Finding a leak in a steam boiler.....using tracers and isotopes.

Irene_3

Hello--my family owns a building with a one pipe steam system. I was recently told that we had a water leak somewhere along our boiler piping run. Basically, as you all know, the boiler system is a closed system that should really be using the same water--but our water meter indicates that the boiler is constantly bringing in new water (our water meter is showing a high usage level). We believe that there is a water leak somewhere along the piping...but the piping is buried behind all the walls, etc. What is the best method for finding the leak (short of ripping the whole building down so I can see the pipes). I have heard of using sonar, or radioactive isotopes, or even a heat gun to trace the path of the water? Also, if any of you know of people in the Chicago area who are skilled in doing this type of work, please email me back!
Thank you!

gerry gill

have you

flooded the boiler to see if it leaks itself? do you have any underground return pipes?

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Irene_3

Boiler Leaks

I do believe that we have underground return pipes. I see your point about flooding the boiler, but if it was the actual boiler, wouldn't I be able to see water gushing out in the basement??? I haven't seen any water, so I'm assuming that the leak is elsewhere. What am I missing?

Steamhead (in transit)

If the leak is above the water level of the boiler

the water will escape as steam. If you fill the boiler all the way to the top so water rises slightly into the steam pipes, it will cause water to run onto the floor if there is a leak.

Bill Jirik,

I am located in the chicago area, and specialize in apartment and comercial buildings with steam/ hydronic heat, do you have a cast iron sectional or steel firetube boiler? wet returns or dry returns

gerry gill

if you have underground

return pipes, i would definitly suspect these..and check your boiler.

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Irene_3

For Bill Jirik and Gerry Gill

Thank you guys for all of your input. Bill, since you are in Chicago, can you give me an idea of how much it might cost for you to flood the boiler? If you could email your information to me, my email is irene_m_reed@hotmail.com, and I can call you.

Also, can anyone explain to me how one uses sonar, isotopes, and/or a heat gun to locate a leak (of course, this would only be done if the boiler itself does not have a leak). Have any of you used this technology in the past?

FYI--the building is a 44 unit building with a one pipe steam system, and we THINK we have a cast iron sectional boiler with wet returns. I hope that helps.

Thanks so much!