your coil is leaking

Edward A. (Ed) Carey_3

Coil

Keith,

I asked MD if it is oil or gas, to find if he has a tankless or indirect. I presume it is an oil with a tankless coil.

If it is oil and a tankless coil, a leaking TC can not consume water out of the system requiring a refill five times a day. A leaking TC would overfill his boiler with water and he would be draining it.

Ed Carey

Keith_41

Sorry about that you got me it's late

Jim Pompetti

Is there

any steam going up the chimney. Look outside ,up at the chimney ,do you see a cloud of steam . You may have a hole in the boiler. Fill the boiler with water,if you have a leak you'll see.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Mad Dog_2

The ORIGINAL, ONE and ONLY MAD DOG

Just want to make sure, this person calling himself "Mad Dawg" is NOT me. I can't stop anyone from calling themselves anything, but you really should find another moniker, my friend. Matt Mad Dog Sweeney

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Gjelosh

Maximum temp. in system of heating in wall

Which it is the max temperature inside of pipes in heatin of wall

World Plumber

condensing

Good chance the boiler is cracked and the steam is condencing in the chimney and the base of the chimney is absorbing the water. That much water would be noticable on the floor. If there are no under ground pipes. You need to have someone open it up and look at it. My own personal boiler did that to me 11 years ago I couldn't find any leaks and no steam outside. The top of one section was split open all the way across.
Mark

Dana_7

adding water

Shut down the boiler let it cool some and fill it so the water just hits your main line, should see water pouring on floor if you have a crack or hole. Good Luck Dana

Dana_7

adding water

Shut off boiler and let it cool down a while, fill boiler to top, just till it starts to fill main line riser, you should see water coming down the inside of boiler and onto floor if there is a hole or crack. Good Luck, Dana

Bob Harper

autofill and monitoring

Why are you personally filling a steam boiler? You really ought to invest in an autofill device that can also monitor consumption and stage the water in batches. Check out the Hydrolevel VXT-120 and tie it to a Safeguard LWCO.

If you have to run out and your boiler runs out of water, you're either going to test the LWCO or, if it fails, dry fire the boiler. With the controls on the market, there is no good reason not to incorporate an auto fill with steam boilers. Really should be on any boiler unless the mfr. gives a darn good reason not to. I've seen hot water boilers dry firing right in front of me and the homeowner because nobody knows what to do with a boiler except call for service when it doesn't work, then pay out huge bucks when it fails. No one instructs homeowners in their level of participation such as what pressure range is acceptable, what are the high and low action pressures, how to refill, how to start up and shut down, hit the red button only once for reset, etc. According to the IMC, this info. is supposed to be posted on or at the boiler with an emergency phone number.

Bob Bona_4

just

know that the auto fill devices only take the water to a "safe to fire" level. When they work, that is

Personal intervention is a must to bring the water the rest of the way up to the NWL.