Yikes!!! Overfill!!!

vaporvac

So due to plumbing work (don't ask, they know not to do THAT again), my boilers overfilled. I caught it before it filled the entire system, only the first little section, but I now know why conversions to HW should never be attempted. Anyway, no leaks in my lines except at the header where I already knew. It took forever to drain through the one hose at the bottom. At least I know my pressuretrols work and cut-out the burners, but it still registered 5lbs. on the header! It lessened as I drained the water and then I could use the skim ports. Too bad I didn't have a ball valve on the wet return flush out! Also, why do manufacturers put the burner with its electric next to the blowdown and skim ports? Anyway, nothing seemed to get too wet except the floor and me. Once it goes into a vacuum I can't use the skim ports so had to be patient. I thought maybe my site glass was broken, but eventually I saw space at the top.

My questions are: how long do I need to wait before starting it all up again and what, if anything, could this have done to the system that I need to be aware? I don't have traps or airvents as this is a two-pipe Trane vaporvacuum system. Thank you everyone for your help.
Thank goodness i was already in my running gear as I've never flown down three flights of stairs so fast. I cringe to think if I hadn't followed my instincts and had just gone for my run instead. Whew!

BobC

What controls got wet?

Bob

Fred

Wow! Glad you caught it before it got too far. Are their any electronics/circuit boards that got wet? did any water get into the burners? If not, you're probably fine. If it did, I'd make sure the electronics are good and dry before turning the power back on. Maybe wait 24 hours or so. Don't want to short anything out.
If no electronics got wet, I'd fire it up now so that any moisture that got into the burner compartment can dry out. No vents, no traps, no problems there.

vaporvac

I don't THINK the electrics got wet. There was some splashing, but I shielded the lines as soon as I came down, although they are enclosed anyway. Mine is a power based burner so the flame is INSIDE the boiler chamber rather than at the bottom.

Fred

It sounds like you can fire it up and watch it for the first heat cycle. See if anything runs differently that before but I think you're fine.

vaporvac

Just went down to inspect. The floors are almost all dry and the one boiler that I didn't drain through the bottom is bone dry. The metal shielding on the other burner wiring is slightly damp so I'm waiting, but thinking about maybe just firing up the one boiler, even if it is slightly less btu. I'm still in a vacuum, so it may give me some heat. Yeah for redundancy! What do you thing of that approach?

Fred

Sounds like a plan. That'll help dry the other one out too.

BobC

Water should not affect the wiring, check to se if any got into connectors that might be on that wiring because that may cause corrosion down the road.

Other than that fire it up and keep an eye on it.

Bob

vaporvac

Thanks for the replies, guys. I'm cool as a cucumber under pressure, but not so much after the fact. Best not to think of "what ifs". I'm thinking the general panic mode with racing heart should count as a run, right?
Bob, I don't see any connectors. There are two tiny wires near the gas valve assembly that go into the burner box. They feel dry, but I can't really see inside where they actually connect. I'm waiting until later if not tomorrow to fire up the bigger boiler. The one will heat the house, albeit slowly. I'll probably just drop the temp.

Fred

Take a deep breath and relax. i'm sure no damage was done. The "What if's" don't count, just the "What is".

Captain Who

Do you have an electric space heater, preferably with a fan, that you could set up to blow into the area where the electrics got wet on that one boiler?

vaporvac

I let the single boiler maintain a lower temp over night and fired up both in the morning. Everything went A-OK. I think the residual heat from the "on" boiler helped dry out everything so It was similar to your helpful suggestion @Captain Who‌. It was scary when I heard gurgling in my bdrm rad. I know others talk about this, but a first time experience.
I really don't see how anyone could do a HW conversion without running new piping. The pressure was amazing. I've never seen over 1.5 on my p-trol. There was water coming out of my site gauges and now they look rusty. Glad I kept the steam, thank you.