OWB question

[abckidsdad]

I have a CB6048 that I use to heat my house and water. I have the old cast iron radiators as my source for heat. This is my second year using it, last year every thing worked fine. This year I've noticed that the water in one radiator on the second floor keeps dropping and the water level in the OWB is rising. There are no water leaks in the house (that I can find) however I have lost half a radiator in two days, I think I could find that leak. The OWB dose sit level or a little lower than my basement and the house is a two story with a basement.

I have a single loop that goes threw a heat plate then to an oil furnace with a check valve. This started off slow, top off that radiator once a month, now it is down half in two days.

My first thought was a small leak in that radiator near the top, but I put it back on the oil furnace and pressurized it with the house water and found no leak. Now I have no idea what might be wrong. Any thoughts?

 

[Keevan]

it sounds like you need to bleed the radiators,purge some air worth a try

 

[abckidsdad]

it sounds like you need to bleed the radiators,purge some air worth a try

That was the first thing I did.

 

[Bcat22]

you might have a pin hole leak that is too small to allow water through, but will allow air in. if there is a place for air to enter the system, it will let the water run to the lowest point that also has air/no pressure, like your stove. i know you have a check valve, but i know the one i have will still let water seep back at a slow rate, they aren't perfect.

 

[ericjeeper]

I have a CB6048 that I use to heat my house and water. I have the old cast iron radiators as my source for heat. This is my second year using it, last year every thing worked fine. This year I've noticed that the water in one radiator on the second floor keeps dropping and the water level in the OWB is rising. There are no water leaks in the house (that I can find) however I have lost half a radiator in two days, I think I could find that leak. The OWB dose sit level or a little lower than my basement and the house is a two story with a basement.

I have a single loop that goes threw a heat plate then to an oil furnace with a check valve. This started off slow, top off that radiator once a month, now it is down half in two days.

My first thought was a small leak in that radiator near the top, but I put it back on the oil furnace and pressurized it with the house water and found no leak. Now I have no idea what might be wrong. Any thoughts?

Ok Let me make sure I am on the same page.
The water in the OWB only makes a loop in and out of a HX. The radiator is on the household side of the fuel oil fired BOILER? Not furnace. ??
or is the flat plate for domestic hot water? Is your pump that feeds the radiators on 24/7? Or does it cycle off and on with demand for heat?
How many pumps are in this system?

 

[abckidsdad]

you might have a pin hole leak that is too small to allow water through, but will allow air in. if there is a place for air to enter the system, it will let the water run to the lowest point that also has air/no pressure, like your stove. i know you have a check valve, but i know the one i have will still let water seep back at a slow rate, they aren't perfect.

That is what I'm afraid of.

 

[abckidsdad]

Ok Let me make sure I am on the same page.
The water in the OWB only makes a loop in and out of a HX. The radiator is on the household side of the fuel oil fired BOILER? Not furnace. ??
or is the flat plate for domestic hot water? Is your pump that feeds the radiators on 24/7? Or does it cycle off and on with demand for heat?
How many pumps are in this system?

The water comes to a flat plate for domestic hot water then to the furnace where it loops back to the OWB until the house calls for heat, then the pump on the furnace kicks on and opens the check valve to bring the hot water to the radiators.

There are two pumps, the one on the OWB is on 24/7, the one on the furnace is only on when the house calls for heat.

 

[ericjeeper]

very simple solution. You have a leak somewhere up high that is allowing a Vacuum break.Then the water is being sucked back out to the boiler.
Note a Furnace usually heats air. A boiler heats water.

 

[coyotencuttin]

to me it sounds like your pressure reducing valve/fill valve at your boiler isn't keeping pressure on your boiler. if it was working properly and you had a pinhole in your hx it would overfill your owb, to the point of running over. do you have an automatic air vent on the second floor? if you have low pressure they will allow air into the system just as easily as out. let us know, harold

 

[abckidsdad]

A quick update.

I'm not sure but I think is was leaking past the check valve, I opened it then closed it again and the water level is holding in the radiators.