I inherited a hydronic heating system (Burnham Series 2, installed circa 1996) in the home we purchased in February. We have had problems with it ever since. We have been called by the gas company asking to do a gas leak check because we used so much more natural gas than last year. Additionally, the water company actually took time and highlighted our water bill last month, because the usage was so out of control.
We have been renovating the house, a 4-level split in Iowa, so it is vacant, and have had all four zones set at 55F, after replacing all of the old mercury-based thermostats with new electronic thermostats. I called a local plumber listed on the Burnham Web site, but he knew little about the system, and recommended replacing the thermostats. In the upstairs zone, that made a difference, because requests for more heat actually fill the radiators now, previously that did not happen.
Our water usage is still out of control, though. It is warm enough to turn the boiler off, which we have done, and have also shut off the water supply valve to the boiler. Prior to that, when it was turned on, it sounded like the water was constantly running, like when somebody has a faucet turned on. There was water in the closet near the boiler, so maybe there is a leak in one of the pipes, but I didn't see any visible drips or wet copper pipes. ANother plumber suggested that maybe a copper pipe has burst under the basement floor, and it is constantly requesting water, but I don't show any evidence of that scale of a leak.
I am working with Burnham to locate who installed the unit, so I can contact them to investigate the problem. What types of things are likely candidates for all that water usage, though? Could it be a valve problem or something like that? Also, what annual maintenance would a boiler pro recommend performing annually/end of season?
Thanks for any help!