There are no ideally mounted heating systems, and therefore sooner or later it is discovered that the coolant is leaking. Sealants for heating systems are capable of eliminating leaks. The polymeric substances included in their composition are suitable for sealing gaps in the joints of pipes, radiators and even boilers. We propose to consider the advantages of a liquid sealant for heating in comparison with conventional sealants, as well as the rules for its use.
Types of sealants
In today's everyday life, a large number of agents with sealing properties are used.
According to their chemical composition, sealants are divided into the following main types:
- acrylic - unstable, do not tolerate temperature changes;
- polyurethane - elastic, have high adhesion to metals, resistant to corrosion and temperature;
- silicone - the most common type of universal sealants, retain elasticity and moisture resistance in a wide temperature range, are durable.
When sealing leaks in the metal elements of the heating system with silicone sealant, it is permissible to use only its neutral variety, but not acidic, since the acetic acid contained in the acid sealant will cause active corrosion of the metal.
Heat-resistant sealant for heating pipes is used for metal and polymer materials. This tool regularly fulfills its purpose - to prevent moisture penetration from damaged elements of the heating system. The sealing substance, which is a viscous mass, quickly hardens at the application site and subsequently withstands high temperatures.
To seal threaded connections in modern heating networks, instead of linen tow and FUM tape, anaerobic adhesive sealant is used. The environmental friendliness of such a sealing agent allows it to be used not only in heating, but also in plumbing systems.
A sealant for heating boilers is used to eliminate gaps in places where the temperature resistance of the material up to 1500 ° C is required.
With this tool, it is possible to close cracks in heat exchangers and chimneys of boilers and furnaces. After hardening in the seams between surfaces made of different materials (metal, brick, concrete), the substance retains its tightness.
The Better Liquid Sealant For Heating Repair
It is not always possible to use external agents to repair heating. What to do, for example, if the place of leakage cannot be found, because the house had hidden piping and a heated floor was installed? Are you going to have to break down walls and rip up floors? No, you don't have to! In such situations, a relatively new method of eliminating leaks is used - by pouring liquid sealant for heating pipes into the system.Such a sealant is also suitable for heating batteries, when it is impossible to put a clamp on the leak.
The fundamental difference between liquid sealants for a heating system is their ability to eliminate leaks not by applying to the damaged area from the outside, but directly from the inside.
The essence of this method is that in a mixture with a coolant, the sealant remains liquid, and only when it comes into contact with the air entering the system does it polymerize. Gradually hardening, clots of sealant are sealed from the inside of the cracks in precisely those places where the integrity of the system is violated.
Several types of liquid sealants for heating are produced, each of which is adapted to specific conditions of use, in particular:
- the coolant is water or antifreeze;
- gas or solid fuel boiler;
- heating or water pipes.
You should not try to look for any one universal sealant for your home heating system. It is better to purchase a specialized compound for the specific parameters of your heating system.
The best known among consumers are liquid sealants for heating systems produced by the German company BCG. The use of these products is considered an ideal solution for eliminating hidden coolant leaks. When used correctly, the liquid sealant does not pose a danger to heating boilers and does not damage the circulation pump and measuring instruments.
The pipe and radiator sealant must remain in the system for a long time. Once you add this sealant to the heating system, you can forget about leaks for several years.
Sealants for closed heating systems eliminate pressure losses associated only with leaks in pipes and radiators, but are powerless in cases where the membrane in the expansion tank is broken.
Steps to eliminate leakage with liquid sealant
The procedure for using liquid sealants to repair a home heating system can seem daunting. In some cases, clots of sealing liquid cause partial blockages and impede the movement of the coolant. Therefore, in order not to harm the heating equipment due to your inexperience, it is better to invite a specialist. In any case, you need to study the instructions for using a specific type of sealant for heating batteries and strictly follow it.
Once you decide to use a liquid sealant to fix a problem in your heating system, you need to make sure that:
- the reason for the drop in pressure is precisely the leakage of the coolant, and is not associated with a malfunction of the expansion tank;
- the selected type of sealant for heating systems corresponds to the type of heat carrier in this system;
- the sealant is suitable for this heating boiler.
When using liquid pipe and radiator sealant, it is important to maintain the correct concentration. On average, its values are from 1:50 to 1: 100, but it is desirable to determine the concentration more accurately, since the effectiveness of eliminating leaks can be influenced by such factors as:
- coolant leakage rate (up to 30 liters per day or more);
- the total volume of water in this heating system.
If the volume does not exceed 80 liters, 1 liter of sealant will be sufficient to fill the heating system. But how can you more accurately calculate the volume of water in the system? You need to calculate how many meters of pipes and what diameter were laid in the house, and then enter this data into any of the online calculators. To the resulting volume of pipelines, it is also necessary to add the passport characteristics of the volumes of all radiators and the boiler.
You can drain all the water from the system into a certain container, the volume of which is precisely known, and then refill the system.
Heating system preparation
- Dismantle or cut off all filters with taps so that they do not get clogged with a viscous solution of sealant for heating systems;
- Unscrew Mayevsky's tap from one radiator (the first in the direction of movement of the coolant) and connect a pump (like "Kid") to it;
- Start the heating system and let it warm up for an hour to a temperature of 50–60 ° C at a pressure of at least 1 bar;
- Open all valves on pipelines and radiators for free passage of sealant through them;
- Remove air from the entire system, including radiators and circulation pump.
If you do not bleed the air completely, it will begin to react with the sealant and cause it to thicken at all in the wrong places where it is needed to eliminate the leak.
Sealant preparation
It is possible to pour liquid sealant into the heating system, including using a hand pump for crimping Drain about 10 liters of hot water from the system into a large bucket, of which use most of it to prepare the sealant solution, and leave a few liters for subsequent flushing of the pump;
- Shake a canister (bottle) with a sealant for radiators and heating pipes, then pour its contents into a bucket;
- Rinse the canister thoroughly with hot water so that all the sediment remaining in it gets into the prepared solution.
Solutions of sealants for heating systems must be prepared immediately before use so that the liquid does not come into contact with atmospheric air for too long.
Filling with sealant
Liquid sealant for heating systems must have time to mix with the coolant before it reaches the boiler, so it is more expedient to pour it into the supply:
- Introduce a liquid sealant solution into the system using a pump;
- Pump the remaining hot water through the pump so that absolutely all the sealant residue gets into the system;
- Release air from the system again;
- Raise the pressure to 1.2–1.5 bar and maintain the operating cycle of the system for 7–8 hours at a temperature of 45–60 ° C. This period is needed for the complete dissolution of the sealant in the coolant.
Heating equipment should not be stopped for several days until the polymerization of the heating liquid sealant is completed.
How does the sealing effect manifest itself?
Leak elimination should not be expected immediately, but only on the 3rd or 4th day. During this time, the heating pipe sealant will seal and close the cracks in problem areas from the inside. Elimination of the problem of coolant leakage will manifest itself in the fact that the sound of falling drops of liquid will no longer be heard in the house, the moistened places on the floor will dry out, and the pressure in the system will stop decreasing.
At the same time, one of the negative effects can be a slight blockage of passages in devices for distributing the coolant flow, as well as in thermostats. But this problem can be easily solved by periodically opening and then adjusting these kinds of regulators to prevent them from sticking further.
When working with liquid sealant for heating systems, the same strict precautions must be taken as prescribed for working with all kinds of chemicals!
A video lesson will help you understand how to independently eliminate a leak in the heating system using a liquid sealant.
Based on all that has been said, you can be sure that the liquid sealant is undoubtedly worth using it to eliminate leaks in the heating system. Even though its price "bites". However, it should be understood that hidden installation of heating pipes is not only convenience, but also a certain risk, for which you sometimes have to pay.
