Had Your 'Radiant' Checkup? - Page 2

Reid is particularly critical of technicians cutting into the slab to lay replacement tubing, which he termed "the dumbest idea in history."

While not all technicians agree, Reid explained his position. "[When you penetrate the slab], you're taking away the structural integrity of your house! I can't think of anything worse to do to an Eichler."

"Generally, what we try to do is not dig into the slab," Rondou pointed out.

Rondou said one way a homeowner can check for leaks is to shut off the water supply and see if the system pressure drops quickly, indicating leakage. He recommends doing this in the summer, when the boiler and pump are off and safe from damage.

"It's one of those things where, if you don't know what you're doing, you can get into trouble," he admitted. "I like to educate my customers so they can keep tabs on their system year round."

Likewise, one of the things a technician will do while inspecting a boiler and components is to tidy things up in the combustion chamber—something a shop vacuum-equipped homeowner can do anytime.

"I know a lot of these systems have gone almost their whole lives without being cleaned," Rondou lamented.

For his routine inspections, said Reid, "We check the burners, make sure there's no soot in there," noting also that a spring-loaded cap in the older model pumps should be oiled annually. If soot is present, he added, "That's bad combustion that can lead to carbon monoxide [and] can be a fire hazard."

"We check the flue, make sure the flue is secure," he continued, explaining that flues sometimes get dislodged when roofing work is done.

Overall, Reid summarized, "If you oil that pump, and the pressure is good, that's a pretty good indicator" of a healthy radiant system. If you hear dripping, or the water supply running when nothing is on, "That's something you want to deal with immediately."

The message our experts advised is if your radiant system is ailing, fix it before it's too late. If it's running well, maintain it—annually for systems with older components, every five years or so for newer ones.

"Inspections can be a good value, mainly for the health of the slab, but for the boiler too," said Rondou. "When we're dealing with these old things, it makes sense to [stay vigilant and] look at them."

To paraphrase another old saw, a stitch in time may save your ‘radiant.' So, take that advice—and stay in touch with your favorite radiant heat technician.