Hello all, Tonight, I heard something I never heard before.. I just adjusted the thermostat for the boiler (it was off prior since I had the windows open earlier) to turn on the heat, and I heard odd dripping sounds coming from the radiator. I checked the radiator and nothing appears to be leaking. I went to check the boiler and there was a lot of dripping sounds all over the pipes above the boiler and sounded like it was dripping into the expansion tank (one of those hanging on top cast iron things.) Nothing is leaking outside of the pipes. I lived in this house for 3 years.. this is the first time I've ever heard that dripping sound? My boiler is a Columbia circulating hot water boiler. Every year I get the pre-season checkup and usually they do drain the tank. I just had it done about a month ago? Is there something wrong with the tank or is something else broken? How serious is this? Or is this something I can wait a week or 2? Help? Thanks very much in advance.

DrCindy Unfortunately it might be a drip from a drain pipe joint that failed or was never glued in the first place. Is this new or old construction? Best advice is to try to pinpoint the location of the dripping sound and make a hole in the ceiling. You can always patch it but the potential water problems far outweigh the incovenience the patch issue.

If there is no sign of water from wall or floor,the drip might be the final bit of water dripping from one line to the next. I say don't bust into wall or ceiling unless water appears.

i am not sure what you are trying to say klem. but, in case i was not clear enough, in my case it would go in and run along beams unseen and not showing any wet until it surface at least 6 feet away. yours may not hit totally the right spot or it may take a longer time to show. my mother had a similar situation, but hers was the flashing. hers went on for a few years before her garage ceiling caved in. in the meantime several professionals had claimed they had no clue. hopefully that was clear enough. at least to me the sound like the same problem, potentially. I was checking flashing to chimneys etc. first. to be sure use one of the good goopy things on them so they will stop any potential leakage. I have not met a single professional willing to do this fix,they always want to start over. go in attic during day and carefully look for the sky. smell all walls for mildew. floor for soft spots. anything unusual. as i said it may take a while.