maybe a stupid question but

Kniggit

Sounds like you are on the right track however I would sujest possably lowing the operating pressure, psi is really high for a one pipe system. You will have a problem doing this so close to spring, but you could adjust the control lower every day for a few days a little at a time untill you get to the bottom of the scale on the control. I would wait one night near design temp usualy about 0-10 F just to be sure it can still keep up. It could save you at least a couple hundred dollars a year with gas & oil priced as they are today. Some day that control will go bad and you should be able to replace it with a vaporstat.

midway

may be a stupid question but

was wondering if there is something (color)that can be added to the water in a steam boiler that would show up where the leak is (around connectors etc.). Have to add about an inch in the glass tube every day.

John@Reliable_10

Not really.............

what you should be checking is for a steam leak. Most will happen at a vent on the raditor or the main vent(s) at the boiler return piping. With system making steam hold a mirror over the vent, if fog forms replace vent. Next would be the boiler, plenty of ways to check this , one would be to check chimney for "white" smoke while running this could be a sign of a cracked boiler.You should have someone who understands steam heating check it out as added water daily will kill a boiler in no time.

STEVE PAUL_3

Colorful steam boiler

Adding a coloring agent to the water in a steam boiler might show a leak if it is below the water line. But it will not show a leak if it is on the steam side. The water that becomes steam is distilled, therefore all color would be removed in the steaming process. What you might try is to raise the water level in the boiler over the top of the boiler. If the boiler has a leak, it will show up on the floor. Also take a look at the top of the chimney when the boiler is steaming on a cold day. If you see a plume of white puffy "SMOKE" you are actually seeing water vapor indicating a leaking boiler.

midway

ok thanks, didn't know the steam wouldn't carry the color

D107

The chemical treatment used by our co-ops service co was blue

and/or red, which helped us locate a small gasket leak--probably just below the water line. This was a commercial size HB Smith steamer, and we had to take the boiler apart and redo all gaskets, steam and fireside. Done right I guess it should last 20 years. It was only 12 years old at the time.

midway

Used a mirror on the vents, got a lot of water droplets and fog from the rite-vent NO.35 which is at the end of the one pipe system. I see the NO.35 is for 3psi, this boiler sometimes goes to 5 psi. Could this cause breakdown of the vent? Was thinking of replaceing with a Hoffman or Gorton.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Reminds me of something I think I read in an old book.

Oil of peppermint.