There Is Water Under My Boiler!

There Is Water Under My Boiler!

What Does That Probably Mean?

leaking boiler can immediately throw homeowners into a state of panic. But there’s not always the need to be thrown into such a state. First, you need to understand why your boiler system is leaking. Hot water boilers and steam boilers are both susceptible to leaks. A steam boiler is only filled about halfway with water. If there were more than that, it would be difficult to produce steam. And if a steam boiler is leaking, it is usually not a good sign. There is no pressure within a steam boiler as it contains only water inside.

What should I be looking for?

The first step in remedying this situation is to look for some obvious causes. That includes checking the sight glass and drain valves. Something more serious would be a faulty return line, which could have a hole, crack or actually become rusted through. Leaks in a return line are not uncommon. All of those problems can be fixed by replacing parts.

When it comes to a leaking cast iron boiler, look for cracks. If you find one, it is not a good sign as cracks are not easily repaired. A cracked boiler generally means that it is time for boiler replacement instead of repair.

Replacement is not necessarily the only option, at least for now.

However, there are repair solutions. A product called ‘Hercules Boiler Liquid Stop Leak’ is sold at Lowe’s and other similar type of repair stores. This will provide a temporary fix to your cracked boiler and will work in both steam and hot water boiler systems. It can get homeowners through a winter, but it is not a permanent solution and doesn’t usually work for more than a year. When there is a leak under a hot water boiler, there are more places that need to be checked.

Leaks in these types of boilers could come from many different places. It could just be a crack. It could also be a leaking circulator or pipe, which can be fixed by simply replacing those parts. There is also the possibility that the leak could be caused by a bad release valve. If there is suddenly 30 pounds or more of pressure, the release valve will open and start to release water. Once again, the part will need to be changed.

Preventative maintenance is key.

To better your chances of not finding water under your boiler, preventative measures can be taken. Clean water can be maintained within a steam boiler. You will never want to totally drain it and when flushing it, the first step is to always let it cool. Adding cold water to a hot boiler could cause it to crack. Once the boiler has cooled, start draining the water. Drain the dirty water until it starts to appear clean. It is recommended that this be done every one to two months.

Hot water boilers are not capable of going through this draining process. When you find yourself in need of boiler repair in York, contact the team at Cool Masters. Whatever your problem, we can provide a fix with either boiler replacement, maintenance or repair.

Share This: