Hydrolevel VXT-24 OR VXT-120 Automatic Water Feeder for Steam Boilers

Nova

I need to get an Auto Water Feeder for my Peerless boiler that has me running downstairs daily to fill it up in the heating season. Can anyone help me to choose the best option? One is the 24 volt model, and the other runs on 120 v,

nicholas bonham-carter

Thirsty boiler

Where is the water going? This would be time to find a cure for the leak. As the system gets to the point of needing daily water, more and more fresh oxygen is introduced into the water, with accelerating rust.

I would over fill the boiler, and watch for leaks in the boiler, or return piping.--NBC

JohnNY

feeder

The feeder will only mask your problem (leak) until the larger one (total boiler failure )occurs.

Call a plumber/heating tech and nip this in the bud.

You can always add a feeder later and generally it's 24v for gas and 120v for oil.

BobC

fix me now or I'll fix you later

Nothing will kill a boiler faster than daily addition of water, the oxygen in the water will eat holes right through the cast iron. A team boiler that needs water added to it more than once a month is in serious trouble.



You can fix it now or have an emergency on your hands when it fails in the middle of winter. Overfilling the boiler will let you know if there is a leak above the waterline of the boiler, that is where a lot of boilers fail. Ignoring that leak just guarantees it will fail at the most inconvenient time, find out where the leak is NOW.



Bob

Nova

Thanks to All

Especially helpful is the suggestion to overfill the boiler, but I'll need a plumber to get that done. And if a leak is found, the plumber would hopefully be able to fix it. In sheer desperation as I've had three plumbers look at this in the past (and no one could find a leak --but they did not overfill the boiler either) I just bought a quart of liquid stop-leak for steam boilers. So my plan of attack is to 1/ try the liquid (but I don't have a clue how to pour it in); 2/ overfill the boiler as recommended; and finally, if all else fails, get the 120v Hydrolevel installed. The boiler is used only for steam heat in the winter and was replaced in 2007.

BobC

Buried returns?

Do you know if any of your boiler return pipes are buried in the basement floor? A leak below the floor is hard to detect but if you can't find leaks anyplace else I would start looking there.



Bob

nicholas bonham-carter

Leak detection

Have the leak detection performed first, before adding any stop leak. The best procedure is to take off the pressure relief valve, (with the boiler off), and install an extension nipple so that the level can be filled about 18" inches above the boiler. You can then see whether the waterline falls over a period of a few hours. If you notice a falling water line, then you can look for the leak.

Stop leak has a very limited lifespan, and may stink up the house when used, and only works under the water line.

You may be able to order replacement sections for your boiler, if it is not too old.--NBC

bustoff315

Steam Leak

If you have to add water daily then there is a pretty decent sized leak. If you don't feel comfortable over-filling the boiler, then you can instead once the boiler has made steam pressure look in the draft regulator to see if you see any steam going up the chimney. This will also tell you if you have a crack in the boiler above the waterline. Otherwise check all of your piping and vents in the basement, and all of your radiators in the house for any sights of steam. You must locate all the steam leaks before doing anything else.