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steam system

lib973
lib973 Member Posts: 3
in Gas Heating
My Burham steam boiler shuts on and off every 90 seconds on low water. Water starts out at top of gauge glass and in less then two minutes it will go all the way down and disappear completely. Boiler will shut of on low water and before the delayed feeder goes on, the gauge glass fills all the way back up to top, and boiler restarts. this goes on all day and radiators on one side of house never get hot.

Comments

  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,840
    Is this a new installation?
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
  • ch4man
    ch4man Member Posts: 297
    a more important question is. are you saying the water feeder adds water every couple of minutes?
    we can help with a better description of your system, pls take some pictures as well
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,470
    need pictures and more information
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    New boiler or any new piping? It certainly sounds like the boiler needs to be skimmed to get the oils off of the surface of the water.
  • gennady
    gennady Member Posts: 839
    Seems like near boiler piping issue. I would start by checking equalizer size and configuration. How return connected to Hartford loop. Clock boiler gas meter.
    Gennady Tsakh
    Absolute Mechanical Co. Inc.
  • lib973
    lib973 Member Posts: 3
    ch4man said:

    a more important question is. are you saying the water feeder adds water every couple of minutes?
    we can help with a better description of your system, pls take some pictures as well

    No, no water feeds at all, glass fills back up with condensate from, seems like return is clogged.
  • lib973
    lib973 Member Posts: 3
    boiler was replaced about 5 years ago. oil pancake boiler was there before. near boiler pipping as per manufacture's specs.
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578
    If the boiler waterlevel drops in 90 seconds after firing, then that is too short a time for the water to have been evaporated, so it seems like pressure would push the water from the boiler high into the returns in that time period. If there are any horizontal pipes in the returns, slightly higher than the water level, they they will absorb quite a bit of water from this over pressure situation, but release it quickly on the off cycle.
    This could be caused by dirty water clogging up the pigtail, and preventing the pressuretrol from seeing the pressure. Additionally, improper piping could allow excess water to be blown up into the supply pipes.
    Post pictures of the boiler piping, main vents, and a typical radiator for more advice.—NBC

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