Best Of
Re: Boiler ID and clean out question:
Don't be surprised if you see bricks in the flue passages. That was a pretty common way to slow the flue gas down.
Grallert
Re: Does any company make slip tees in propress/copper press standard?
They list the slip coupling a repair coupling . Slip tee would be cool …
I like Veiga , Its a much tighter connection. I can tell when I catch a off brand in my stock ..
Big Ed_4
Re: Does any company make slip tees in propress/copper press standard?
the couplings are called "no stop" instead of "slip" so maybe try that
Re: No water in the boiler
if you have buried wet returns or returns you otherwise can't see, they could be leaking so the water goes out as steam but not all of it comes back.
Re: No water in the boiler
Before you do damage, get a Steam.Pro in there. Please 🙏 Mad Dog
Re: No water in the boiler
Sorry, but you have a leak. Water doesn't just disappear like magic. If, however, you don't see any puddles around, it may be a leak in the boiler above the water line, and the water is escaping as steam up the chimney.
I Can't tell you why the autofeeder didn't try to keep up — assuming you have one and its valves are open.
I hope your plumber is a competent HVAC person, well versed in steam heat. Not all of them are…
Re: No water in the boiler
I don't think there is a leak.
You had NO water.
a) There is a leak
b) Someone drained the boiler
pecmsg
Re: No water in the boiler
If you managed to lose enough water to cause the boiler to shut down in a week — the question isn't how and why, the question is where. You have a very significant leak somewhere. It might be in the boiler on the steam side, it might be below the boiler water line, or it might be in a wet return. A broken steam line is unlikely, but it has happened.
But there's a big leak.
Don't try to run the boiler until you find it.
As to why it might not run now, @leonz may have hit it: you may have a low water cutoff with a manual reset. Which is probably a good thing, as it may have prevented you from running the boiler dry, which never good and can be catastrophic.
Re: No water in the boiler
Speaking as a novice here:
Is there a manual reset on your low water cut off switch that you are not aware of?
Is your heating system a one pipe system or two pipe system?
Your boiler may very well have a hole in the steam chest.
Its best to call a steam licensed plumber to look at your boiler as you should not run it.
Re: Utica Hot water boiler Model UH15B096FE
The boiler block, breeching and draft hood contain the flue gases. The access panels have nothing to do with it, they merely cover the insulation over the block.
Flue gases may spill from the draft hood or burner opening in abnormal draft conditions, so a good carbon monoxide detector in the boiler room is essential.
bburd

