Steamhead / Gordo gauge glass drain

ChrisJ

Well I finally decided to go ahead and do it.

My boiler now has a Steamhead / Gordo style drain on the gauge glass and I have to admit, it is a lot better!



The 1/4" valve I used from Lowes is a piece of garbage though.  I will be replacing it with one from Pexsupply.com when I do another order.





Thanks guys!

Gordo

Thank You

for posting this.



It has been Code (CSD-1) on the commercial side for years to add blow-downs on sight-glasses.  It just seemed like a good idea to spread the news.



I know what you mean about the Lowes valves. No packing nut to tighten when they start leaking, right?



 

ChrisJ

Packing nut

yea, the lack of a packing nut and the fact the brass shaft feels loose for some reason and stripped out when I tried to reinstall the handle. The nut is too big for the shaft so almost no pressure stripped it.





I have a 1/4" brass plug in the bottom elbow. This is just in case someone bumps the valve and its only in hand tight. The elbows are so I can throw a small bucket under it rather than have it dump all over the boiler drain like it did before.



I didn't know these were code in commercial installations. Seems to me anything required commercially is probably required for a reason and should also apply to residential, no?

Hap_Hazzard

Adding mine.

I like these because they're full-port, male-female (no nipple required), and cheap. The lever is small and swings 180°, which gives you a little flexibility in how you mount it.



One word of caution: when you screw in a 1/4" nipple or a valve like this, don't overtighten, and make sure it doesn't run into the shaft.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Dahl

I took a better look at their catalog and they have two valves perfect for this application:



#221-61-04   1/4" male x male hose, or

#221-61-04F 1/4" male x female swivel hose



I like these valves because they never leak out of the packing.



http://www.dahlvalve.com/brochure/Dahl%20Full-line%20Catalogue%20US%20Edition%20Oct08.pdf



see page I-7

vaporvac

original thread

For future viewing ease, I thought I'd post the link to the original thread highlighting this...it took a bit of time to remember it was under the Megasteam install post.

http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/144144/Latest-MegaSteam



P.S. I'm assuming this is something one can do anytime?

Gordo

Commercial Steam Code Requirements

Good idea?  You betcha.  Steam codes are written with blood.



We're starting to realize that a secondary LWCO (as required by CSD-1) might be a good idea on residential boilers , too.



 Only problem is that most boiler manufacturers don't have tappings for the secondary probe type LWCO on their residential sizes.

Hap_Hazzard

Any time

As long as your bottom gaugecock doesn't leak and it already has a petcock or a 1/4" plug installed, you can do it anytime. Just shut the draincock, unscrew the petcock or plug, and install the ball valve.

Hap_Hazzard

Secondary LWCO

I toyed with the idea of using a tee on the lower gauge glass tapping, but I was afraid it might get dirty there faster than the primary.

Steamhead

This should actually be called

the Gordo/Steamhead gauge glass drain. Gordo found it, I just took the pictures.

Hap_Hazzard

Original thread?

I don't think this was the first mention, but it's from almost a year ago.



http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/139406/Peerless-63-3L-Install-by-All-Steamed-Up-Inc#p1253289

Gordo

Secondary LWCO Placement

We've called various mfgs. on where to put them on their smaller boilers and pretty much received a collective shrug. 

"Not our problem" 

Yeah, cheers, mate.



We know this: putting the probe in the equilizer line is hit or miss.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Or just....

a GoSt or Gost drain.  You'd sell a million!



You'd think the boiler manufacturers would take notice, no?

Hap_Hazzard

Well, blow me down.

This might be the first mention, from 2010:

http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/130212/Smith-G-8-Steamer-Install#p1191180

ChrisJ

Valve

Hap, the valve you used concerns me as the only place I could find it was Lowes and it had "AIR" in the part number.



Seemed to be made for air compressor applications and I couldn't find any info saying it was ok for use with hot water.

Gordo

Arrrgh, Me Matey! Blow Me Down Indeed.

We've been mentioning proper blow-downs for sight-glasses for awhile now.



And don't get me started on the so-called "brass" friction rings that rust up and ruin the sight-glass nut!!! Arrrgh!

Hap_Hazzard

It's ok.

I forget what the temperature rating is, but these things generally have a lot of overkill in terms of temperature and pressure. Besides, I've been using it for long enough to know it isn't going to melt. :-)



btw, I took a look at the one Lowes carries. Apart from being twice what I paid for mine, I'm not sure it will work. it seems to have a stop that prevents the lever from turning towards the female end. Since the gaugecock will prevent it from turning the other way, this won't work too well. :-(

Hap_Hazzard

I checked mine.

I thought my washers might be steel, so I checked them with a magnet. I'm pretty sure they're chrome-plated brass.

ChrisJ

washers

I don't know what mine are, whatever WM supplied with my boiler.  I'm going to assume they are going to rust because the protecting rods for the glass also look rust worthy.



Is there a good brand of gauge glass to buy?

Gordo

Glad You Checked Them

A few years ago, I called Combraco about this issue.  The fellow who answered the phone insisted they were brass washers.  I prevailed upon him to test them with a magnet and he was unpleasantly surprised, but didn't have an answer he was willing to share with me as to why they were steel in the first place.



I think we all know the answer to that one.



Combraco  makes several grades of quality in their sight-glass line.  The ones usually shipped with most package boilers have the brass coated steel junk.  The ones shipped with the MegaSteam, for example, are weakly magnetic "stainless steel" washers and have brass protection rods-a step in the right direction to be sure.



No one really notices this until the thing leaks anyway.



We simply ordered 1000+ custom brass washers from a washer manufacturer and change them out whenever we get the chance.

ChrisJ

glass

Gordo,



You know what really sucks, when I installed the glass on my boiler it was a hair too long to just slide in.  So what I did was loosened and removed one of the gauge cocks, redoped and threaded it in but left it not aligned, put the glass in and then aligned it.

This of course got the system working for me but the problem of course is I can never remove that glass without breaking it and replacing it.

Gordo

It Should Last a Good Long Time

So no worries.  They haven't stopped making them.

 

We never touch a gauge-glass unless we know we got replacements in the truck 'cause they are gonna break anyway, esp. if you DON'T have a replacement!



On something as brittle as a gauge glass, the policy is: "one to use, one to lose".

Gordo

How About

"Go-Steam"? ;-)

JStar

Glass

Somebody should make a sight glass valve with a little more internal space, so it doesn't need to be cleaned so much in the first place.

ChrisJ

more space

I've been thinking about moving my valve down to the horizontal area of my setup just for this reason. Though to be honest with the water treatment it doesn't seem to need cleaning much, might be a yearly thing at this point.

Rod

Optional Drain Hose

One of the benefits of the Gordo/Steamhead gauge glass drain is that it has a male hose thread. Steamhead mentioned in an earlier post that you get a washing machine water hose  (they have a female hosing fitting on both ends) and cut it in half giving you two drain hoses!

- Rod

Hap_Hazzard

Installing/removing gauge glass

I'm probably telling you something you already know, but just in case, and for the benefit of the newbies, there is a method to this.



If you stick the glass tube up into the upper gaugecock, it should go in about a half inch or so. Then, if you align it with the bottom gaugecock and let it down, it doesn't go into the lower one as far, so if it's the right length it should just sit there without falling out. Then you can go ahead and tighten the packing nuts. To remove it, just loosen the packing nuts, slide the packings towards the middle of the tube, raise the tube into the upper gaugecock until the bottom is clear of the lower gaugecock, swing the tube to one side and remove it.



If the glass is not the right length, it's really worth your while to cut it to fit right so removing it and reinstalling it will be a breeze. Just insert the tube into the upper gaugecock as far as it will go, then hold the bottom of the tube against the lower gaugecock and mark the tube where it meets the top of the fitting by scratching it with a triangular file or a diamond nail file. Now you can either cut the tube yourself or take it back to the store where you bought the gauge and ask them to do it for you.



They make special cutters for the glass tubing. They seem to work well, but I've never owned one. I have some diamond cutting wheels for my die grinder, and you can get them for Dremel tools. The trick is you need to keep it wet so the glass doesn't get hot and crack. I do it in the kitchen sink when my wife isn't looking. By the way, it might seem like a good idea to flame polish the end of the tube with a propane torch, but don't do it. It makes the end of the tube too big to fit though the packing nuts or washers.

Gordo

Thanks For Posting This, Rod!

Another tip is to put a bit of anti-seize on the hose threads.



If the sight-glass leaks, it will rust up the laundry hose fitting (they are usually made of iron) .

ChrisJ

Secondary LWCO

I think I could have ordered my EG series with a tapping for this, but I'm not sure.  I know there were some spots not tapped so I'm assuming the proper size drill bit and a 1/2" tap and I could put one in.



I'm assuming another option, is to tap a float type or one of those probe conversion kits into the gauge glass with some fancy elbows to change the hight slightly.  I'm assuming the secondary LWCO should be a hair lower than the primary?

nicholas bonham-carter

Larger gauge glass tube needed

If the diameter were bigger, then the "steam master" suppositories could be put in there.--NBC

ChrisJ

New valve

Finally got a valve from pexsupply.com to replace the garbage one from Lowes.



The Pexsupply.com one was under $5 and is from China unfortunately. However, it is totally different from the Lowes one. Every part of it is thicker including the brass body. The nut that holds the handle on threads on nice, handle fits nice and the valve has a packing nut.



I changed the arrangement a little to get it more out of the way of the boiler drain.





Once again I've found out the hard way that Lowes/Homer often carry garbage at a not so cheap price.

Pumpguy

Essex Brass

I find the gauge glass assemblies available from Essex Brass to be a higher quality than those from Conbraco.  The guard rods are brass, not copper coated steel, the valve bodies are forged brass, and bigger than Conbraco's.



The Essex Brass website shows a wide selection of styles available, and if you tell them the center distance of the access tappings on your tank or boiler, they will cut the glass to length for you too. 



Price is a little more, but the personal service is worth it, at least to me. 



They are in Warren, Michigan.

Phone:  586 757 8200

Ask for Brian or Chris.