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Hydronic water test kit.

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offdutytech
offdutytech Member Posts: 242
in Radiant Heating

I just changed out a cast iron boiler for a customer that had some water quality issues. The back story on the system was the original 1968 boiler was on well water. Sometime in 2000 boiler was changed out with a new Utica cast iron, but most likely wasn't flushed right. Instead of more repairs to the system the customer had me change the boiler. I started the water clean up process with the first system flush and a Adey filter on the new boiler with the cleaner.

Any suggestions on a decent water test kit or meter to get so that I can track the water quality. Once the initial sediment and garbage has been broken down I'm going to use the Axoim de-mineralizer to fill the system up. Here are a few pics of the old boiler that show corrosion and one of the Adey filter after 45 min of operation.

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Owner of Grunaire Climate Solutions. Check us out under the locate a contractor section. Located in Detroit area.

Comments

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 27,301

    It depends on how much you want to know about the water. Ph, hardness, TDS are at least 3. Chlorides if it is a stainless boiler.

    The kits to check all that get $$. Unless you do a lot of systems it may be easier to mail in a sample. Fernox offers that service, and tests for 18 conditions..

    Screenshot 2026-02-08 at 10.11.53 AM.png

    But, if you are going to run fill through a deionizer it doesn't matter.

    That system may have had a leak and was taking on a lot of fresh water? Check that first. Or non oxygen barrier radiant tube?

    I would first run a cleaner in that system, flush, make the repairs, clean again, fill with DI then a conditioner.

    Once you use a conditioner, then you need to test occasionally with a Fernox specific test kit. Test strips are simple way for ongoing testing.

    Screenshot 2026-02-08 at 10.23.00 AM.png Screenshot 2026-02-08 at 10.14.00 AM.png
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • offdutytech
    offdutytech Member Posts: 242

    @hot_rod Thanks for the info. I think that may fit the bill for a basic kit. I know some kits pricey.

    The system is all copper fin baseboard. At some point there was a sunroom addition put on and an additional zone. The other issue was that they had make up water coming from the domestic hot water supply where the tank was going through a few anode rods. The tank was replaced. I moved the water feed to the domestic city cold water feed.

    When I ripped out the old water feed I found no strainer in the bottom of the B&G PRV. It's possible some junk found its way from the tank to the boiler system at some point. The customer said they constantly had to clean faucets strainers out before they replaced the water tank. Needless to say it's going to be a clean up process.

    Owner of Grunaire Climate Solutions. Check us out under the locate a contractor section. Located in Detroit area.

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