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How to find a leak

Garfield
Garfield Member Posts: 49
in THE MAIN WALL
I have a triangle tube prestige 250000 btu condensing boiler that I installed about a year ago.  It has several webstone ball valves and 2 heat exchangers.  The boiler pressure is lower than the pressure on the other side of both exchangers. I have a small expansion tank  on the boiler loop.  I have a city line there with a regulator and a valve.  I keep it turned off in general.  About once a month the boiler shuts off on low pressure (about 8 psi i think)  then I turn on the valve and get it back up to about 15 and it's fine.  I understand this is adding calcium etc to the boiler loop and would like to find the leak but I don't know how.  The boiler loop is 1 1/2 inch sweat copper.  Thank you

Comments

  • RJ_4
    RJ_4 Member Posts: 484
    leak

    Check the relief valve ,  some times hard to see if its leaking if its piped into another drain line

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • Garfield
    Garfield Member Posts: 49
    evaporate

    It's piped to the floor and i don't notice any water there unless it's sporadic and evaporating before i notice it.  
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,611
    T&P valve

    It sounds like all the piping is in the boiler room and you have no puddles.

    I agree that the t&p or maybe the relief valve on the backflow preventer are suspect.

    I would watch the gauge as the boiler comes up from a cold start. If it rises, check the expansion tank. It is also possible the boiler has a leak. Does the condensate line drip when the boiler is not firing?

    Carl
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • Garfield
    Garfield Member Posts: 49
    Condensate

    Condensate does drip until the unit gets above 120 or so. How do I check the boiler for leaks?
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,611
    Condensate

    It is supposed to drip when firing, Especially at lower temps.

    If you have a cold (off) boiler with a steady drip, that is a problem.

    Carl
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • RJ_4
    RJ_4 Member Posts: 484
    dripping

    Is'nt the condensate from the flue gas

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,611
    Right

    In the somewhat unlikely event the boiler's heat exchanger has a leak, the water will end up in the condensate line. The normal condensate comes from the combustion.

    Carl
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • Garfield
    Garfield Member Posts: 49
    Caleffi backflow?

    The Caleffi series 573 backflow preventer is apparently leaking.  There is a small spot on the floor that's dry but the inside of the pipe is wet and there is oxidation around the end where the water apparently evaporates before hitting the floor.  It has always dripped a little when i opened the fill valve.
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