Low water cutoff problem

lostlass

I have a Weil Mclain EG 65 steam boiler about 20 years old. Late last winter, I noticed that the fill valve would be low so I would feed more water into the system. The problem was intermittent, we never lost heat, and I checked the boiler every one to two days. I understand that I need a new low water cutoff but a techincian just told me that I should buy a whole new boiler because I damaged the boiler. And now the boiler will be prone to come apart. He said that the little bit of rust on the basement floor indicated that. I think that I am being upsold but I know only a very little about steam heat. Is there a way to assess if your boiler is damaged or know when you need a new boiler. He quoted me a price for a Weil Mclean CGA which is only very slightly better AFUE. Please help a lost lass

Jamie Hall

It's not hard...

but you really need to check the steam side as well as the lower parts.  And the way to do it is to turn the system off (hopefully it won't get cold!) and over fill the boiler -- fill it right up to the top -- with water.  Then wait a bit.  If there is a leak to the outside, you will find a wet spot on the floor under or near the boiler.  If there is a leak from the steam or water side into the firebox, you will need to open the door (may need help on that) and look inside for dampness or wet areas.



On the other hand, if the water level doesn't drop, and there aren't any wet areas around, you probably don't have a leak.



Oh yeah -- don't forget to lower the water level back down to where it belongs before you fire it up!



A rust spot on the floor does not necessarily indicate a leak -- although it might.

Rod

Low Water Cutoff problem.

Hi- The Low Water Cutoff is a safety device and you shouldn't operate your boiler without it properly working. You may need the present Low Water Cutoff rebuilt or replaced or it may even be a slight adjustment. 

 What the previous "technician" said would make me suspect too. He should have given you a far better explanation of why you would need a new boiler than "it's prone to come apart".



 You need to find a "steam pro" who can fix your Cutoff problem and who can also give you an honest evaluation of your 20 year old boiler and system. Where are you located? You might want to take a look in the "Find a Contractor" section at the top of this page. Scroll down past the zip code section to the "States" section and see if you have a "steam pro" located local to you. There are a lot of good ones listed there.



If you want to learn more about your steam system , there is a great book written for homeowners titled "We Got Steam Heat". It's available in the shop section of this site.

http://www.heatinghelp.com/products/Books/5/61/We-Got-Steam-Heat-A-Homeowners-Guide-to-Peaceful-Coexistence

It's easy to understand, humorous and in a few evenings reading you'll know a lot more about your steam system and how it works.

If you have any questions we can help you with don't hesitate to come back and ask.

- Rod

 

David Nadle

You might need a new boiler

I don't understand why you think you need a new LWCO. If you have to add makeup water every 1-2 days then you could have a leak or a hole above the water line. Look for white smoke out the chimney.