Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: cjf12 on November 30, 2015, 08:38:11 AM

Title: leaking out the overflow
Post by: cjf12 on November 30, 2015, 08:38:11 AM

My overflow is continuously running.  Where could all the extra water be coming from.  I have a water line plumbed to feed it when it gets low with a ball valve and just checked the ball valve and it is still good.  The only other place I can think of is the plate exchanger.  Is it possible my potable water is blowing through a hole and filling up the boiler?  My hot water at the spigot is still clear with no sign of it mixed with nasty furnace water.  Any other place I may be missing or do you all think this is where it's at.  System is about 10 years old.

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: slimjim on November 30, 2015, 08:51:41 AM

I would be checking it ASAP

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: cjf12 on November 30, 2015, 09:05:29 AM

How would you figure out that's where the leak is?

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: slimjim on November 30, 2015, 09:09:12 AM

how about turning the water off on the pressurized side and seeing if the issue continues, I have never seen them leak but i'm sure it can happen.

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: AirForcePOL on November 30, 2015, 10:07:10 AM

Are you on a well by chance?  If it is a significant amount of water, you could try not running any faucets and monitoring the pressure on the well tank. 

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: fireboss on November 30, 2015, 03:35:38 PM

How about expansion? What is your temp and when did you fill it last?

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: cjf12 on November 30, 2015, 04:46:17 PM

No well, just spring fed and has a manual fill with a ball valve.  I shut off the ball valve that feeds for domestic meaning all valves are shut that are plumbed to the furnace.  Came back after hunting for about 4 hours and it still is trickling out.   I'm baffled.  If it's not getting water it would dry up soon but how is it coming from the overflow????

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: shepherd boy on November 30, 2015, 05:38:29 PM

I have seen several plate heat exchangers leak through. I would first check the stove fill ball valve, if it is not that it got to be the exchanger.

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: Steinacher Sales on November 30, 2015, 06:16:09 PM

Ball valves do leak sometimes could be a faulty valve.

Greg Steinacher
618-401-0726

Title: Re: leaking out the overflow
Post by: mlappin on November 30, 2015, 06:53:22 PM

How did you check the ball valve?

If your absolutely sure it’s not the ball valve then turn the domestic side off to the FPHE and see if it continues to overflow, or if possible shut your stove down and disconnect the stove side of the FPHE and see if water continues to come out from the domestic side.