PRESSURE !!!!

Dale

I guess it would be worth it to bring up the system pressure cold to just below 30# and look for the leak. If this doesn't work you could drain the system, put 30# of air in it and leak soap test everything looking for a bubble or if you have it use a ultrasonic tester to listen for a leak.

Anthony_10

PRESSURE !!!!

Does any one know of any other way I would be losing pressure on my hot water radiator home heating system ???? Everyone says that I have a leak somewhere, but I have not seen any water damage. Another question I have is : Does the expansion tank have anything to do with maintaing the pressure at @12 psi ?

Weezbo

mostly expansion tanks have more to do...

with maintaining the boiler and peoples presence on planet earth. than maintaining 12 PSI in the boiler.

jim sokolovic

Usually an expansion tank problem...

would lead to system pressure increases, rather than a decrease - did you read the thread below titled "expansion tanks" - there's mucho detail on their operation there.

Anthony_10

yo weezbo

yo weezbo, if you can't help me out , then mind your own business !!!!

JimGPE_3

Whoa, big fella -

Ol' Weeze didn't mean you no harm....

jim sokolovic

Consider Weezbo...

like a fortune cookie, or a box of chocolates, or that old lady in the Matrix. Whichever, just consider him.

Jerry Boulanger_2

Many ways

to have an undetected leak, and it doesn't take much to lose pressure. Leaks inside boiler casings get vaporized and go out the flue, drips at pump seals and valve packings, automatic air vents, behind pipe insulation, in crawl spaces and other locations where pipes are concealed. The water from small leaks may evaporate before it has time to accumulate into something you would notice. Better find it, though. Leaks are a slow death - the water you are adding to make up the losses is the only source of contamination (oxygen and scaling agents) available to your system.

Weezbo

It is possible ...that the leak is not in the system s field or

boiler.

Sweet_2

Easy now

Im a relatinely new participnt of the Wall but Weezbo should be listened to . You gotta read between the lines grasshopper.

Weezbo

backflow preventor? on a pressure pump supply?

checked?

jbplumber

tony

Weezbo is saying that the compression tanks job is not to maintain pressure in the system. When you heat water you get more water the compression tanks job is to allow the extra water some where to go. That said have you purged the system of all air? close the valve going to the compression tank and using the fast fill feature on you fill valve run the pressure up to 25 psi watch the gauge. Valve off the fill valve and start looking for leaks if the gauge is still at 25 psi tomorrow AM you do not have a leak (tap the gauge) If the gauge is down tomorrow AM then grab a roll of toilet tissue and start wiping everything down looking for leaks. Do you have any piping that goes in to a concrete floor? Best Wishes J.Lockard

Clyde_2

HEY!

We love Weezbo here. Perhaps we should all mind our own business and let you figure it out yourself.

Clyde_2

HEY!

We love Weezbo here. Perhaps we should all mind our own business and let you figure it out yourself.

Clyde_2

HEY!

Anthony_10

The only reason...

The only reason I got uptight with weezbo was because this has been racking my brain for two months now. I get the heater working ok for about a week, then it acts up again. This has been all winter long. Plumbers want me to put an auto-matic fill valve in ($300 to $450 in stalled ), but what if there is a leak ?, I'll have to fix that too !! Just a little frusrtated that's all. Thanks for the help EVERYONE

Maine doug_9

I'm with Weezbo

the pressure drops because of the expanding universe, all the containers are getting bigger. Except for the basement, the closet, the attic and the garage. There the stuff is expanding to fill the space available.

Weezbo

There is no likely hood that Weezbo would be offended....

He has heard a lot worse than that in his day.*~/:) it is sorta difficult to deal with somethings that got you by the short hairs day after day and it can really urinate a guy off. i didnt mean to further aggravate you my thought was to only make things easier to understand and eliminate one of the "Oh what if its this?....'es.. I actually think the way i say stuff.i am thinking that the auto fill and backflow preventor with a ball valve on either side of that arrangement would allow you to deal with any repairs with two cresent wrenches in the future.if you e- mail me i will send you a picture of these pieces in the right formation with an idea to maint(being able to get at them with the least amount of French language)anance.

S Ebels

Losing water

A hot water heating system is a sealed system. It should require very little makeup water unless, as you say, there is a leak.

As for your question about the expansion tank, it has nothing to do with maintaining the water level in you system. Its function is to provide the water a place to go as is expands when heated up. A given amount of water will take up more space at 180* than it will at room temp.

The device that maintains the pressure in a typical system is the feed water valve. It also commonly acts as a pressure reducing valve to regulate your system pressure at 12-15 PSI.

An easy way to tell if you have a leak (if your pressure gauge is accurate) is to do the following. Raise your system pressure to 15# and then close the valve on the incoming water line. As you let the system operate over the next few days, monitor the pressure frequently to see if there is any change. If it drops, you obviously have water going somewhere. Then it becomes a matter of finding the leak.

I have seen a few instances where the boiler block itself is cracked in a place where the leak is not readily visible. The water from a small leak could be in such a place that it evaporates and is exiting out the flue without a trace of liquid anywhere. Usually, the jacket of the boiler has to be removed in order to find these. Lot's of possibilities, too many to list here.