need a Wallie's opinion

Ken D.

We have all learned the hard way at one time or another. Sometimes many times or another. Best wishes.

Ed Lentz_2

We went downsatirs this evening to find the remnants of a lot of water on the floor. We have found no leaks to speak of. It looks like the pressure relief popped on the boiler yesterday afternoon. My wife remembers a loud noise and the dogs went nuts, she checked outside and in the garage but not so much downstairs. So, when I first checked the boiler pressure gage it was about 15#. Then I remembered that when I was installing the boiler I left the Taco 329 on fill to long and the relief valve popped off on the boiler. So here's the question. I have city water so the pressure is high, we checked out my theory and I ran the pressure up to almost 30# with that valve. Would a major fluctuation in the incoming water pressure affect that Taco valve? The city was down the street working, not sure if it was on the water line or not. I ran a couple of the zones while I was down there and all appeared OK. What do you guys think?

Thanks

TJ_4

Ed,
How old is the boiler and expansion tank? If you tap the tank on the bottom and it feels full bad tank no place for expansion.
I doubt the city water pressure would affect the boiler feed. It is possible you do have a bad boiler feed. It’s not common that they just turn on.

Be careful you don’t drop it on your foot.

will smith_4

Hey Ed-

You might have a waterlogged tank.

Ed Lentz_2

Thanks for the replies. Everything is about 18 months old. I just checked the pressure and it is still at about 30#. Tapping on the tank resulted in a dull sound on the bottom and a higher pitched sound at the top. If I opened a drain and beld off some of the pressure would it build back up if the expansion tank is bad, or would it alleviate the problem of being waterlogged?

Ed Lentz_2

I 've been all over the net trying to figure something out this morning. I am pretty sure I have a waterlogged expansion tank thanks to the guys that have answered already. Now, can I drain this tank myself and reinstall it? It could only hold about 2 gals of water if it was totally full. Second, on top of the Air Scoop I have an air valve to vent the excess air. Other than when bleeding the system should that be closed?

Ken D.

Tank

Is it a standard expansion tank or a diaphragm tank? If a diaphragm the diaphragm could be ruptured or the standard could just be waterlogged.
The tank could be too small.If a tankless coil, the coil could have a leak or the fresh water feed valve could be bypassing.

Ed Lentz_2

Ken,
It is a about a year old and it is a Taco, I'll have to find the model number, I drlieved the pressure on the system by opening one of the drains I installed between the boiler output and the air scoop. I did that yesterday and it has kept a steady 18# (on the boiler guage) since then. Having left the bleeder vent on the air scoop open might have been the problem?

Terry_14

BE CAREFULL

I recommend a profesional change the tank. You could scald yourself, let unwanted air into system and the tank if full could weigh more than 40 lb.

Should you do it yourself PLEASE turn boiler off! Turn water feed off! close zones and bleed pressure to "0" on the boiler.

Many heating men do not want to work on a system that has been handled by non profesionals. above all PLEASE BE CAREFULL

Terry
i huged my kids today

Ed Lentz_2

Terry,
Believe me every time I touch the system I turn everything off. At the age of 53 I have learned a few things. Since the system has sustained its pressure for 2 + days, could it be that releasing the pressure and closing the vents has done the trick?

Ed Lentz_2

IS MY FACE RED!!

So as I stated last I was going to see if the expansion tank was waterlogged and I needed to tighten up a pump flange. I get the tank off and it is without any significant amount of water, Hmmm. Retightened the flange. Bled and recharged the system fired it back up. The wife says I have an idea, goes upstaire flushes 2 toilets and starts the water running in the bath, sure enough the water starts to back up thru the floor drain! So, I guess I shouldn't quit my day job! Thanks everyone for your kind suggestions

Ron55

Waterlogged

Read your thread with others - Thanks! I too suspect I have a waterlogged "Extrol 30". I shut system, isolated elements, relieved pressure to 0 (via relief valve); (which is what gauge really reads at low limit; fired up pressure climbs to 20-28lbs, then bleeds). Tank sounds full, pipes adjacent empty. Tried to purge with air from bottom valve. No luck. even changed stem valve. I pushed with increasing increments to 60 air lbs, but didn't want to do more. Could not easily remove tank even with heating flange/air scoop.

Query: Do I need to remove tank to purge water out? Shouldn't I just need to introduce air to bladdered tank? Should I up air pressure? Thanks in advance All! Ron

Ron55

Waterlogged

Read your thread with others - Thanks! I too suspect I have a waterlogged "Extrol 30". I shut system, isolated elements, relieved pressure to 0 (via relief valve); (which is what gauge really reads at low limit; fired up pressure climbs to 20-28lbs, then bleeds). Tank sounds full, pipes adjacent empty. Tried to purge with air from bottom valve. No luck. even changed stem valve. I pushed with increasing increments to 60 air lbs, but didn't want to do more. Could not easily remove tank even with heating flange/air scoop.

Query: Do I need to remove tank to purge water out? Shouldn't I just need to introduce air to bladdered tank? Should I up air pressure? Thanks in Advance All! Ron

Dave Larsen_11

Air pressure in tank!

Ron,
Take that tank off and bleed that air back down to about 12 lbs! you've added a ton of air to that tank. Inside the tank is a bladder that holds air and the air valve on the bottom is for that bladder! That tank is there to give the water in the system a place to "grow" when the water gets warm. If you have your tank at 60 lbs then you will need 60 lbs of expansion to compress that tank and provide "growing room". The real problem is that most boilers' relief valve is set at 30 lbs, so that will blow long before the tank can do it's job.

Derheatmeister

Ed, as i was reading you one of you post i noted that you said that you pressure on your Expansion tank was at #30, I Recommend that : you relief the system Pressure to 0 PSI (EMPTY THE EXPANSION TANK) ,Then check the diaphragm charge (I CHARGE them to approx 2 psi less than the fill pressure) the 2psi less is so that the diaphragm does not RUB up against the inlet,also it allows for expansion to take place,if you leave the Diaphragm pressure to high there is no room for expansion! again this must be done in a relief stage(no water on the wet side ) Richard from Heatmeister.

Ed Lentz_2

Thanks Richard for the reply albiet a little late. I will keep that in mind.