autofeeder results

4Barrel

since installing a trusty hydrolevel VXT, i've been able to monitor my fresh water intake on my one pipe system. the new waterfeeder was installed at the same time as my new boiler, Dunkirk 225KBTU (see prior posts from the fall under my handle). now that i've got some stats, i'm wondering if my water intake is typical. at first, the system was taking on about a gallon a week, as temps in western NY decreased and the boiler cycled for longer durations, and as expected, the quantity increased. now running at 3-4 gallons / week. Is this typical for my sized system in mid-winter temps?



other factors: I've got the vxt set for 2 min delay on LWCO indication. i am thinking of increasing this. i have found a few leaky supply valves, and tightened them up. also checking my rad vents for proper operation.

DavidK_2

that seems like alot

of makeup water.  I live in Albany NY, and go though probably less than a cup a week (hard to be precise since I manually fill, and have no meter.



Do you have any returns out of sight?

4Barrel

i can see

all the returns. i would think that i would be able to see this amount of water manifesting itself somehow. i've got no wall damage, no puddles anywhere. I do have one pesky supply valve that leaks a little, which i am replacing. other than the vents not functioning properly, i can't account for the water loss...

Unknown

Leaks?

I agree with David that the amount seems excessive. I haven't kept track of my added amounts either but it is less than a quart every 2 weeks.

You didn't say what type of LWCO your have. Are you factoring in the blow off water from the LWCO?  Why do you feel you have to lengthen the time delay? You should only have to do this if the boiler was over filling.

It sounds like you have a leak somewhere and it's surprising how much water can be lost in 24 hours by even a very small leak. I had a couple of small steam leaks(vents and valves) and they made a noticeable difference in the water consumption. Small leaks in the boiler may go unnoticed as the water drys up on the hot cast iron before it leaks out onto the floor.

I'd just check over your system inch by inch and fix any leaks you find.

- Rod

Charlie from wmass

The vtx has a chart for usage

If it is not with your unit it must be available on line. The Smith in my picture is 248 Kbtu's and has used 3 gallons in three months. Do you have white smoke coming out the chimney?

4Barrel

time delay

the autofeeder was set to 2 min delay. i thought increasing it to say 4 min might allow more time for condensate return before LWCO (McDonnell & Miller PS-802) is turned on. (fyi- some of the returns run the nearly the length of the house). sorta grasping at ideas here, i know. in terms of leaks, yes, there is one along a main at a tee, that i've always considered minor, a few drips. correcting this would be a major operation. perhaps i am losing more here in the form of steam, but with the insulation removed, there is no evidence of leaking steam when the boiler is firing, only drips when the boiler is off-line. so i'll check more thoroughly, vents and such. but my main question seems to be answered here, that i am losing more water than i should. thanks for the input...

4Barrel

the vxt chart

yes, i see the chart. It says i should be in the 10-12 gal / month range for makeup water. and "if feed amounts significantly exceed these levels, the system should be checked for leaks." i'm going to monitor this more closely through january.

thanks for pointing out the chart. very helpful!

and yes, i have white smoke. shouldn't i?

TRob

How much make up water

Before I upgraded my one pipe steam system I read these posts that said how little water they need to add. I didn't believe them.  Here in NY City, I used to add moderate amount of water manually, 2 , 3 times a week during the coldest weeks. Now we have a new boiler, piped by the Burnham manual with a dropped header, cold skimmed as needed 1, 2 time a season, replaced two leaking radiator valves, modified the pressuretrol to 0.8 psi out / .1 psi in, and reinsulated the visible steam pipes. I have a meter on the auto feeder, and we use maybe 2 qts of water a month.  Honest!

4Barrel

finding leaks

thanks TRob... i've become more of a detective that last couple days, seeking leaks wherever they may be. i suspect that more than a few of my rad vents are faulty, opening when they shouldn't. (i had found a box of older ones, tested then before the season, and all seemed to operate properly, closing on heat, opening when cold, but those extremes are not normal operating conditions). so , i had wanted to avoid purchasing new ones, but that's the only way to be sure. i also found a few leaky supply nuts, tightened them down... and a leaky main vent (old hoffman 75 that i reused on my new set up). it all adds up.



it's helpful to know that i should be using less make up water. thanks for the feedback.

4Barrel

results

after taking some of the steps i posted on a couple weeks ago, the auto-feed activity has dropped. Over the last two weeks, the system has taken on about a quart, by my estimation. the biggest culprit was the old main vent. i still think i'm losing some out older radiator vents, but the difference so far has been dramatic.

Long Beach Ed

Replace those Vents

Penny wise?  New vents are $15.  What's a new boiler going to cost you?  Replace the vents with new American made ones, not the garbage from a chain store.  Continued addition of lots of fresh water is the surest way to destroy a boiler. 

4Barrel

couldn't agree more

i've replaced a couple that clearly weren't working, but that's the next step. i need 15, and hoffman 1A's are 20 each, so it adds up. i just didn;t want to throw money at the issue if the rad vents weren't the problem. on the bright side, the VXT was an important tool to diagnose the problem. if you are having water level issues, i highly recommend installing one.