new boiler - lower water level

USA498

I'm replacing my Peerless JOTTW 175 with a water height of 34 1/4 with a Burnham Mega Steam MST 396 with a water height of 28 7/8. I don't foresee any problem being that I am increasing the "A" dimension. Should I be worried ?

Jamie Hall

I see a potential problem

Increasing the "A" dimension is just fine.



However.



If, in the process, you get one of your wet returns above the new water level, somewhere out there in the system, you are going to have major problems -- and that six inch difference in  water level could very easily  do that to you.



You have two choices: go through the whole system, inch by inch, pipe by pipe, and make sure that all the returns which are now wet will stay wet, and that any drips leading into a wet return have at least 3 inches of standing water in them above the wet returns when the system is running.  Or set the new boiler up on a six inch pedestal, to match the old water level.



I'd pick option two, myself, but I'm a sort of cautious soul...

USA498

returns

wow that was quick !  Thanks Jamie.



All returns are dry until they reach the boiler, then they drop straight down.