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Rising water level

tsb
tsb Member Posts: 5
in Strictly Steam
I'm having an issue with a rising boiler water level.  The system does not have an automatic water feeder or domestic hot water coil.  The condensate seems to return quickly from the returns.  I flushed the boiler on Sunday when it was cold (off for 3 hours) and filled to the normal water level.  Today the water level is about 1/4" higher than normal.

I'm thinking that the water intake ball valve has a very slight leak.  Does this assessment make sense? 

Comments

  • Rod
    Rod Posts: 2,067
    Leak

    Hi - The valve supplying the boiler with makeup water to the boiler is one possibility and if you have a coil installed in your boiler for domestic hot water then a pinhole leak in the coil is another possibility.

    - Rod
  • tsb
    tsb Member Posts: 5
    Leak

    No hot water coil, so I guess that it is probably the valve.  The valve is only about 6 years old (replaced when the boiler was replaced). 

    Any other more obscure possibilities before I replace the valve?

    Thanks.
  • World Plumber
    World Plumber Member Posts: 389
    Closed radiator valves

    Do you have any radiators turned off by the radiator valve? Sometimes a radiator will fill up with condensate and begin to drain back.

    MC
  • tsb
    tsb Member Posts: 5
    One

    One of four radiators on the second floor is closed, but it was closed last heating season and this problem did not exist.  Should I rotate this radiator air vent rather than having the valve closed?
  • Rod
    Rod Posts: 2,067
    edited January 2011
    Extra Water

    Opening the valve and rotating the vent to shut the radiator off would be worth trying. At least that way you know the radiator isn't storing water and causing your problem. It's pretty easy for these old valves to leak steam into the radiator where it condenses and a lot harder (slower) for the water to leak back out. If you're shutting down the radiator for a long period of time then you might consider replacing the vent with a brass pipe plug.

    - Rod
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,502
    Air vent

    yes, the radiator should be turned off by rotating the air vent, rather than closing the valve.  But it is unlikely that the closed valve is the cause of the water level problem -- have to be a pretty fair amount of water hung up in the radiator to do that.



    I'd bet on the water level problem coming from the feed valve.  Use a quality quarter turn ball valve as the replacement.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
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