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boiler test

retep
retep Member Posts: 13
in Strictly Steam
new boiler won't hold pressure on test

Comments

  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 2,064
    edited August 2019
    Why not?
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,510
    Where is it leaking?
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • retep
    retep Member Posts: 13
    No drips on floor goes from 30 lbs to20 lbs in half hour
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,312
    What make and model is the boiler? Did the sections come pre-assembled or did you have to put them together? Have you connected the system piping to the boiler? If so, are there valves between the boiler and the system?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    Ironman
  • retep
    retep Member Posts: 13
    Pbec05 reassembled not connected
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,510
    Take the jacket off and find the leak. No rocket science about this.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    triggerhappy24
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,338
    edited August 2019
    Did you do a hydrostatic test or just a air test?
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
  • retep
    retep Member Posts: 13
    Took jacket off no sign of water
  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 2,064
    If it's not holding pressure, it's leaking somewhere. If it's not on the floor, it's somewhere else. Find it and fix it
    rick in Alaska
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,248
    Could you still have some air in the boiler that is leaking?
    Air can leak out when water would not....keep it pressurized for awhile. You can hear an air leak or use bubbles.
  • triggerhappy24
    triggerhappy24 Member Posts: 42
    ?? Check your safety, could be going down the drain. If it's piped to the drain. Not the best solution but working with what info I got
  • SeanBeans
    SeanBeans Member Posts: 520
    Yeah, maybe the boiler still has a bunch of air in it
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,248
    Yes, and that air would cool and shrink in volume a little and drop the pressure......or you have a small air leak that will not pass water....could be both.
  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
    Water in some areas is 75F this time on year. A cold basement could be 60F, any chance water and any air pockets cooled off?
  • Lance
    Lance Member Posts: 286
    First do not assume your test equipment is leak proof.
    Next you can continue with hydro test but without any air cushion, two drips out will make a dramatic instant pressure drop on a gauge. If it is slow, there is an air cushion or temperature gradient involved or worse a micro temperature sensitive crack. A vapor test could be done with refrigerant gas as a trace gas that is electronically detectable. Eliminate all low pressure controls, plug off all pipe openings and pressure up to maximum psi the mfg. recommends and use an electronic leak detector to check for trace vapor leaks. This might indicate where to look further.
    Cracks, micro cast defects, are the hardest to find and may only leak at certain temps and pressures. If a leak is indicated and cannot be detected, than send it back for another one under warranty. I had two boilers on the same job I had to reject for casting holes. It happens. Cost me two days labor.
  • retep
    retep Member Posts: 13
    finally found a tiny air leak with soap. now losing one pound per day what now
  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 2,064
    Find the other one. What model boiler is this and what pressure are you testing at? 30? Pbec05 isn't in my vocabulary or Google's, for that matter. What is operating pressure of the system? Can you test with water instead of air and watch for a drip?
  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
    Probably a Peerless EC-05. Think that’s and oil boiler. Push nipples, no gaskets.

    Where is the leak at? Between sections? That’s a pretty larg eboiler, 20 gallons of water with steam. Wonder if hte factory has a procedure to re-torque the sections. Is hte supply and return connected? How is the pipe strain? Adequate swing joint and pipe supports?

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