boiler leaking

helgy_2

About six months ago we did a replacement boiler job. Took out an old cast iron Peerless and installed a high eff. Munchkin boiler. Most of the house is cast radiator with the exception of the kitchen which is joist heat. The problem is I can't keep pressure in this boiler to save my life. I have ruled out the pop off dripping theory. I also checked all solder joints under elavated pressure. Does anyone have any other ideas what to look for. Or how to test a boiler system. Since we were the last ones to touch it, we've pretty much married the job. So please any help would be gratefull. Thank you, Helgy

Mark Eatherton1

May not be a leak...

Could be that the system is not completely purged. Only way to find out for sure would be to install a meter on the make up and monitor it.

If the boiler were leaking in the HX, there'd be a continuous flow of liquid from the condensate outlet.

ME

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

helgy_2

sealed system

This is a sealed system. There is no make up water unless you hook up a hose. Have you ever seen a Munchkin leak heat xchanger leak. Is there a good way to test the rest of the homes piping away from the boiler. Thanks, helgy

lchmb

just a thought

since this is a sealed system and you have to introduce the water why not allow the boiler to cool, pressurize the boiler to say 25 lb's with water...run the circulator's and see if it drop's pressure or you find water..If not then drop your pressure back to 12 and see if it drop's again..couple question's for you...one are you using high vent's and b is there a flow switch or low water cut off in the system somewhere? if there is a high vent it could be that it is purging the air and allowing the pressure to drop...good luck..

Roger Litman

Possible leak

As you are using the old cast iron radiators there is a possibility that there is a very small leak in one of the old joints that is letting water by when it is hot. Look at all the joiunts and fittings with a mirror and good light. If there is a leak from the heat exchanger to the flue, then the condensate volume will be larger than normal, The amount of water from the fire can be calculated(see the manufacturer) and if you measure the drainage in a specific time interval, you can determine the possibility of a heat exchanger leak.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Mark Eatherton1

Air elimination = fluid volume loss.

> About six months ago we did a replacement boiler

> job. Took out an old cast iron Peerless and

> installed a high eff. Munchkin boiler. Most of

> the house is cast radiator with the exception of

> the kitchen which is joist heat. The problem is I

> can't keep pressure in this boiler to save my

> life. I have ruled out the pop off dripping

> theory. I also checked all solder joints under

> elavated pressure. Does anyone have any other

> ideas what to look for. Or how to test a boiler

> system. Since we were the last ones to touch it,

> we've pretty much married the job. So please any

> help would be gratefull. Thank you, Helgy





To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Mark Eatherton1

Air elimination = fluid volume loss

Helgy, Any time you eliminate the dissolved gases in a system, your over all system volume shrinks. This is generally masked by the makeup water being left on so few people even realize it occurs. The larger the system volume, the greater the potential.

If your boiler has a leak in the heat exchanger, you WILL see water dripping from the condensate outlet CONTINUOUSLY. If it is leaking, it would be a first for me.

Try this. Over pressure your system by one half of the relief valves threshold. For example, if your normal fill is 12 PSI, and your relief valve threshold is 30 PSI, pressure the system up to 21 PSI. This will leave a little "reserve" in the expansion tank bladder to compensate for volumetric loss during air elimination. Also, before you "top off" the system and leave the job, go back through all the radiators and bleed them with the pumps in the OFF position to make sure you've gotten every last bit of free air out of the system.

That should take care of your problem. If not, come back and we can talk some more.

ME


To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Jamie Hall

I like this theory...

cast iron radiators can and do leak -- and it wouldn't take all that much. The worst of it is that if the leak is small enough, you may not notice it as a leak, but as a deposit near the leak (the water evaporates). If your water is really clean, you may not see it at all. Can be a bear to find -- until the leak gets big enough to really let go, which it will, eventually. Good luck.

helgy_2

leak checking

Has anyone ever used a small amount of R22 refrigerant and dry nitrogen to leak check a boiler system. Just a thought, any other ideas.

Weezbo

go pro

there is a niffty tool i bought to enhance my psychokenitic ability to locate leaks ) it is called a ultra sound machine by go pro. it had been printed up and hadnt been made at the time i ended up telling the production line foreman to snatch the first one off the press and "send it along" it is outasite for determining leaks.not only that it can save countless hours finding promblem leaks in Large buildings. And you can do like the dr,s do well I'll have to get out the Ultra sound machine...That always is like well....This is gonna cost me:))))not only that buh...its a great gadget:)

Arthur

Boiler leak

Have you tried isolating the boiler completly from the system and pressurerising them both separately and then you should see which one leaks, If the system leaks rather than the boiler then isolate each section of the system separately and pressurise them separately untill you find which section the leak is in.