Interrupter switch

steve_173

I'm trying to understand the interrupter switch proposal from Gerry Gill's site. <a href="http://www.gwgillplumbingandheating.com/webapp/GetFile?fid={82CD4C8E-B88D-4ADB-8267-1DC435BC2F75}">http://www.gwgillplumbingandheating.com/webapp/GetFile?fid={82CD4C8E-B88D-4ADB-8267-1DC435BC2F75}</a>



Is this just a second vaporstat that shuts the feeder when pressure rises too high? It's going to measure pressure from water in the pipes?



What pressure settings does one use for the interrupter switch?



Do you have to use low pressure vaporstats for both? I already have a 0.5-9psi stat? Can I buy a L408J and use that for steam pressure while using the current stat as the interrupter switch? Or will I need two L408Js?

gerry gill

the feeder interupter

is nothing more than a second vaporstat that would register the pressure of water rising up the vertical pipes of the boiler and open the wires to the feeder..should the lwc get 'stuck' and keep calling for water, the feeder interrupter vaporstat would disengage the feed circuit before the water reached high enough to leak out of one pipe radiator air vents or eighty year old dried up packing nuts..the goal is to protect the hard wood floors and keep the system that normally sees little to no pressure from experiencing enough pressure to sag pipes or wash 'mud' out of the radiators mud leg..it can be set at what ever pressure you desire that keeps the stacked water in the basement..it really doesn't matter if its set lower than the boiler operating pressure as all its going to do is shut off the feeder on pressure rise..if the boiler decided it needed water and had pressure built up higher than the feeder interrupter at that time, the lwc would just shut down the boiler and when the pressure dropped enough the interrupter would disengage and allow the feeder to again feed..did that help?

nicholas bonham-carter

interrupting the feeder

the best thing, i think, is to turn the feeder off when you are not in front of the boiler, perhaps the vaporstat could be wired to do a double duty in this case, stopping the burner, and stopping the feeder if the steam or water pressure exceed a few ounces.--nbc

steve_173

What's the point then?

I guess the feeder could feed only when the boiler is running.



Mine is set up so I can shut a valve just beyond the feeder. The feeder could try to feed forever and no water will flow.

steve_173

Partially

Good to know that any vaporstat will do. Are the L408Js more suitable in some way? I've noticed you use two of those in some of your pictures.



This means potentially that the feeder can't feed while the boiler is operating. Once the pressure drops, the feeder can feed, and then the boiler can turn back on when the LWC releases the boiler. Is there a conceivable scenario where the boiler would then short cycle and there not be enough heat while away?



Some here still don't like the feeders because they can still go haywire. Is that mostly from the brownout issue you've identified?

gerry gill

then you also would not have

an 'automatic feeder' as with the valve closed you have a manual feeder..so the better 'whats the point' question would be if you close the valve to an automatic feeder why did you pay for an automatic feeder? I'm protecting the 30,000 dollars worth of hardwood floors upstairs, and i don't think your understanding what we are trying to achieve..guess where i got that dollar figure from..

gerry gill

i dought you'd build up enough

pressure to activate the feeder interrupter if you were cycling at the low water level..alot of people don't like feeders..i'm neutral on that battle..i have no problem with manual feed as long as there is a water meter..

nicholas bonham-carter

The devil in the machine

I am as you can tell against the auto-feed;however I do have the luxury of living in the same building as, and even doing the laundry next to the boiler. Therefore I have no extended need for a feeder, as I can check the water level frequently.

Others I realize are not so fortunate, and therefore must rely on something automatic which may disguise water-loss, and therefore destroy the boiler.

Maybe, there could be an auto-feed which not only meters the makeup water added, as already exists, but also sounds an alarm if too much has been added in a week.--NBC

steve_173

Meter

What kind of meter do you use and where do you like to place it? The hydrolevel has a meter. Unless one manually feeds through it with the button it won't register. I'm guessing most people don't do that as it's a little slow. The plumber certainly hasn't been while skimming as the hydrolevel hasn't moved at all. Is it good to have two meters, one for the manual feed and one in the feeder?

steve_173

Both options

I plan to manually feed to keep an eye on things, especially for the first season. I can enable the auto-feeder as well by opening the valve.

gerry gill

we use a standard water dept style meter

except we ask for one that reads in gallons instead of cubic feet and we only do this if there isn't a vxt feeder with display involved..i wouldn't worry about not 'clocking' the skimming water as this is water that is only used when the boiler is new..generally..unless oil gets reintroduced into the system via pipe work..what you want to monitor is the constant and continual water usage in order to determine if your using to much.

steve_173

Feeding

I should always feed then by using the feed button on the VXT?



Is there a rule of thumb or calculation as to how much water usage is considered normal?