Cosmic_Driftwood
New Member
Really need some assistance with this one... I've installed a new Propane Furnace in my shop, and ran a service to it. For reasons that I don't really understand I decided to install a low pressure gauge on the building side of the secondary regulator inline after a 3/4" shut off valve which is located inside the building. This allows me to see the pressure when the furnace is online and also allows me to check that there are no leaks when both the 3/4" building valve is off and the furnace's electric control valve is off.
The issues is that in a static condition, that is the valve is off and the furnace is de-energized, the pressure gauge will go from 11" water column to 0" water column in a 10 hour period.
I will tell you that all the piping inside the building between the 3/4" and the furnace has been pressured with air pressure at 6 PSI... now wait, let me tell you that the piping connection at the furnace gas valve was disconnected and caped off before this 6 PSI was applied. The piping that I refer to consists of a few inches of 3/4" pipe, a couple of tees, a drip leg and a 1/2" ID X 24" appliance connector; this appliance connector was disconnected and caped off before the 6 PSI test referenced above was conducted. In this state and with the 6 PSI the system tested perfectly.
So I reconnected the furnace connector and applied air pressure to the piping system at 9" water column. Within an hour and a half the pressure has dropped from 9" to 8". I'm sure that by morning it will at or near zero.
Every indication is that this brand new white Rogers gas valve on this brand new furnace is leaking. I've never tested a gas valve to this degree. The ambient temperature in the building is fairly constant, but I can tell you that simply grabbing the pipe with your hand for about 40 seconds will raise the pressure 1" WC.
Am I chasing a ghost that's not there? If I am, I sure would like to stop hearing it say "boo". A furnace gas valve in the de-energized state should provide a positive seal --- right?
The issues is that in a static condition, that is the valve is off and the furnace is de-energized, the pressure gauge will go from 11" water column to 0" water column in a 10 hour period.
I will tell you that all the piping inside the building between the 3/4" and the furnace has been pressured with air pressure at 6 PSI... now wait, let me tell you that the piping connection at the furnace gas valve was disconnected and caped off before this 6 PSI was applied. The piping that I refer to consists of a few inches of 3/4" pipe, a couple of tees, a drip leg and a 1/2" ID X 24" appliance connector; this appliance connector was disconnected and caped off before the 6 PSI test referenced above was conducted. In this state and with the 6 PSI the system tested perfectly.
So I reconnected the furnace connector and applied air pressure to the piping system at 9" water column. Within an hour and a half the pressure has dropped from 9" to 8". I'm sure that by morning it will at or near zero.
Every indication is that this brand new white Rogers gas valve on this brand new furnace is leaking. I've never tested a gas valve to this degree. The ambient temperature in the building is fairly constant, but I can tell you that simply grabbing the pipe with your hand for about 40 seconds will raise the pressure 1" WC.
Am I chasing a ghost that's not there? If I am, I sure would like to stop hearing it say "boo". A furnace gas valve in the de-energized state should provide a positive seal --- right?
