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 Gold unit leaking from bottom Only when turned off

wkirk216
wkirk216 Member Posts: 2
in THE MAIN WALL

My Weil-McLain Gold Unit WTGO leaks only when the system is turned off for a while. When the system is turned on there is no leak. Could the sealant or nipple sealant expand due to heat and seal the leak? Can the Nipple be tightened to eliminate the leak or be replaced to eliminate the leak. Odd to leak only when the system is off.

Comments

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,146

    Depends. Can you put up some pictures of where you think it's leaking from? Mad Dog

    Consulting by Mad Dog & Matt Jr.
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,146

    If I had to wager, the one who says the gas line needs "to be changed" or upgraded is probably the diligent guy. I see countless tankless & combi boilers with under sized gas meter & piping to the units. Mad Dog

    Consulting by Mad Dog & Matt Jr.
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 10,435
    edited April 24
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1853470#Comment_1853470
    Qmark.jpg

    Is this for someone else Dog? Maybe SUFLYNN

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

    PeteA
  • PeteA
    PeteA Member Posts: 285
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1853472#Comment_1853472

    I think that was for the person posting about the Navien install

    EdTheHeaterMan
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 10,435

    When there is a leak with the boiler cold, and it seales up when it is hot,  that is an indication that the gasket for the tankless coil is a problem.  This is a problem with many older boilers with tankless coil water heaters.   In the instructions for many boilers that have this feature, the instructions sometimes state “The bolts for the tankless coil should be checked and tightened after 500 hours of operation (in about 3 to 6 months) after commissioning the boiler.”  

    As a rule I recommend that it be done after one month of operation and again after a second month of operation and again after a third month of operation.  Most homeowners are never given that information by the installer because the installers never read the instructions to know this needs to be done.

    To solve this problem when I sell a boiler with a tankless coil, I include a one year annual tune up and inspection to be completed just before the one year labor warranty is over.  This gets three things done.  

    1. Since it is included in the price of the new boiler job, I call it a “Free Tune Up” and customers are more likely to let you in to complete the “Free” or “Included” maintenance.
    2. It lets me check for items that may be out of adjustment or leaking, that the customer may not notice until it becomes a problem, (like tightening coil gaskets)
    3. It lets the customer know that this annual maintenance is actually worth something like changing the nozzle, oil filter, removing household dust from the burner fan, and combustion testing.  All these adjustments are much easier if it is completed before the boiler plugs up with soot, or the minor oil leaks all over the floor or the water leaves crusty corrosion on the new equipment.  So they end up purchasing the next year's tune up in the form of a maintenance agreement. 

    Customers like it when you do the remembering for them and are willing to pay for that service, as long as they believe there is a value in it. 

    As far as your boiler, it is probably too late for just tightening some coil bolts, but you can have the gasket replaced this summer.  Then snug up on those bolts after a month or so and agin a month after that.  

    It is amazing how many times I go back for that first maintenance and find the coil bolts are hand tight and need a good ¼ to ½ turn to snug them up. And I know that I snugged them up when I installed the boiler only several months ago.  

    Can you post a picture of your WTGO and the front black coile plate gasket.  The aquastat control is usually located there and the hot and cold water pipes are also there.

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

    PC7060
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 17,762

    Could be a gasket between the sections as well

  • wkirk216
    wkirk216 Member Posts: 2

    HI everyone thanks for leaving the comments. I do not have pictures right now as I am not at the location until Monday. I will post then and will take a look at the suggestions.

    The system is running now so no leaks this past week. From what I saw the bottom plates were wet when the system was off.

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,760
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1853571#Comment_1853571

    How often is it off? I had my '96 WTGO off for about 6 hours last Saturday, and the relief valve weeped a little, but that's it. If this has been going on a while, things are going to start pitting. Then it's going to leak when its hot, too.

    If the tankless is still in use, then adjust the Lo side to 130° and leave it on. If there's no heat call the boiler maintains the Lo setting, not the Hi.

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,197

    Yep , another o-ring drying up .

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

Categories