boiler losing water

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fed123

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Two of my 2d floor radiators were making excessive clanging noises. I adjusted the radiator valve at the end of the radiator (not the on-off valve) all the way open to let steam out.

That stopped the excessive clanging, but now I have to fill my boiler with water almost every day. It seems that the water that is in the pipes is not returning to the boiler. Is the boiler using more water because more steam is escaping from those two radiators whose valves I've opened? Does it harm the boiler to keep adding fresh water?

I've checked all my radiators for leaks and can't find any.

Please advise. Thanks!
 

Tom Sawyer

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You should call in somebody that knows what to look for. There are too many things it could be to go into vast detail here.
 

Jadnashua

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Steam is invisible until it condenses (and you may not see it condense)...with the valve open, you are losing moisture. The valves need to be closed. Why it is clanking is another issue, and could be from rust buildup or other reasons.
 

fed123

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The problem does seem to have started when I opened the valves. I will try closing them before calling someone in. Not only did opening the valves stop the banging, I also seemed to get better heat in those radiators.
 

Tom Sawyer

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Opening the vents will let the air out faster and the steam in quicker but, you should not be loosing that much water. Do you have a wet return system?
 

Tk03

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Any steam leaks are letting water from the system and must be made up.
Are there any returns that drop into the floor like under doorways?
Does it harm the boiler to keep adding fresh water?
Yes, adding water too often brings in oxygen, minerals and chemicals all of which are bad for the boiler.
The worst thing on a steam boiler is chlorides. One chlorides start eating out the boiler you cannot stop it. Chlorides will normally eat away at the top of the boiler.
 

Tom Sawyer

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Seriously you guys have to give this a rest. Go to www.heatinghelp.com spend a few hours and do some reading before you get some poor guy into real trouble. Chlorides....really?
 

fed123

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I've actually been told that too much fresh water can have an eroding effect on the boiler, which is why I asked. I would like to know, because that is primarily why I'm concerned about the amount of water I've been adding since opening those vents.
 

Tk03

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How much water is being introduced when the vents are closed. Every steam boiler should have a small inexpensive water meter added on the make-up water. If you use auto feeders the Hydrolevel VXT-XX(volts) has a built in water meter.
 

Tom Sawyer

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Why? look, I got your PM and I'm not buying any of it. Your posts here clearly show that you have no clue about what you are talking about. If you really are what you say you are I feel really bad for your customers. Please either do some better research or quit wasting everyone's time.
 

Tk03

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Before you go busting off at the mouth with your rude and incorrect information maybe you better back up and look at what you are posting. I tried to handle this on a private level but you continue to be a very sarcastic person. The information I pass on has come from research and field experience gathered in 33 years in the HVAC industry.
12 Years Tech
9 Years service manager
2 Years Tech rep for manufacturer
10 years manager of training
I am not sure where you have gathered your information but in my current position I have talked to many manufacturers to make sure I have the proper information. I get many calls a day from the US and Canada with boiler and system problems and most of the time resolved the first time, nobody is perfect not even you!
You always refer to heatinghelp.com even though that is a very good website it is hearsay from who knows who.
Since I normally do not post rude remarks on an open forum as you insist on doing this type of post will never happen again. I will just ignore your rude and sarcastic remarks in the future.
I apoligize to everyone else for this post.
 
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