Baseboard Radiator Possible Leak?

[Cana-kid]

I have some before and after pictures of under my baseboard heater. Has been fine since we have owned the place but I did notice what looked like some precipitate around the weld when I moved in.

Heat has been off since April, just noticed a small brown drop under the piping.

Not sure if it is serious or a warning sign of things to come. Any advice is appreciated, even if it is just 'call a plumber asap'

Cheers,

 

[Dana]

It's definitely a leaker. You can turn off the water supply to that zone (or the whole system) if you're in a part of Canada that isn't currently in the heating season (which is most of the country right now). If you're comfortable with soldering sweat copper plumbing it could be an easy DIY repair (or not, depending on how convoluted the plumbing is beyond that point), but with the valves off you have until the heating season to deal with it.

With the zone drained you can probably un-solder that fitting pulling it apart, clean up the pipe ends and replace the fitting (it looks like reducer- from 3/4" to half-inch?) doing a better job than the last installer.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cana-kid]

It's definitely a leaker. You can turn off the water supply to that zone (or the whole system) if you're in a part of Canada that isn't currently in the heating season (which is most of the country right now). If you're comfortable with soldering sweat copper plumbing it could be an easy DIY repair (or not, depending on how convoluted the plumbing is beyond that point), but with the valves off you have until the heating season to deal with it.

With the zone drained you can probably un-solder that fitting pulling it apart, clean up the pipe ends and replace the fitting (it looks like reducer- from 3/4" to half-inch?) doing a better job than the last installer.

Dang, not surprised.
I cannot imagine the heating will come on until September. I am in a condo and have zero plumbing experience, I will get in contact with the building plumbers who have access to the boiler room and such since they may need to turn off an drain the line.

 

[Sylvan]

Normally on a hot water heating system the valves even whe they are closed they have a small opening s a possitive shut off is impossible . Reson beng you never want to stop the water from being circulated to prevent freeze ups

When I could nt get a ht water radiator valve I would drill a small hole in a gate valve . If you look at an old system they usually had a valve on one side (to throttle) and an ell on the other