No water feeding into the boiler

HampdenRD

About a year ago I had an Automatic Water Feed that got stuck open. So I started doing the water feeding manually. This weekend when I went to check the level and add some water in I got nothing when I turned the valve.

Any idea what the issue may be now or recommendations on where to start with this problem? This is for a home unit system.

Jamie Hall

How are you accomplishing the manual feeding? With a control on the automatic feeder? Or with the bypass valve around the feeder (there should be one)?

HampdenRD

On the same line, just before the Automatic Water Feed, there is a valve. I've been using that valve to feed water into the Weil-Maclain system.

Jamie Hall

Is that valve a shutoff for the feeder? Or is it on a line which bypasses the feeder completely? Ideally the feeder should have shutoff valves on both sides of it (which should be closed if you are not using the feeder), and there should be another pipe bypassing the whole thing with a valve on it. That's the valve that should be used for manual feeding.

If you have been opening a shutoff valve for the feeder itself and feeding that way, it's possible that the feeder decided to close its own valve... and not permitting any feed. Odder things have happened.

HampdenRD

Yes the valve I turn on and off feeds directly into the AWF. When the AWF got stuck open I was able to stop it from filling the furnace by turning it off. So I've just done it manually ever since.

There are some other valves on what looks like a square pattern of copper pipes. All of those are closed and below the AWF. I believe that also feeds up to that same line. I turned one this weekend but got nothing.

You may be right about the odder things. A friend in the neighborhood suggested the same possible cause.

I guess that would mean replace or clean the AWF? (thank you for all your help)

JUGHNE

Post a picture for the best answer, please.

Fred

You should be able to open the water valve that is under the AWF, on that square and open the Valve that is closed, after the AWF and it should feed water. Post a picture of the AWF and piping. It is possible there is a back flow preventer on that line that may be stuck closed.

Abracadabra

strainer on stuck open water feeder is now clogged?
sounds like some maintenance is in order.

HampdenRD

I made my profile pic the picture of the system.

JUGHNE

The valve on the vertical shud be closed now, if you open it, it would be your manual bypass fill. You of course would monitor the manual filling.

If the auto fill is acting up, I would close the valves on the 2 horizontal pipes.

As stated above the strainer to the auto filler may be plugged now it may have passed debris to the auto valve preventing it from closing completely and over filling boiler.

HampdenRD

Fred

That very bottom valve, on the horizontal pipe should bypass the water feeder entirely and feed water directly into the boiler. Open that valve until the boiler water level is where you want it, then close it. Leave the others closed until the AWF is repaired/replaced.

KC_Jones

I rotated your picture and labeled what you need to do for manual feeding the boiler. I showed an arrow that appears to be the direction of flow for the water. This should be what you need to do for a manual feed only. Also if you close the valves I labeled close that isolates the automatic feeder if you need to work on it, which is honestly the primary reason to close them.

HampdenRD

Thanks. Sorry about the pic. I rotated and saved it but for some reason it still posted sideways.

HampdenRD

Problem solved for now. I've managed to get water into the furnace for heat. I appreciate you giving me direction on how to get water into the system for now.

I want to thank all of you for taking the time to help me out. You guys are awesome.