Boiler leaking from TP Relief Valve
I’m almost giving up on my DIY fixes, but thought I’d try here before giving up. I rarely go to my basement, went down last week and there was a decent amount of water leaking from the relief valve on my Burnham V8 boiler. I replaced the expansion tank with the same model that was on, no difference. I just replaced the TP relief valve today and it started at 18psi but after taking a shower and running the dishwasher, it is back over 30 and leaking again. My concern is that I may have left a valve open that should be closed with all of the opening and closing and draining, etc. can anyone tell me if this looks correct? They are currently all open, but I’ve read in places they shouldn’t always be? There is one not pictured that is locked closed. There are two valves (if that’s what they’re even called) in the second picture and one in the 3rd.
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Do you have a tankless coil in the boiler?
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Excuse my ignorance, I’m not sure. How would I check?
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how do you make hot water?
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I honestly don’t know. I’m a dumb IT guy. I have a hot water heater, but I’m not sure how it is connected. I can take a picture of the water heater and post if that helps.
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both the boiler and water heater. full view of both
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turn off the valve before that pressure reducing valve at the top center of the first picture and bleed the boiler pressure down to about 12 psig and see if it still goes up.
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Also, what was the precharge of the old tank when you removed it and the new tank before you installed it?
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That’s another thing that confuses me. Where should I drain from? There is the red handle and then the yellow one in the bottom of my last picture. Or do you mean from the tp release valve? Should I leave that valve off after bleeding? Thanks for your help.
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The old tank was shot and full of water. Current one is pre-charged to 12.
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Also, I don’t see a valve in the 1st picture. Sorry again for my lack of knowledge. I really appreciate your help.
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This is the prv. There should be a valve somewhere in the direction of the arrow to turn off the supply to the boiler. If the boiler doesn't supply domestic hot water and the pressure creeps up when it isn't running it has to be that the prv is leaking.
You can open any of the boiler drains (valves with the hose threads) a little to let out water until you get to 12psig or so. you could use the relief valve too but it might not close if it hasn't been maintained.
The precharge in the expansion tank will leak out over time and needs to be pumped back up(should be checked at least once a year). it should be set to the cold fill pressure of the system. If the charge has leaked out the water side will hold some water. You need to pump it up and see if it holds to tell if it is bad or not.
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I don’t see any valves in that area. There is a lever that says “fastfill” that is pushed all the way to the left. The bronze cylinder behind that and above the expansion tank has a few drops of water on it but nothing major. I previously turned the water completely off to the house, closed all valves and it went to about 18. It crept back up after a shower. Right now it is at 35, with nothing running and is not going back down, however it is not leaking at the moment.
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Also, the pipe above the prv goes into the hot water heater.
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Follow the input line the PRV back away from the tank. Somewhere you should find a shutoff, hopefully a 1/4 turn valve but could be the old school turn knob type.
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The only shutoffs I see are the yellow handles in the pictures and the main from the street.
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It is possible but very unlikely that there is no shut off valve upstream of your PRV valve. It probably up in the joists between the water heater in the boiler.
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I'm reading that that fast fill lever should not be on as it bypasses the PRV, is that true? Should I try to bleed out until the pressure is around 15 and then turn that off?
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The fast fill lever should ONLY be on when you are using it to fast fill the system. That, and only that, is what it is for. Otherwise, it completely defeats the pressure regulating valve, which may be part of your problem.
Close the fast fill lever. Close any shutoff valve on that line — if you can find one — and then drain the boiler down until the gauge shows 12 psi. Close the drain… Reopen the shutoff valve if you found one — but NOT the fast fill lever. Then see what happens.
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England1 -
Thank you for your help. If I can't find a shutoff, should I just turn off the fast fill, turn off the main water to the house, and then drain?
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Actually if the pressure reducing valve is working properly, if you shut off the fast fill and drain it won't flow anything until the pressure drops to its setting. Then it should hold that. Try that.
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England1 -
OK, last question before I call someone. Again, thanks for your help. I was wrong the fast fill is off. I think I did find the valve before the Pressure regulator. I can turn it off, however the other side of the pipe goes right to the water heater. I’m assuming if I turn that off, I won’t have hot water after awhile. If you look up around the insulation you should see the yellow handle. To the left of the handle goes into the pic, to the right goes to the right side of the water heater.
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There has to be at least one other pipe Teeing off before that yellow handle valve (which is the shutoff to the boiler feed) and after the water heater — otherwise your domestic hot water would be coming from the heating system, and that is unlikely in the extreme.
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
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The fill for the boiler just taps off the piping for the water heater. You have an electric water heater, the boiler has nothign to do with your domestic hot water. Taht ball valve with the yellow handle will shut off the fill for the boiler so you can test if the prv is holding (the prv not holding is really the only possibility here unless something weird is going on out in the system somewhere.)
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