Internal Leak in a Boiler

Why it's Important to Find Internal Leaks

• Even though they're hard to detect, internal leaks can be harmful enough to be worth searching for. Even a small internal leak can get bigger oven time, as water or steam corrodes the metal around the leak site. A tiny leak today can be a major problem in the future, which is why leaks should always be nipped in the bud. Leaks also lower a boiler's efficiency. If a boiler is leaking, it must work harder to do its job, and that means it's also raising your energy bills.

Causes and Likely Locations

• Leaks develop in a variety of ways, but they're usually caused by corrosion and rust, the inevitable side effects of running water through pipes. Corrosion can cause pinhole leaks in metal walls, or loosen the connections between pipes, valves, seams and joints. Internal leaks often occur inside a boiler's heat exchanger or between sections of a cast iron boiler, and may sometimes be caused by parts that were not well-fitted to begin with.

Finding Internal Leaks

• Internal leaks are seldom detectable by examining the outside of your boiler, although rust at the bottom of the boiler jacket can sometimes be a clue. More often, the boiler's external cover must be removed to see the interior parts. This is something you can do if you posses the necessary tools and expertise, but many homeowners may feel more comfortable hiring a skilled technician to undertake such a major operation. Technicians can also perform a hydrostatic test, which uses hot water and increasing pressure to find the sources of boiler leaks.

Warning

• If you do find a leak in your boiler, whether it's internal or external, the best policy is to look but not touch. Rust around leaks can often be so thin that it collapses easily, and this can instantly transform a small leak into a serious and potentially hazardous problem. Scraping away corrosion buildup and mineral deposits is also risky, because these substances may be the only things holding back a more serious leak. If you find a leak in your boiler, contact a technician who can offer advice and help you repair or replace the leaky part.