steam boiler water levels

Jamie Hall

that the water level comes back up after the boiler shuts down (without adding any water from outside)? If so, you surely do have either a very slow return, or those check valves (are you sure they're needed?) on the returns are the problem.

If it doesn't come back up, you need to find out where it's going! Leaking return? Steam leak somewhere?

Boyd Anders Arapahoe Heating Serv.

steam boiler water levels

I have a newer steam boiler that raises the water level about 2 inches above the float type LWCO after the feeder shuts down and then, as the system is fireing the level drops enough to trip out the probe type LWCO. The system has been cleaned with soap and then chemical added. I'm thinking either the return is blocked somewhere or the check valves are bad on the return and it's backing up. Any ideas? 2 pipe steam system with a Dunham return trap #220 & below it is a Dunham #9a trap. There are two 1 1/2" check vavles that have been in place for 73 years. There are no steam or return main leaks and yes the system overfills with condensate after a couple of days.

[Deleted User]

Boyd...

I think it might also be helpful if you tell them that it is a 2 pipe steam system, and what configuration is on the return in the way of Hoffman traps, check valves etc. Also, pictures tell a thousand stories, if you can get them.

To all, Boyd's dad is the reason I am in hydronics. He was my first mentor. These guys are sharp, and it is rare that they run into a problem that can not be resolved. They came here at my behest. Thanks for helping them out.

ME

nicholas bonham-carter

mysterious migration of water

i had a problem on my 1-pipe system where the old dry return dropped down to the wet return, in a series of steps, like a menorah. after the new boiler installation, we couldn't figure out where the water was disappearing to. just as mysterious as it went, it soon came back. at the suggestion of noel m, i put some transparent hoses on the return, and the boiler, to see the levels at various pressures. we found as the boiler was steaming, even at low pressure, it raised the water enough in the returns to be "absorbed" by the horizontal steps. we also had a check-valve which we were able to remove, when we made the 6 returns into straight drops. so perhaps there is some horizontal pipe just above the normal waterline.--nbc

Jim_64

things to check

Boyd is this a new boiler install and the promblem is now happening and did not occur with the old boiler ? if so are there any wet returns which are no longer wet because of a difference in boilers water line if so you may have lost some loop seals on former wet returns which durning your boilers normal operation the system is trying to put them back under water and the boilers feeder is doing it's job and finely there's enogh water stacked in the returns enough for it to feed back by gravity promblem is when the boiler cycles off and it's pressure is atmospheric all the water levels out and the boilers flooded .does that sound like it's right ? peace and good luck clammy

Mark Eatherton

The solution...

Boyd's dad, Wayne called me yesterday. He said the boiler (Burnham) came with "skim tappings" on it, thru which he attempted to skim the boiler with. Seams these tappings are WAY above the normal water line, and not in line with the top line of push nipples, so essentially, you are only skimming the section to which it is attached, and doing a poor job at that.

He took the els off of the boiler at the steam outlets and changed them to tees with full port ball valves and thoroughly skimmed the boiler, and he said that got a TON OF CRAP out of the boiler (shavings, oil, dirt etc) that he is certain they did not put in. He only had 3 or 4 threaded cuts to do and it very careful about cleaning those cuts to free them of oil. He's been doing this for around 45 years, and was the person that got me interested in hydronic heating many years ago, so I have to trust he know what the heck he's doing.

To the folks at Burnham, he said he wasted 30 hours trying to get the problem resolved, and said he probably won't use another, Maybe you need to reconsider calling those tappings "Skim" tappings, and maybe you'd better do a better job of cleaning your boilers during the assembly process.

The problem has ceased completely.

ME

Frank_63

Skimming A Burnham Megasteam

I skimmed my Burnham Megasteam by using the upper tapping of the site glass as the skimming tap, and it seemed to fix my surging water level, banging pipes, LWCO kicking in; but only temporarily. The problems seem to have come back, although not as bad. I plan to skim the boiler again this weekend, and then drain and refill it, but am now wondering if the upper site glass tap is not the best, although very convenient, place to skim from. I was also wondering, though... Does anyone know why is the LWCO probe tapping so high in relation to the level marked "Minimum Acceptable Water Level" on the boiler cover? This label indicates a level that's in line with the lower site glass brass fitting (out of site), and far below the level at which the LWCO is tapped into the boiler (about mid-glass). How much is the water level supposed to drop when the pipes/rads are full of steam?