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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.

Items
5
Photos required
7

Who runs it

The hydronic or maintenance tech on the quarterly mechanical round.

When in the schedule

Every quarter through the heating season, walked with the boiler and pumps. A manifold in a closet gets ignored until a floor runs cold.

The checklist

Every item, and the photo that proves it

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.

01

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.

    2 photos
  • 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.

    1 photo
02

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.

    2 photos
  • 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.

    1 photo
03

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.

    1 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.

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 7 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.

Submission state

Mandatory items answered5 of 5
Photos attached4 of 7
Submit locked, 3 photos missing

The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.

Verified against

Common questions

What does this radiant heating manifold quarterly checklist cover?
5 items across 3 sections, covering pressure and fill, loop balance, actuators and controls. 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 does every item ask for a photo?
7 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. 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.