What can go wrong with a baseboard heating system??
The major failure modes are: • Pump failure. Normally the bearings in the pump fail and the pump becomes noisy. Replacement is usually a fairly simple task since most systems have isolation valves on both sides of the pump so that it can be removed with little loss of water from the system. Pump seals also develop leaks. • Boiler failure – just as a water heater can fail, the boiler can also develop leaks. The good news is that since the water is enclosed in the system and is typically not replenished on a regular basis, there is not a significant build-up of calcium in the tank as there is in your hot water tank which continually brings calcium into the water heater. That calcium settles in the bottom of a water heater and causes hot spots and eventual failure of the water tank – not so with the heating system’s tank. • Leaks in the system – normally obvious in the form of wet floors or carpets underneath the baseboard units. • Air trapped in the system – causes a gurgling sound in th
