Steam system running low on water quickly

RonnyNJ

Hi - I'm refilling my boiler every few days lately. any thoughts on what i should check or do to keep water from running low and the boiler shutting off ? I had noticed a few drops leaking from a radiator valve - i tightened it and stopped the leak. no water on the basement floor or anything like that to suggest a leak in the boiler. well, in fact, a few weeks ago there was a little water on the floor - i think i had put too much in at one point - but that was a few weeks ago and it hasn't happened again. Would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!

nicholas bonham-carter

thirsty boiler

try to look along every pipe, and valve for a leak. is this a 1-pipe steam system? are all the radiator valves fully open?

too much fresh water can cause accelerated terminal corrosion in the boiler. the boiler could also be leaking steam up the chimney, which can be seen as excess white vapor coming out the top, so check for that.--nbc

RonnyNJ

thanks for the suggestions -

NBC - I appreciate your response. I'm a novice, so i don't know if this is a 1-pipe system. not sure how i figure that out. and no, not all the radiator valves are open - one radiator is closed off, a few are narrowed down a bit w/ varivalves. what can you do about too much fresh water in the boiler? and re: the chimney, it sounds like you're suggesting checking for billowing clouds of white steam?

BobC

leak

A single pipe steam system has only one pipe connected to the radiator, there is an air vent on the other side about half way up. that air vent will expel air until it gets hot and snaps shut to prevent steam from escaping.



Do any of your return pipes go under the cement floor? If they do, you may have a leak that you can't see.



If there is a leak into the firebox you would see white smoke coming out of the chimney on a cold day.



Bob

STEVE PAUL_3

Check for leaks

Ronny,



 It sounds like you may have a cracked boiler section. If this is the case you may notice a  white condensation cloud at the top of the chimney when the boiler is firing..

 To test for a crack in the sections, shut the boiler down and slowly  overfill the boiler water supply by hand until the water level is just above the top of the sections. As you are adding the water, look for water to appear on the floor under the boiler. This water is an indication that one or more of the sections are leaking. If a leak is found, your options are to replace the leaking section (s) or replace the boiler 

RonnyNJ

Thanks again!

Bob - thanks for the explanation and advice.

Steve - thanks for your help. one question before i do any testing: When you say ``overfill the boiler water supply by hand until the water level is just above the top of the sections'' what do you mean by ``sections''? i see only the glass tube that allows me to tell how full the system is.

as i said in my previous entry, a few weeks ago i did see a small puddle on the floor under the boiler. i may have overfilled the unit that time. i haven't seen water on the floor since. Thanks.

RonnyNJ

Thanks again!

Bob - thanks for the explanation and advice.

Steve - thanks for your help. one question before i do any testing: When you say ``overfill the boiler water supply by hand until the water level is just above the top of the sections'' what do you mean by ``sections''? i see only the glass tube that allows me to tell how full the system is.

as i said in my previous entry, a few weeks ago i did see a small puddle on the floor under the boiler. i may have overfilled the unit that time. i haven't seen water on the floor since. Thanks.

STEVE PAUL_3

over filling by hand

Ronny,

Sorry to have sounded so vague. By over filling, I meant adding water to the boiler  to a height much higher than than the normal water level that you see at the sight glass. To overfill the boiler to test for a section crack, you must raise the water level above the top of the boiler and part way up into the main steam riser.

By hand, I am referring to using the manual hand valve on the water supply that should allow you to bypass the automatic water feeder. I hope a valve was installed when the boiler was installed.

The sections are the internal individual parts of the boiler that hold the water, where the steam is produced. The boiler is not one "BOX" of water but a series of smaller "BOXES" that are interconnected.

As I re-read the last part of your posting where you stated---, " I did see a small puddle on the floor under the boiler. i may have overfilled the boiler at that time" BINGO!! It sounds like you already have performed the test. This time overfill it purposely and see if you have a leak.

If you need professional help, and are located in central NJ, call Jack Dolan & Sons at 1-800-222-8827 (1-800-ABC-TUBS) Tell them Steve the supervisor said to call.