New Steam Boiler - Just Learning

leons

New Weil-Mclain EG-55 here. Just starting to learn a little, so dangerous! :-)
3 Questions (for now):

1) The probe that comes out of the LWC is installed in the boiler about 1 3/4" higher than the bottom of the Gauge Glass. However, the LWC cuts out when the water goes down to the bottom of the Gauge Glass. I would have thought that the cutoff would occur when the water went below where I can see the LWC probe going in? Is the Gauge Glass not showing the relative position of the internal water level (or is the probe somehow sensing water 1 3/4 " lower than where it goes into the boiler?

2) The installers skimmed it for an hour or so. From what I've read, maybe not enough? They DID leave a skip port piped (with a brass plug/square corners on it). If it needs more skimming (how do I know, or should I just assume?), can I/should I do it myself?

3) Installers marked the Gauge Glass with a fill line about 1" from the top of the glass. The manual says that normal water line is 1/2 way. Which is correct (or does it not make a big difference)?

Thanks in advance for your kind assistance!

nicholas bonham-carter

The installation manual should specify exactly which tapping on the boiler is used for the LWCO probe. Check and see if they used the correct location.
Post some pictures here of the boiler and its piping (including the skim port), for some opinions.
An hour of skimming is not enough, but it is an easy chore, albeit time consuming, so do a search on here for the technique.
For more steam pro eyes on your post, use the strictly steam section here.--NBC

ChrisJ

Please,

Roll that beautiful steamer footage!

We need pictures of the boiler and the piping around it.

leons

Ok, I will take pictures of the boiler and the piping when home from work. In the meantime, here is one pic that I meant to attach on my original post (it also shows the Skim Port). On it, I took the over off the LWC to expose the probe, which I assume is the item surrounded by the brass colored circle in the center/bottom of the LWC. Although it's not clear from the angle if the picture, if you follow the probe to the right, it matches up at 1 3/4" above the bottom of the Gauge Glass. The LWC activates (as I would expect), when water gets to the very bottom of the Gauge Glass. But, is what is confusing me, is why that isn't the same position as the probe. Either the probe (once it enters the boiler) is somehow reading 1 3/4" lower than where it enters, or the Gauge Glass is not showing the true position of the water line. Which is it and why?

Paul S_3

why is the lwco activating .......once the correct amount of water is in the system....the lwco should not cycle unless there is a leak or the water line is extremely unstable....and the installers need to come back and skim more....post the pics later

ChrisJ

Paul S said:

why is the lwco activating .......once the correct amount of water is in the system....the lwco should not cycle unless there is a leak or the water line is extremely unstable....and the installers need to come back and skim more....post the pics later

My EG45 would trigger the LWCO when it shut down after a cycle right after I installed it.

Oddly enough, the water wasn't that unstable but the strange behavior stopped after a few skims so it was obviously from dirty water.

GreenGene

Don't go by the glass gauge, while that may appear somewhat stable or wavy inside is a tornado of surges you can't see.

Jamie Hall

Well... yes, there is a great deal of turbulence inside the boiler. However, the gauge glass is nicely damped from all that, and should respond well -- and smoothly -- to the effective water level near the location of the gauge. And that is what is of real interest.

GreenGene

Not sure if they still do it but the Weil McLain steam boiler seminars with the steam boilers that have pyrex glass panels and piping is a must see.

ChrisJ

GreenGene said:

Not sure if they still do it but the Weil McLain steam boiler seminars with the steam boilers that have pyrex glass panels and piping is a must see.

We almost piped my boiler with pyrex.

When I compared the pricing with my budget......

leons

Jamie Hall said:

Well... yes, there is a great deal of turbulence inside the boiler. However, the gauge glass is nicely damped from all that, and should respond well -- and smoothly -- to the effective water level near the location of the gauge. And that is what is of real interest.

And the thing that has me the most concerned is the fact that the LWC doesn't kick in until the water is below the visible part of the gauge glass.

ChrisJ

leons said:

Jamie Hall said:

Well... yes, there is a great deal of turbulence inside the boiler. However, the gauge glass is nicely damped from all that, and should respond well -- and smoothly -- to the effective water level near the location of the gauge. And that is what is of real interest.

And the thing that has me the most concerned is the fact that the LWC doesn't kick in until the water is below the visible part of the gauge glass.

Don't be.
That's how mine behaved when the water was dirty.
I think your LWCO is working as intended, really no way it couldn't be as it's mounted in a hole positioned by the manufacturer.

We need pictures of your piping, and you likely need to do a lot of skimming.

leons

Here's the pics, welcome comments & criticisms on the installation!

Charlie from wmass

Why were the last two supplies joined together instead of seperating them like the others?

Charlie from wmass

Are you sure that it is not shutting down on a test cycle? Do youhave venting on thedry returns? Btw that clown is creepy.

nicholas bonham-carter

What sort of main vents are on the dry returns? Bad main venting can also force the water down in the boiler, and out into the wet returns, if the pressuretrol is not set to a low enough pressure cutout.
Were the radiators measured to size the boiler? The boiler looks rather large for the small feeds you have coming off the header.
A boiler which is too large has as many problems as one too small!--NBC