Free checklist
Radiant heating manifold quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly radiant heating manifold round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against IMC (mechanical code), manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Pressure and fill
System pressure read at the manifold against the cold-fill mark
Gauge sits at or above the fill setting with the system cold, no obvious drop since the last round, expansion tank not waterlogged.
Manifold and fittings dry with no weeping
Compression and union joints clean and dry, no mineral crust or drip staining under the manifold, isolation valves not seeping.
Manifold isolation valves found fully open
Supply and return isolation valves at the manifold fully open with handles intact, none left part-closed from past work, position marks or tags legible.
Glycol makeup tank level checked where the loops carry glycol
On glycol systems, the makeup or feeder tank holds premixed fluid and its fill pump or valve is not cycling constantly, a low level or frequent refill reported.
No photo
Loop balance
Each loop flow meter reads against its balanced setting
Every flow meter shows movement and sits near its recorded set point, no loop reading zero, meters not fogged or stuck.
Manifold vented clear of air
Auto vent or manual vent bled until water runs clean, no gurgling in the loops, flow meters steady after venting.
Loop tags at the manifold match the rooms served
Every supply and return port tagged with the room or zone it heats, tags legible and matching the loop schedule, untagged or wrong loops recorded for relabeling.
Actuators and controls
Thermal actuators cycle open and closed on a zone call
Actuator stem lifts on a call and drops on satisfaction, wiring landed and intact, no actuator stuck or buzzing.
Zone thermostat setpoint and room reading checked
Each zone thermostat set to the owner's schedule, its room reading close to a handheld thermometer, floor-sensing units showing a live probe value.
Zone controller lights matched to each actuator's position
Wiring center or BAS shows a call for each zone whose actuators are open and none for closed ones, pump and heat source enable following the calls.
Temperatures and mixing
Floor supply temperature held under the floor limit
Floor supply read downstream of any mixing valve with zones calling, not above the maximum set by the design or the floor covering manufacturer.
Supply to return temperature split read at the manifold
Thermometers or BAS points, or an IR thermometer at the supply and return headers, read with zones calling, split compared with design and last quarter, a wide split reported.
Rooms served and records
Floor surface temperature spot-read in a calling zone
Infrared thermometer reading taken on the floor in a zone that is calling, compared with the surface limit from the design or the floor covering manufacturer.
Floor covering changes in served rooms reported
Owner or occupants asked about new rugs, carpet or flooring over heated floors since the last round, any change reported to the engineer since it cuts output.
No photoZones back on schedule and round readings logged
Thermostats back to the owner's setpoints, vents closed and cabinet shut, pressure, temperatures and loop flow findings logged against the manifold tag.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- One loop reads dead flow on the meter because it airlocked and the vent was never opened.
- System pressure has crept down below the fill setting and nobody topped it up.
- A thermal actuator failed closed or lost its wire, so the zone it serves never gets heat.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this radiant heating manifold quarterly checklist cover?
- 15 items across 5 sections, covering pressure and fill, loop balance, actuators and controls, temperatures and mixing, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The hydronic or maintenance tech on the quarterly mechanical round.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter through the heating season, walked with the boiler and pumps. A manifold in a closet gets ignored until a floor runs cold.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 12 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 14 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a radiant heating manifold quarterly inspection?
- One loop reads dead flow on the meter because it airlocked and the vent was never opened. System pressure has crept down below the fill setting and nobody topped it up. A thermal actuator failed closed or lost its wire, so the zone it serves never gets heat.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 14 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.