LWCO

crash2009

Looks like the Low Water Cutoff is working.  As soon as the weather got cold the boiler has been giving up everything it has.  I zoomed 15 and 16 for better detail, LWCO also went off at 9 and 13.  See why it's so important to measure your radiators before you buy a new boiler.  You wouldn't have to deal with all this crap.  

During the swing season I cranked up the anticipator to 1.2 to make the boiler run longer, because the far rads were not getting enough steam time.  Looks like its time to adjust it the other direction. 

What setting would you suggest to reduce the shortage of water?

Jamie Hall

I take it...

that your far radiators are getting heat now?  You might be able to change this with the anticipator, but it's trial and error -- as I'm sure you are aware!



Is there any possibility that the condensate is hanging up somewhere?  Knowing you from all your posts, I would imagine that you have looked into that pretty carefully -- but it never really hurts to ask...  thing is, even with the newer lower volume boilers, it seems unlikely that you could find enough room for enough steam (remember that 1,000 to 1 factor in volume!) to drop the water level enough...



Can you run the boiler at a slightly higher water level, perhaps?  Say at 2/3 glass, or 3/4?  Without getting wet steam carryover?  Would that help?



Or if the condensate is just plain slow, you might even consider a reservoir on the wet return?



Just thoughts off the top of my head...

crash2009

Anticipator formula?

Yes, we are getting pretty good heat.  The steam is moving around the place really well.  When the boiler runs for 39 minutes its perfect, make it go for 43 or more and it craps out.  Is there some mathematical equation for adjusting the anticipator? 



I did correct the pitch on the south side, but I will admit the north side was ignored.  I could put the laser on it and check fairly easy.

The manual asks for a waterline twenty-three and thirteen-sixteenths inches from the floor.  I am at twenty-four inches even.  Probably could go another quarter easily enough.  The condensate returns fairly quickly after boiler off, two inches of condensate returns in five minutes.  The last quarter inch takes forever, it must be as steam in the rads.

I had thought of the reservoir idea and downloaded the tech bulletin  from Weil Mclain.  While pondering that idea, I have noticed that I have been screwed by the pipe fitter.  He has installed the Hartford seven inches below the waterline.  The top of the Hartford is lower than the bottom of the sight glass.  Could this be the hangup you had in mind Jamie? 

LHthread

Heat anticipator / 1.2 Wow! / Go Electronic Stat.

If you are having issues with the heat anticipator settings to keep the boiler steaming long enough to reach the further or hard to fill rads...it may be a best thing to change the T-stat to a electronic style to eliminate that heat anticipator. That way you will have a Zero Droop T-stat, and valve or primary control current will not have an affect on the setting due to heat anticipator operations as found on old T-Stats / operation.

Setting at say 72ºF will run the boiler, and cut off at 72.5ºF ...then with carryover of the radiation in the space where the T-stat is located....you will have better control, and eliminate short cycling problems.

Just something I would do as a First approach!

crash2009

Carry over

That was a simple solution.  Just give it more water.  Thanks Jamie.  I raised the water level a half inch last night.  The level now is 24.5" above the floor  11/16ths higher than Weil recomends.  If there was some wet steam carry over, would this be evident in the sight glass?  Or, is there a way to tell?



LHthread thanks for your suggestion, but I am not ready to give up on mercury.