Nails, nails, everywhere

Hilly

Lets see if I can bullet point this
1) 3-Radiant Manifolds that are 5/8" pePex Wirsbro with brass manifolds and actuators - concrete overpour
2) 2 Zone Valves are basement fin-tube loops
3) 4-Way is Tekmar 216
4) Control is 2 single zone Honeywell switching relays and Tekmar Mixing Reset 354
5) Boiler has domestic coil that pre-heats an eletric water heater
6) Boiler has Honeywell Triple Aquastat
7) Expansion tank is old school steel tank piped in 1/2" right off top of boiler

So the call was from an insurance company because hardwood nails had finally rusted out from the overpour zone. When the room was pulled up and all piping exposed there were multiple areas that had nail penetrating. This install would date mid-90's being that it is pePex and Wirsbro brass manifolds. There are no isolation or purging at the remote manifolds. There is no air eliminator other than an auto vent located at each of the three manifolds.

Questions from me:
A) Would isolating the loops from the system and overpressurizing them to say 100psi help determine if there's any other nails in the system? My thought is no but I figured I'd ask.
If there's proper air elimination on the system would there less risk of other nails rusting out and leaks doing damage? Again thought is no and only time can tell - short of tearing out the whole system.
C) Should I re-pipe around the boiler and add in air elimination?
D) I've never utilized 4-way for boiler protection/radiant mixing. If you did any re-piping to facilitate purging and air elimination would you put it back with this Tekmar option?
E) For the manifolds without purging options (they have little space in the areas. Would you cut in purge valve on the return side of the mainfold to allow each loop to be purge easier?

Customer requests:
1) They noticed the system didn't heat well in a few rooms lately can you figure that out too.
2) can you test the system in any manor that might help indicate if there's any other nails driven into the pipe.
I noticed a couple of actuators are not causing any flow to happen in the loops. I haven't had much time there yet but I figure it's either a dead actuator or with the leak, all the new water, and next to no air elimination that the loops are air locked.

X) Tell restoration company I don't want to work for them anymore and good like with this job.

^) I'm actually only trying to help a friend who owns the company doing the work. I was hoping to pick all of

HH's brain power to make me look better. hahaah Thanks to anyone that made it all the way through this. Any and all answer are appreciated and other information outside of the above is also greatly appreciated.

JUGHNE

If you use the "old School" expansion tank there should be no auto air removal devices in the system, all air should end up in that tank. IIRC
I would probably go for the bladder/compression tank instead.

This is the least of the problems, though.

rlaggren

The pressure test might be relatively quick depending on if you see an easy place to isolate the loops. Can't prove "no nails" but it might stop the show pretty fast and save more thought and effort.

But if the same installer did all the rooms... And they were so successful at hitting pex... And the one room has got around to rusting through...

Good luck to all.

Gordy

Question. Are these hardwood flooring staples, or barbed cleats? Or some other fastener type?

Hilly

Gordy they are indeed hardwood staples, not nails as I actually indicated.

Also with with piping and 4-way should there have been a 'system pump' there also?