Boiler Water Level, Too High?

tcnjdeluca

Hello,

My new home has steam heat, something I am new to and I have been learning a lot about it thanks to this great site. It is a 2 pipe "Webster Radiation System" from 1952 and a Pearless Boiler that was installed in 93 and converted from oil to gas some time after that. I had a contractor come out to flush and inspect the boiler. When he was working on it he remarked that the water should be about "half way" up the sight glass. However, the low water cut off and auto feed bring the water to about an inch from the top of the glass. He basically said "oh well," when he saw that. After a few days of heating in mild weather I went down to look and saw the glass completely full with the boiler off. I drained a little water out to the previous level. My understanding from reading the site is that water that is set too high will result in inefficient "wet" steam.

My question is, is there anything I can or should do to lower that water level or should I just leave the boiler alone? Thanks everyone.

Dan

Paul S_3

What is the digital readout on the VXT?.....when the boiler runs is the water line stable? You can try increasing the time delay on the feeder....or maybe the feeder is leaking water through it.....try shutting the feed line valve to the boiler.....drain to the correct water level anywhere in between 1/2 to 3/4 on the gauge glass.....and see how it operates.....also the wet returns may be partially plugged slowing the return water coming back to the boiler....then the feeder will overfeed if the delay is set at factory default (2minutes)

tcnjdeluca

The read out on the VXT is 567. I think the problem is that if I drain any more water out than what is pictured on the glass the low water cut off lights up and it activates the auto feed. It seems to me that the low water cut off was installed very high on the boiler and leaves little room for error. But then again I really don't know much about boilers.

Jamie Hall

Some automatic feeders are set rather high. However, that is not necessarily a real problem. You do want the water level to be within the gauge glass, but the "1/2 to 3/4", while a good rule of thumb, is not inflexible. So long as the water level is clearly visible in the glass when the boiler is off and has been for a while you should be OK on that score (wet steam is much more a problem of poor near boiler piping).

Now... if the auto feeder overfills, as you seem to have seen, the first thing to do is to increase the time delay on the feeder -- it's set by jumpers inside the feeder. I don't have the manual handy just now. It's safe enough to set it to the maximum delay, usually.

Further, if the water level drops a good deal and stays down while the boiler is running, you may well have a slow return situation, which could indicate clogged wet returns.

Paul S_3

Here

neilc

can we see a picture of the white insulated riser pipe from out of the top of the boiler, and what it connects to above and at the ceiling,
also a wide shot of the sight glass and the low water cutoff and feeder, that side of the boiler.

tcnjdeluca

Sure. There are two zones, one is for the office and another for the home.

neilc

yeah, so right now that low water cutoff / water feeder is aiming to keep the water right about the center of that name plate,
which sure looks to be towards the top 7/8s of the sight glass, just like the picture shows.
playing with the dip switch settings and their timings might allow you to keep water line in the glass.
or you could plumb it, have it plumbed, lower to about center of sight glass.

did someone ask about your returns being clear and draining back ?
if you shut off the ball valve on the feeder, will the water stay in the glass while she fires a heating cycle ?

Steamhead

That low-water cutoff is installed wrong. It's too high. You will never cure this by adjusting the timing on the feeder.

This is a Peerless JO/JOT/TW series boiler, which pre-dates probe-type LWCOs. It originally had a float-type LWCO attached to the sight glass, and you can still see the sticker on the jacket telling the operator to blow it down.

Whoever installed the present Hydrolevel LWCO put it into an existing tapping which is too high. It may be possible to remove and re-orient the round plate to lower the tapping, or a new hole may need to be drilled and tapped. Either way, you need a pro. I strongly prefer probe-type LWCOs but they have to be installed correctly.

Where are you located?

tcnjdeluca

I am located in central New Jersey near Trenton. Any recommendations for steam professionals would be appreciated.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Steamhead's got it you need to relocate the low water cutoff. But something's funny 2d picture down what is that green control that looks like another low water cutoff around the back of the boiler or am I looking at this wrong??

tcnjdeluca

I just went down and looked, that box is unmarked its wires run back to the boiler on off switch (red).

Steamhead

tcnjdeluca said:

I am located in central New Jersey near Trenton. Any recommendations for steam professionals would be appreciated.

@EzzyT and @Dave0176 service your area. Both are good Steam Men.