Excess water use

Joe Jesse_2

I have a 3 year old Weil-jMcClain LGB-4. It has always used excess water. In the last 8 days of sub zero weather it has used 26 gallons of water. I have about 20 radiators and cannot find any steam leaks. The system is heating perfectly. How can I determine if the excess water is going up the flue? Will removing the covers give me any visible clues? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Jamie Hall

"It has always used excess water"

26 gallons in 8 days is, surely, excess.  But if it has always used excess since it was installed, it may have been an installation problem with the boiler or possibly a problem in the system.



An installation problem isn't impossible: that boiler has square O-rings between sections, as well as rope gaskets, and if they are not carefully installed they can be twisted or even cut; either way, a leak is likely.  The leak may be small enough so that if it is to the outside it may not show up, or show up only as a rusty area -- but you can take the covers off and see if you see any sign of it.  If it is to the inside (firebox) you may see evidence of it in the form of billows of steam (not just wispy vapour) up the chimney -- go outside and look when the burner has been firing for a little time.



You may also be able to find evidence of a leak by overfilling the boiler with it turned off, and looking for wet areas either inside the firebox or outside with the covers off.  Be sure to restore the water level to normal before you turn the boiler back on -- and, needless to say, in this current weather that may not be feasible.



If the prior boiler also used water, however, the most likely areas are wet returns -- particularly if any of them are buried or encased in concrete.

Joe Jesse_2

excess water use

I will check the chimney first and then remove the covers. The old boiler did not have a meter so I don't know how much water it used.Nothing is buried or encased but some parts are in the wall. Thanks for the advise.