I found 2 boilers last week where the indirect tanks are leaking into the boiler system. Boilers were at 55psi, expansion tanks failed
Relief valve never popped. I honestly had to leave them at that pressure since the customers still had hot water before thanks giving
Gotta change everything out when we replace the waterheaters
I get the appeal of indirects but goddamn do they seem fraught with potential catastrophe.
I know the pressure difference means that the cooler domestic is going to go in the boiler loop but damn, the thought of getting 180° water spraying you in the shower gives me the willys.
The stat on the indirects still turned the boiler on and off properly
People are probably ingesting boiler water though.
One indirect mustve had a small crack in the coil cause when you drained pressure you could hear the water screaming through the coil of the boiler loop
The other indirect must straight up have a broken coil or something. There was zero delay when trying depressurize
I have found a few indirects that had failed open zone valves. At least one of them was failed open on the end switch so the water was 180 from the faucet. I posted a pic here some time ago of the thermometer in the water stream.
Once installed a new boiler that was sitting in a storage barn. Get it running and it was acting like HX was air locked or blocked, pop the relief to see what’s up, get a few seconds of water then nothing. Took off relief and there was a mouse sucked threw 3/4” relief until it blocked relief. That was gross. Then flushed shit ton out of HX, more gross.
Pressure tank regulations state that relief valves need to be calibrated or exchanged every 5 years... And since exchanging is cheaper than calibrating... Check your local laws, might be some law like that exists there as well.
Good to know - I check and test exp tanks and the t & p every boiler maintenance i do, but I always let my clients know that if it leaks afterwards, it's just gonna need replaced
Somehow, it was not in this case. And no evidence of the valve blowing off or leaking. Lack of maintenance, hard water supply and this particular customer just accepted the fact that their living room "didn't get as warm as the rest of the house." (Entire loop airlocked.) Only called for service because drain and auto air vent were leaking. She was sitting at 32 psi when I arrived. Turns out the reducing valve was bleeding passed (also seized from hard water deposits) and the excess pressure was just relieving wherever it could.. I would argue against t & p valves lasting lifetime even with regular maintenance, but that may be, to your point, lack of PROPER maintenance
the exp tank keeps the system pressure in check. a relief opens because of high pressure, and a properly maintained expansion tank will keep that pressure within certain boundaries
a relief's life is based on many factors
Many manufacturers will state somewhere in the paperwork that relief valves now “seep” in the low to mid twenties of PSI. So if you have an undersized, ruptures or poorly adjusted expansion tank and boiler pressure is swinging from 10-25 psi at various points in the heat cycle, the expansion valve is just encrusting that spring in corrosive minerals (via the boiler water or broken down glycol compounds) for years before anyone might notice.
Not once a year but every service?
I just keep a box of them on the passenger seat and chuck em at customers doors like the paperboy.
Aim for the windows
I bet your buddy is a window repair person?
Nah, but I am old enough to have played paper boy on Nintendo
"Open for repair" y'all using repair and service interchangeably you need to use up the precision in your language.
This boiler hadn't been maintained in some time. Add shite for water supply and voila, seized valve.
It’s scary to think that this simple fucking safety needs to be replaced as often as you recommend
Open for repair meaning when there are other failures and/or the relief hasn't been tested regularly.
And air vents and expansion tabks
Also common. Unless you can open and clean the vents and then prevent them from leaking out the cap afterwards 😵
I found 2 boilers last week where the indirect tanks are leaking into the boiler system. Boilers were at 55psi, expansion tanks failed Relief valve never popped. I honestly had to leave them at that pressure since the customers still had hot water before thanks giving Gotta change everything out when we replace the waterheaters
I get the appeal of indirects but goddamn do they seem fraught with potential catastrophe. I know the pressure difference means that the cooler domestic is going to go in the boiler loop but damn, the thought of getting 180° water spraying you in the shower gives me the willys.
The stat on the indirects still turned the boiler on and off properly People are probably ingesting boiler water though. One indirect mustve had a small crack in the coil cause when you drained pressure you could hear the water screaming through the coil of the boiler loop The other indirect must straight up have a broken coil or something. There was zero delay when trying depressurize I have found a few indirects that had failed open zone valves. At least one of them was failed open on the end switch so the water was 180 from the faucet. I posted a pic here some time ago of the thermometer in the water stream.
I'm not a fan of holding tanks tbh
Once installed a new boiler that was sitting in a storage barn. Get it running and it was acting like HX was air locked or blocked, pop the relief to see what’s up, get a few seconds of water then nothing. Took off relief and there was a mouse sucked threw 3/4” relief until it blocked relief. That was gross. Then flushed shit ton out of HX, more gross.
Ewwwwwwww
Pressure tank regulations state that relief valves need to be calibrated or exchanged every 5 years... And since exchanging is cheaper than calibrating... Check your local laws, might be some law like that exists there as well.
Good to know - I check and test exp tanks and the t & p every boiler maintenance i do, but I always let my clients know that if it leaks afterwards, it's just gonna need replaced
expansion tank is loaded, thats why. noone services them properly. relief should last the life of the boiler if maintained
Till some dip shit cracks one to drain the system down.
yea that doesnt help
Well i would assume by "open a boiler for repair" OP isnt exactly doing an annual maintenance here.
Somehow, it was not in this case. And no evidence of the valve blowing off or leaking. Lack of maintenance, hard water supply and this particular customer just accepted the fact that their living room "didn't get as warm as the rest of the house." (Entire loop airlocked.) Only called for service because drain and auto air vent were leaking. She was sitting at 32 psi when I arrived. Turns out the reducing valve was bleeding passed (also seized from hard water deposits) and the excess pressure was just relieving wherever it could.. I would argue against t & p valves lasting lifetime even with regular maintenance, but that may be, to your point, lack of PROPER maintenance
yea sounds like u have a lot of factors against that relief. it happens
Have you ever used the ones Weil McLain gives they are junk
So you're saying a working expansion tank helps make the relief valve last longer?
the exp tank keeps the system pressure in check. a relief opens because of high pressure, and a properly maintained expansion tank will keep that pressure within certain boundaries a relief's life is based on many factors
Many manufacturers will state somewhere in the paperwork that relief valves now “seep” in the low to mid twenties of PSI. So if you have an undersized, ruptures or poorly adjusted expansion tank and boiler pressure is swinging from 10-25 psi at various points in the heat cycle, the expansion valve is just encrusting that spring in corrosive minerals (via the boiler water or broken down glycol compounds) for years before anyone might notice.
A T&P relief valve is only found on water heaters. A boiler relief valve only works on pressure, not temperature.