Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Weil McLain installation - valve leak

namahs
namahs Member Posts: 5
edited December 2019 in THE MAIN WALL
We had a professional install a new heating system in our home over a year ago. Everything seemed fine and this is the 2nd heating season. I noticed a leak at the valve recently. It seem like this valve might be leaking for some time, maybe since installation but we didnt notice since its a very slow drip and only when its on. We have 2 Weil McLain boiler for each unit in the house and both are leaking so it doesnt seem like the valve is faulty. Now I am questioning the installation. Can someone please take a look and see if they can find the cause of the slow leak on the valve? I am not a professional but shouldnt the water source go into a left side of boiler where the circulator pump is? Any help would be greatly appreciated.




Comments

  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    edited December 2019
    It should've been repiped using modern acceptable methods as well as modern air elimination instead of the ancient air scoop.
    For starters, the air scoop needs a minimum of 18" upstream to work properly (mediocre at best). And the cheapo air vent is also fairly useless.
    And of course, pumping away from the expansion tank.
    For now, You could try to remove the cap, depress the shrader valve to see if it will flush out any sediment (water will be hot!), or you could close the cap to eliminate the dripping until replacement. If it still leaks when closed, you could put some teflon tape around the threads. Ideally the cap needs to be loose to eliminate any air.
    Where the water feed is connected is fine, I'd just move the circulator to the outlet of the air scoop-and replace the air scoop with a microbubble reabsorber like this, then all your air problems go away (never to return):


    I'm a little concerned about your venting of at least 3 appliances into one chimney. The vent piping should get bigger as you go to the chimney base to accomodate all the connected loads. At least they appeared to use wyes instead of tees, which is good.
    If it were me I'd eliminate all the draft hoods and go with dual swinging barometric dampers and spill switches.
    steve
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,170
    That's an air release valve. Once the system is thoroughly purged of air and if there are no other leaks (you are not adding any makeup water) it can simply be closed.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    rick in Alaska
  • BillyO
    BillyO Member Posts: 277
    sometimes you get what you pay for
    Intplm.
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    BillyO said:

    sometimes you get what you pay for

    How is that helpful?
    steve
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    Perhaps, this is one of many cases where you do NOT get what you pay for.
    Had it not been for the leaking undersized air vent that prompted the posting here, the HO would be unware of the not so good piping at the boiler.
  • namahs
    namahs Member Posts: 5
    > @BillyO said:
    > sometimes you get what you pay for

    The company that we end up paying for this job was on the higher end of the scale. We on purpose did not go with the lower estimates. Sadly I wish that was the case.

    Thanks for all the others helpful advice on this. I already left a voicemail and waiting for the company receptionist to get back to me.
    ethicalpaul