Radiant Heating Question
I just went to turn my radiant heating on for the winter, and noticed that the PSI gage says that the pressure is 0. It is my understanding that the radiant heating system is ‘closed’ and the 0 PSI reading means that the water must have leaked out over the summer. Is this correct?
What would happen if I turned on the boiler if there is no water in the system?
I think I have a big problem on my hands. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Any repair service recommendations in the Concord area would also be wonderful.
Thanks in advance.
Nancy
Nancy0425 [at] yahoo.com
Bummer :-(
Yep, although your pressure gauge could be on the fritz, it's more likely you've lost the water from the closed system. I would say do *not* turn on the boiler if there is no water in the system.
I'd say your best bet is to get someone in to look at the system. Leak detection has come a long way since the old days and is pretty interesting to watch: they remove the water, fill the system with a small molecule gas, sweep the floor area with a gas detector to locate the escaping gas.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Jake
P.S. My system has a refill valve which can add water back into the system--a temporary measure until a leak is fixed. On mine, the refill valve looks like the old desk bells (the kind you slapped at service counter to get their attention) with a metal loop like a basket handle. The mechanism is mounted to a pipe (water supply) to the right side of the boiler. You lift the handle to allow incoming water and, if it works correctly, it shuts itself off when you hit the right back pressure--but don't trust that, watch the pressure gauge and don't let it get above 18 or so (at least that's the level for my original 1960 A. O. Smith boiler) You might not have a refill valve or it might be seized if it hasn't been used in a number of years.
