Pressure going above New Vaporstat Cutout

kredmore

Installed a new vaporstat 0-16oz, and new gauges (0-3psi and 30-0-15psi). Upon start up (vaporstat set to 12oz main, 8oz diff), pressure gauges reading about 1.1psi at cutout. How can this be?

JUGHNE

Is the gauge and vaporstat on the same pigtail?

Fred

Does the Vaporstat come back on at 8 ounces or is that off also? It isn't unusual for Vaporstats to be off a few ounces. Pressuretrols much more so.
Sounds like you are off about 5 ounces. Set the Vaporstat Main to 7 or 8 ounces. That should get you to a 12 ounce Cut-out. If the Differential works at 8 ounces, leave it alone. If it is off as well, adjust it down to where the burner kicks back on around 4 ounces.

KC_Jones

Need to check it against a good gauge and fine tune it. I have 2 on my boiler and not only were they both off by a huge margin, they didn't agree with each other. I bench tested both and fine tuned them to get them closer, but still off by an amount I find unacceptable. I finally just set them to the gauge reading I wanted and ignored the scale on the front.

Fred

BTW, you'll notice that the Main scale is held in place by a couple small screws and a slot on the scale itself that will allow you to slide the scale up or down a bit, once you get the vaporstat fine tuned. That will at least get you closer to matching the actual cut-out pressure.

kredmore

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, pigtail is new and protects the vaporstat and gauges on the same line.

I can certainly adjust the vaporstat (both settings and scale), since the cut in/diff is working fine - appreciate the insight that they are not always accurate and need to be dialed in.

I would first like to verify the pressure with a good/solid low pressure gauge. Wika, Ashcroft, etc.

Is there a recommendation for a brand/model gauge?

Don't mind the cost - rather be accurate/durable once.

Keith

Fred

This is what most of us use:
https://www.valworx.com/product/low-pressure-gauge-25-0-3-psi

JUGHNE

As Fred said. But if you are under 16 oz, perhaps the same gauge but 0-32 OZ. Puts you in the middle of the range and easier to read for ounces. IMO

IIWM I would put all the gauges together on tees then you could compare the 3 PSI to the 32 OZ when reading.

Gordo

A possible answer is the Vaporstat may be off spec. It happens all too frequently.

The one pictured below is working more or less ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dBTUp7SAMo

kredmore

Update - I installed a new low pressure gauge and verified the Vaportstat settings gap is off as suspected. I was going to adjust down, but since I just purchased it new, exchanged it out for a replacement that is now much closer between gauge and Vaportstat settings.

Gordo

@kredmore : Thank you for the follow-up!

I would like all who show up at a supply-house counter to buy a pressure controller to test it right then and there, and if if it doesn't pass muster, reject it and get another one that works.

If Honeywell starts noticing that their stuff is being sent back, who knows, they might actually start calibrating them properly.

One can only hope.

Fred

Good idea @Gordo !

JUGHNE

I was thinking that also. Return every one that did not go do to the low setting on the plate. Most get installed and ignored.
Many are shipped with the boiler and set at 5 PSI where they probably work correctly.

This is a Goliath of a company with no competition to speak of and this would put the burden on the supply houses who probably have no alternative company to supply the need.
As some have coined the term "MoneyWell".

Gordo

You're right, @JUGHNE .

Honeywell, in order to keep the UL listing for their pressure controls, sets up and follows protocols and it would cost $$$ to change. So, yes, it is unlikely they will change much, if at all. I get it.

(The Listed testing protocol might explain the infuriating setting on the pressuretrol shipped with every steam boiler, as you have noted, at 5 to 7 psi. I guess it is figured that the boiler is going to be used to steam crabs!)

But sometimes, sometimes, complaining does work if it is backed up by action.

The supply house would send the controls back to the local rep (in theory). And so on up the food chain.

Or they might just repack it and try and sell it to a less discriminating customer. Problem solved.

Ah, how often I have heard from supply houses:
"Look, Gordo. You're the only one who complains..."

Fred

Even if they can't/won't get the calibration right, the least they could do is not put the locktite on that screw, include a set of calibration instructions, an allen wrench and a small tube locktite in the box.

Gordo

@Fred : That would be nice, indeed. But those pesky UL protocols most likely mandate that blue smoo on that set screw...

JUGHNE

Fred, you aren't ever suggesting someone modify a safety device are you??

Fred

JUGHNE said:

Fred, you aren't ever suggesting someone modify a safety device are you??

Yea, It's the only way I know of to keep the manufacturer out of court and whomever is responsible for Quality control a productive adult.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@JUGHNE is correct. We could all go to jail for adjusting them. I know I have never done that Problem is we are the only little community here that knows about their sloppy calibration. And we don't buy enough to make a difference. With regular pressure controls all they care about is if the boiler shuts down at 15 psi

Too bad we can't get another mfg interested Dwyer etc

Fred

Guess what, I also remove the tags from my mattresses. I hope the Feds aren't monitoring this site

Gordo

At the end of my testing of PA404A pressuretrols, they almost always work as designed. Only a few are quite simply found broken beyond repair.

And the blue smoo is still immaculate. Mirabile dictu.

kredmore

Good stuff! Is the Honeywell Vaporstat the only product available for low pressure control? I don't see anything else online.

BobC

@Fred If the Federal Bureau of Mattress Tags finds out about this you will be in deep trouble. What kind of cake would you like around your hacksaw?

Bob

Fred

@BobC , send fruitcake! That will get to me, for sure.

JPL941

nicholas bonham-carter

JP your problem deserves a new post, so it does not get lost.
Something is wrong with the connecting pigtail to your gauge, and pressuretrol. Disconnect, and wash out, and reinstall.—NBC

JPL941

Fred

Is it the 0 - 30 PSI gauge that reads 4 -5 PSI? It may be defective. If you 0 -5 PSI gauge isn't moving, that is much more accurate than the old 0 -30 gauge.