QUESTION FROM JT

I appreciate any insight you can give me. Here is the short story: I have been having issues with air in my hot water baseboard heat lines (gas furnace). Every day I have to bleed all the radiators and the furnace (bleeder on the top of the furnace). Note that all the bleeders are the automatic purge bleeders. Additionally, we came home one day and the pilot light had gone out on the furnace. The house was chilly so it had been out for a while. I relit the pilot light and we were good to go. The thing that bothers me is that there was a small puddle at the bottom of the furnace (probably a few tablespoons worth). Once the furnace was up and running again, all the water evaporated quickly. I'm concerned that there is a major furnace problem due to the fact that there was water at the bottom of the furnace when cold, and the fact that I continually have to bleed everything. Constant air would lead me to believe that there is a small leak somewhere - however, there is constantly air in the bleeder at the top of the furnace. This would lead me to believe that the leak is somewhere in the furnace as air rises. What do you think? What should I look at first?

Thank you!

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear JT:

You are correct that if you are continually having to bleed air from your baseboard heating system that there is likely a leak somewhere. From your description, it sounds like you might likely have a small water leak somewhere in your system. You should check all of the bleeder valves on your system, as this is a common place for water leaks to occur. And you should also check all of the piping, valves and fittings around your boiler for signs of water leakage. Hopefully, there are no water leaks occurring in any of the piping anywhere inside of your walls, as this can cause major problems related to pests, etc. On the other hand you should also check your pressure relief valve. If you boiler pressure is running too high, it could lifting the pressure relief valve, and this could also be where water could be leaving your system.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com

QUESTION FROM Marc

HELP! Having trouble finding small leak in my baseboard heating system.

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Marc:

If you have a small water leak in your hot water baseboard heating system, it is possible that it is evaporating very quickly, and therefore making it very hard to detect. One thing you can try is to turn off all of your thermostats and let the system get cold, and then thoroughly check the entire system for leaks. When it is cold the leaking water won't evaporate as quickly and will hopefully allow you to see where the water is coming out of your system.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com

QUESTION FROM mblehrer

I have a 2 pipe hydronic heating system w/ 5 zone valves and common circulating pump. I have bled the system and the air gurgling sounds return within a few days. The automatic air bleeder valve appears okay from the outside (no corrosion etc.)The boiler pressure remains at 12 psi so the auto fill valve is doing its job and there are no leaks in the system. Should I replace the auto air bleeder valve? What is the procedure?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear mblehrer:

From your description, it sounds like you may have a small water leak somewhere in your baseboard heating system. Places to check include: - the seals around your circulation pump - in and around your boiler - your baseboard units (look for damp carpet or floors) - at the top of your air expansion tank

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com