M & M water feeder valve

billschillin

I am posting this to any hydronics engineers or boiler mechanics out there.  I have a McDONNEL & MILLER  #47 waterfeeder on my Burnham steam boiler.  I bought a new valve cartridge and strainer for the make up valve only to discover that I have the older valve housing with the "round " port rather than the new styly with the "hex" port.  As you probably know, the older one does not have a replaceable valve cartridge whereas the newer one does.  I'm strapped for additional cash and cannot afford to go out and buy the whole assembly  ( ie: valve ****'y #  SA47-101-102 ) especially since I already have the valve cartridge anyway.  What I am hoping is that one of you has replaced a M&M #47 or 47-2 water feeder and may have the valve body w/ hex port in your scrap pile.  I only need the body with the upper plate and cantilever/pin ****'y.  I won't need the valve itself since I have one.  I would like to acquire one if any one can help.  I can make arrangements for UPS shipping if needed.

Thank you,

Bill Sinclair

Al Letellier_21

McD/Miller #47

Why do you feel you have to change the assembly? Is something wrong with the seat. Properly maintained and cleaned, it should last you for years. I am no longer a fan of the mechanical float type cutoffs and feeders. I have seen so many insurance claims and losses due to these types of feeders....don't get me wrong here, it's not the device, they've been proven over the years.....it's the lack of proper or any maintenance by the so called trained technician that is the problem.

I much preferred the electronic style of low water cut off and auto feeder with time delay on the fill...but they have to be maintained as well. Steam heat maintenance is a dying art, not steam heat itself. When will oil and maintenance companies understand that it is here to stay for many more years and proper training and maintenance is essential to keeping these wonderful old systems working properly???........sorry for to soap boxing but its TRUE!!!!

billschillin

response and addendum

Except for the 'smoke' test for which I do not have the equipment, I have been maintaining this boiler myself.  It is 18 years old and the make up water valve finally gave out ( the boiler was over filling).  Upon disassembly of the valve I discovered that the smaller diaphragm had a hole in it. ( this thing is made inside very much like the old brass ball cocks in toilets ) If I could find new diaphragms for this I would just replace them but I don't think anyone bothers to repair them anymore ( just like automobile fuel pumps ).  I got a new valve cartridge and strainer kit only to find that my boiler is too old and came with a non-cartridge valve.  The only difference I can see is in the cast iron housing that the valve lives in. The plate with the plunger and cantilever at the top of the housing may or may not be the same.  In the pictures it looks the same but I don't know if the plunger is the same length which is why I included it in my request. 

On another topic, same boiler: Since the make up valve has been out of service, I have become aware that I am using an inordinate amount of water. ( water has to be added to restore the level after appx every hour of run time or the low water cut-off activates.)    I do not see any evidence of return condensate leaking and there are no vents at the radiators.  Uses a 'BOSTON LOOP' return having a single vent in the line near  the boiler at the top of a riser coming up from the lower portion of the Boston Loop. This is a basement boiler opperating at 'very' low pressure ( steam rises ).  Anyone have any suggestions regarding the water usage? ( At this point I am speculating that it is going up the chimney possibly via a bad section nipple or crack in a section ????  but that is just a gues at this point) 

kcopp

you got a leak....

Your best bet shot of getting the parts or a "new" lwco is to look for/ request one on craigslist....perhaps you can find a used one. On the other hand the leak is going to be have to dealt w/ sooner or  later. What state are you in? kpc

billschillin

McD/Miller #47

I'm in Maryland.  Depending on the nature of tha leak I will probably repair or replace it myself.  If it is a bad or leaking section nipple then I can replace that but if a section is shot, I'll have to weigh the cost of a section ( probably the rearmost one since, after deliberetly over-filling the system I could see water trickling down the rear wall of the combustion chamber ) and new nipples to just replacing the boiler.  Neither is in the buget right now even with me doing the labor so it may just have to blow steam up the chimney for a little while longer.