That is a little high if the boiler is cold...fine if it's hot. I usually set cold pressure to more like 12-15 PSI.
True, when I was saying 20 psi is fine, I meant when running and to to Temp. If that's the cold psi, that could be the issue.
When the system is hot the expansion tank should be hot except for where the bladder is. It should be half water, half bladder. Warm water, cool bladder. The bladder pressure should stay at about 12-15 psi if you relief the water pressure. If it goes to nothing the bladder is shot. If the pressure relief was blowing off because the pressure was high it was doing its job. Is the pressure regulator adjustable ? They do go bad. It might be more common for screens in them to block and pressure go low, but they can leak at a seal and go high as well. Or just jam.
The boiler was hot when I checked the gauge. I am suspecting the bladder went that would explain “tire going flat” noise the wife herd. I would expect water to come out when I checked the pressure tho? I’ll get my temp gun out and check the tank today. The relief valve that is spewing water out intermittently was replaced yesterday.
One thing that i have noticed is we haven’t been hearing the pipes banging(water hammer) when the washing machine is running like we did before the noise/leak incident.
Interesting that you say "Pipes Banging". We had the same leak on the pressure relief value. The tech replaced the water tank. The value still leaked. Then he finally replaced the value and cured the leak. However, we still had severe pipe banging. We noticed that water was not circulating in the radiators. They weren't getting hot. We replaced the pump and all is fine now.
The hot water for the washing machine comes from the boiler? Forgive me I know little about this stuff.
Yes your domestic hot water comes from your boiler. I would guess the pipes rattle because the washer has a solenoid valve that slams shut when full. Or a couple times during the cycle
I just mentioned it thinking it may be related. It could be we are hearing it less because the ground is thawing. The noises around the house seem to change with the season.
My ir temp gun is at work with the rest of my tools! Grrr... The tank feels to be the same temp top to bottom(cool). And tapping on it it sounds empty top to bottom.
Not unless the bladder has a catastrophic failure...which they usually just leak enough to "let the air out" and not so much "fill with water" on the air side...there may be some in there, but not full enough to leak out when you check the pressure. Some systems use an expansion tank that doesn't even have bladder in it...just an air pocket in the top of the tank...have one at work like that. I checked with the OEM to see if they recommend a "new style" bladder tank, they said nope, we still use the same one you have. I assume the relief valve is rated at 30 PSI? Do you mess with the relief valve much? Its kind of a catch 22 situation with those...you need to operate it manually once in a while to make sure it is free and can do its job if needed, but any time the valve is lifted off its seat there is the risk of a piece of dirt/contamination getting in there causing a leak, (slow drip like you had there) and I have rarely had any luck getting one to seal again once they have started leaking.
You can get a cold water pressure tank. We have one. $27 bucks @ Home Depot 40 PSI works up to 150 PSI - See pics below Eastman 2 Gal. Thermal Expansion Tank-60022 - The Home Depot
I have never touched the valve in the 5 years we have lived here dad said he never did anything with it either. Here is the best pic I could get of the valve. There was no water on the floor this morning....
Yup, I'm with ya there...but we have to get annual state boiler inspection on the big one at work (digester heater) and the inspector always checks/lifts the relief valve! (I think he owns stock in a relief valve company! )
Hmm...I'm surprised that has a 150 PSI valve in it...is that common on residential boilers? With one rated that high then the old one was certainly bad...I thought maybe you were just "dancing the dance" between cold/hot system pressures and had a 30 PSI relief valve...I've only ever messed with commercial systems so residential might have different rules to play by...
