Steam problems in eastern ma.

chllngr73

i have a 5 yr old weil mclain boiler(#P-SGO-3) thats oil fed,PA404A honeywell pressurtrol, and 0-30psi gauge. and on demand hot water off the boiler. I have five convectors and one radiator (all one pipe steam).

 I have a couple of problems 1. loseing water and the lwco kicks on( 3 times this week) 2. my vents are very noisy almost like they are rapidly closeing and opening. I have used a quarter tank of oil in 2 weeks, and it seems the boiler will turn on for 30 seconds and shutoff (not all the time).



what should i do, or who can i call. i bought the house two years ago and it has gotten worse. The house is cape style with all steam heat on main floor, electric on secound floor and in basement.



pics from last year.

BobC

hole above the water line

Your pictures show the Hartford loop is not right, the connection between the return and equalizer is supposed to be a close nipple not a 12" piece of pipe. i can't see the header above the boiler so I can't comment on that. Please post some pictures of the piping above the boiler from a couple of different angles so we can see what your dealing with.



If your losing water that fast, there has to be a leak somewhere, when the boiler is steaming look up at the chimney and see if there is a lot of white smoke coming out. that would indicate a hole that is leaking steam into the combustion chamber.



There could also be a hole above the waterline that is leaking steam into the cellar. To test that, wait till the boiler is just warm or cold and flood the boiler - fill it up till the waterline is well above the top of the sight glass. wait 15-20 minutes and see if any water shows up underneath the boiler.



If the boiler does have a hole there might be a warranty on it but if you didn't buy it I don't know if it's transferable or not.



Bob

pitdaddy

issues I can see

The problems with your system could have a few different causes. First, you state the loss of water. This can be air vents that are not shutting when steam hits them, the usual culprit is the end vent on the steam main, follow the main pipe along the cieling and see if there is air vent, if there is, it probably has rust stains running down it. If this is the case, it needs to be replaced. Water loss in steam systems are usualy multiple little problems, when it shows like yours. check all the air vents on your radiators, as well as the shut-off valves, the packing nuts are big culprits too. You also mention the short run cycling, from your pictures, I see that the pressure gauge and the pressure control are mounted on the end of a brass pigtail with iron fittings. this is a situation that causes the iron fittings to clog, there-by, not allowing the control and the gauge to register proprely. This can also make the boiler shut off too quickly. The best advice I can give is to find a reputable plumber to come and check the system out,  it is most likely a combination of small problems that cause your issues. You can also ask your oil provider to send someone, if you are comfortable with thier service.  I hope you can get your problems solved.                                                        Tom

Charlie from wmass

What do you have the pressuretrol set to?

I see a screw drive and the cover off. If you are handy enough remove the pressuretrol and the pigtail and make sure it is clear. Make sure the boiler is COOL AND OFF before doing this. If you are not that handy try the find a pro section at the top of the page.

chllngr73

Steam problems in eastern ma.

All of the convectors do not have shutoffs, only the one radiator i have has a shutoff. i replaced the main trunk vents (one on either end of the house) last year when one stuck open. I have also noticed my sight glass is very dirty near the bottom.



another quick question the silver box on the side of the boiler that assume regulates domestic hot water. is set at 160* should i lower it,  and if so to what?



tom

billtwocase

another thing

Where is the thermal cut off for the electricity in case of fire? I see the J box above, but no thermal switch? Something to look into ASAP

chllngr73

thermal switch

the thermal switch was installed. The pictures you see are from last year.



tom