What is causing water loss

Leepoll

I have an increase in water adjacent to the boiler. It seems to have increased in quantity since last year and am wondering if I have a faulty valve. Thoughts?

nicholas bonham-carter

leaking boiler

it appears that you have a leak from the boiler. you could certainly look at the valve from the bottom, and see if it leaks.

when water leaks out, and is constantly replaced with fresh water [full of oxygen], the doomsday clock for the boiler speeds up, so it's time to fix it. since you have taken a year to take note, i suggest you use the "find a contractor" button here and do a search by state, not by zip code.--nbc

Leepoll

Copper pipe

It's definitely not the boiler and I should have been more specific in the previous post. The picture may appear that way but it is actually coming from the copper pipe against the wall. The bottom of that copper pipe has a open end and there is moisture dropping out. I will put something underneath to capture the water and see if the water spot dries up to verify. Thoughts on water coming out of copper pipe?

nicholas bonham-carter

leaking pipe

probably a soldered joint has started to fail. find out how to turn off that line and let it dry. then turn it back on, while watching to see which joint is leaking, and resolder the joint. the boiler won't like sitting on a wet floor!--nbc

Terry in NJ

looks like the backflow preventer is venting

It is the part with the blue label. They are easy to replace if you have the model with compression fittings. I've just replaced one that was about 4 years old.

ChrisJ

Megasteam?

Is that a beautiful Megasteam system??



I agree with Terry,  its the backflow preventer.  Should be easy to replace and fairly cheap.

http://www.pexsupply.com/Watts-0063191-BBFP-1-2-CxC-Backflow-Preventer

Leepoll

Megasteam

ChrisJ- yes it is my oil gobbling megasteam! It was installed by the owner of the house just prior to me purchasing. Apparently the previous boiler was the original and the size of a small car. I really wish he would have switched over to gas.



I am trying to get a hang of the lingo on the board so I can lower my operating cost. I'm going to fix my main venting this weekend. I'm still unsure about a bunch of things related to efficiency.

Leepoll

Backflow

Thanks for the link to the backflow. I'll take a look to see if I can fix myself.

ChrisJ

gas

I'm not sure on any of the details but if you talk to steamhead he might be able to give you info on converting that to gas with a power burner.



That boiler with a gas power burner is considered the king of steam boilers.

nicholas bonham-carter

tuning up the oil gobbler

is your system 1-pipe or 2-pipe? has any servicing been performed in the last year, such as to the burner?

post some pictures here of the above boiler piping, and a couple of radiators, and their valves, and we can advise any changes for efficiency which may appear necessary. reducing fuel consumption can often result from simple do-it-yourself corrections, such as lowering pressure, insulating pipes, and tightening up packing nuts on steam-leaking valves.

i would also advise getting the steam books from the shop here which will explain the operation of steam systems, and maintenance.--nbc

Leepoll

Tuning up

The system is a one pipe system. The venting was textbook from the Gorton venting diagram. I know the board recommends venting by Radiator size as opposed to distance from boiler but my house heats pretty uniformly except for a couple of places which is manageable. Every single vent was upgraded when I bought the house so they are in the 4th winter.



I will post the picture of the piping above the boiler tonight and all of the mains are insulated except for the joints/ connections. I recently insulated the attic and other measures to prevent cold air infiltration and convective heat loss.



I think you made recommendations to for me along with BobC to increase my main venting which I plan on doing this weekend. Does increasing the main venting help lower pressure? I don't know how to react to the cycling of the system and how often it should cut out and in. I currently keep the thermostat at 68 and setback to 62 at night.



I think the insulation has helped quite a bit but it hasn't exactly been cold here in NJ.

Leepoll

Piping

Here is the piping above the boiler.

nicholas bonham-carter

burnham megasteam piping picture

the pipes look nicely insulated, but just verify the diameter of the risers coming out of the boiler, using a couple of parallel rulers to get the outer diameter, which can be converted to inner diameter. it looks ok in the picture, but that is one area where sometimes an installers shortcut will cost money.

have a look at the pressuretrol settings to make sure the pressure is not more than 1.5 psi [basic function], and if there is a vaporstat, 6 ounces[economy, and comfort].

unfortunately, i do not subscribe to the "gorton textbook: of venting, although their vents are as good as we will get. the main vents do all the work, and if inadequate, will cause the boiler to work harder to force the air out. my preference is for large main vents plus one, with more restrictive radiator vents, all the same size to start with. good quality hoffman, or gorton radiator vents have a long lifespan, so should not be thrown away. in a tall building, the radiator at the top of a long riser may need some extra venting to get the extra air out more quickly.--nbc