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Are 2 LWCO required?

Hi, my uncle has recently replaced his old boiler with a OSB-5 oil fired steam boiler. After a few months I went over to check the unit out and noticed he had 2 LWCO units mounted on a tee. One is a Hydrolevel 450 which is supplied with the unit and the 2nd one is a McDonnell & Miller. I asked my uncle what the deal was and he told me the company that installed the boiler said by NYC code, 2 are required. Is that true? I had opened up both LWCO units to check things out and i found that the Miller LWCO was not even wired, it just had the wires going to the unit. I traced the wires back and they were also not wired. Im thinking he took my uncle for a ride. Any feedback would be helpful guys.  Oh BTW afterwards the opening were the tee was placed clogged up and the LWCO was reading that the water was at the correct level but actually on the sight glass the water was too low. To make a long story short. I dismantled the LWCO piping assy and found it to be blocked.  Way to go huh??

Comments

  • oh man

    That's bad and dangerous!! Make me cringed if they did that, I wondered how's the boiler is piped?? Got any pictures??
  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
    LWCO

    Two LWCO controls are required by NYC code. One of them needs to have a Manual Reset.



    I would HIGHLY recommend having somebody take a look at it and get them both working properly. I bet the installers/technicians had problems with it and bypassed the wiring. Very dangerous.
  • PROTO718
    PROTO718 Member Posts: 4
    LWCO.

    I DONT HAVE ANY PICS OF THE CONTROLS, I CAN TELL YOU THIS, WHEN THEY INSTALLED THE UNIT, THEY LEFT THE OLD HARTFORD LOOP SET UP AND CONNECTED FROM THERE TO THE BOILER. THEY EVEN LEFT THE OLD WATER FEEDER ON WHICH IS A 2 WIRE SETUP. EVERYTIME THE BOILER TURNED ON THE AUTO FILL WOULD KICK ON AND FLOOD THE SYSTEM. WATER GUSHED OUT OF THE RADIATORS, **** UP THE WHOLE FLOOR ON THE 2ND FLOOR.



    i, THE NOVICE DID MY RESEARCH AND INSTALLED THE CORRECT WATER FEEDER TO HOT WATER. THE OLD ONE WAS PLUMBED IN TO THE COLD WATER. ALSO I NOTICED THE HARTFORD LOOP IS NOT 2" BELOW THE NWL. iTS EVEN WITH IT.
  • PROTO718
    PROTO718 Member Posts: 4
    LWCO

    SO JSTAR. IN NYC ARE ALL STEAM BOILERS REQUIRED TO HAVE 2 LWCO? OR JUST OIL FIRED STEAM BOILERS? hOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR ME TO PLUMB IN THE SECONDARY LWCO? I REALLY DONT LIKE THE PROBE ON THE PRIMARY LWCO PROBE TO BE RECESSED IN A PIPE TO ACCOMMODATE THE 2ND ONE.
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