Leaky Heating Pipe

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Originally Posted by Mangos86
Little update. Plumber came today. Serviced the boiler and fixed the pipe. Only $73 for the pipe fixing. Pretty decent I think. However, apparently someone decided to fill the boiler with antifreeze years ago, and his test strip told him it could be acidic and might need to come out. He is getting back to me. Thanks for all the responses.


Yeah, that's a little strange to use antifreeze in a boiler, never really see that. I think you only do that if you're going to winterize the house. Normally there's make up water anyway, boilers usually aren't as well sealed as car cooling systems.
 
Originally Posted by Mangos86
Little update. Plumber came today. Serviced the boiler and fixed the pipe. Only $73 for the pipe fixing. Pretty decent I think. However, apparently someone decided to fill the boiler with antifreeze years ago, and his test strip told him it could be acidic and might need to come out. He is getting back to me. Thanks for all the responses.

When you fill a system with Ethylene Glycol (Antifreeze) you have to monitor it every 3 years with Litmus paper/strips.
When I was working in the field installing chillers, cooling towers, ahu's, etc., and we installed an EG system, we had a service team that would monitor the EG system. You CAN'T just install it and walk away and think it will last forever. I have seen chiller tubes so corroded from neglect they looked like clogged human arteries. Yes, they can be rodded out. But, why let it come to this.
OP, change out the EG, NOW!
 
I'm going to get the antifreeze removed from the system ASAP. Here are the pics of the repair.
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Looks great. Did Mr. Plumber happen to say what caused the failure?

I have used a couple SharkBite valves; I have heard great things and they are so simple to install.
But you gotta do it right, just like anything else.
If it was the SharkBite (which I kinda doubt), how old was it?

Thanks in advance.
 
He soldered a piece of pipe into a long coupling and inserted it into the pex with a pex type pipe clamp to hold it. I still would have added a ball valve (if there's not one at the beginning of the pipe). Well done job.
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OP, there are BOO KOO chemicals on the market that can be added to your system to treat the pipes and system. Ask whomever is doing the job to add a chemical that won't break the bank, yet, will keep the pipes and system from corrosion. Your system will thank you, and your wallet!
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He mentioned that the shark bite isn't usually used for lower pressure closed loop heating systems. I'm still not sure why there is antifreeze. The pipes are all indoors and not subjected to freezing temps. I can only guess that maybe the previous owner left the house in winter for long periods of time.
 
Originally Posted by Mangos86
He mentioned that the shark bite isn't usually used for lower pressure closed loop heating systems. I'm still not sure why there is antifreeze. The pipes are all indoors and not subjected to freezing temps. I can only guess that maybe the previous owner left the house in winter for long periods of time.

EG system is like a chemical treatment for the pipes and system. Think of it as a huge car radiator and the water and EG mixture is used to treat the heating and cooling system.
 
Maybe the OP's isn't like mine, but my previous house was built in the 50's and never saw anything but municipal tap water for it's hot water baseboard heat system. Same with our current home that was built in 1972 and has hot water baseboard heating.
 
Plumber came back out today to pickup a tool he left here. He removed all the coolant and flushed with fresh water. No charge either!
 
You need to save the old water in the boiler or add new Cryotek as the boiler is being filled. Cyrotek is the antifreeze. Be sure and tell who ever fixes the leak that there is antifreeze in the system.

Unless the home is an unoccupied or winter weekend house I would not go with Cryotek. Its heat transfer is worse than water and it can corrode zone valves.

And its expensive.

Any antifreeze in boiler MUST be non toxic.
 
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