Steam blowing out of overflow pipe on condensate pump

Jeff_93

I have steam blowing out of the overflow of the condensate pump what is the problem? Bad steam traps. System also has a water feed pump and there is a valve on the return line that also connects to the water feed pump should this valve be open or closed? Thanks

EBEBRATT-Ed

If Steam is blowing out the overflow you hav bad traps as you mentioned. As far as valves and pumps??? Can you post a picture?? Need more info.

ED

frank_25

Condensate pump

NORMALLY....A steam system w/ a true condensate pump arrangement will pump out the contents of the reciever when it [the reciever] becomes full, or at the pre determined water level determined by the float. The boiler will have a seperate auto feeder that will fill the boiler if the condensate pump can't keep up. That fill is a street pressure feed line, not a pumped line. Pumped feed lines, ya see, pull water from a tank into the boiler. However, a true Boiler Fed Tank will take the condensate and have a make-up water line attached to it's ballcock. [It's good practice to have a separate boiler feed line directly to the boiler also]. This way if the condensate is too slow getting back into the tank, fresh make-up water will enter the tank and be pumped into the boiler. That other pump you mentioned doesn't sound like it belongs there. Maybe a handy=man who "knows about boilers" worked there before.