Penco LWCO boiler off

Thecrow

Have brand new penco 112 k Btu one pipe steam boiler running like a champ until I checked on it today and it was off with the yellow low water cut off light on. What could it be I see no leaks... I added water it turned back on been running good but its going to be minus 10 degrees here anyone have any idea why this happened? My umber has the flu!! Thanks

EBEBRATT-Ed

How often do you have to add water?

Any pictures?

Just keep an eye open for leaks and your other eye on the water level. Especially with the cold wether

Fred

Are the wet returns under the basement floor where you wouldn't see a water leak?

Thecrow

I skimmed it after install and it ran good. I'm spackling now and had it up to about 75 degrees for few hours. Wondering if that lowered the water? . The returns are in good condition above floor get some pictures tomorrow. I'm working on adding a new radiator but haven't done anything to the main yet only loosened a cap. It's tight. I'm lost going to check it in the am ill keep it posted. I thought that the cut off would trigger it to automatically feed water when low instead it just shut off.

Fred

Is the water valve to the auto water feeder open? It could be closed and can't add water. If it is open, it could be wired wrong or it has a delay and you happened to look at it while it was in that delay. Be careful adding cold water to the boiler when it looks like it is empty. If it happens again, shut the power off to the boiler and wait to see if the water returns. If it doesn't let the boiler cool down before adding water. Also, make sure the top and bottom valves on the sight glass are open also.

JUGHNE

Have you ever tested the auto fill to see if it is working?
I may have just lost some water and not refilled.
In theory it should not need water very often at all.

Thecrow

I'll check first thing in the morning and take some pictures. Anyway to check returns just in case? I always check the glass it's clean and always at proper level only after raising it up to 75 for about 4 hours it was turned off. I wonder if that temperature that long evaporate the water? It worked like a top for weeks installation was done by a 3rd generation steam boiler plumber. I'm just worried that something isnt right since it happened out of the blue. How do you test auto fill? Ps I understand about the cold water and will follow advice I only put about a gallon of water in and light went out turned up thermostat and it was running again.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Drain some water out of the boiler and see if the feeder works automatically. Could be a wiring issue where the burner still shuts of but the feeder isn't activated.

Also with the wiring (don't know if it is gas or oil) but the power should go through the low water cutoff first so it can power the feeder anytime it needs water. If it goes through the pressure control or something else and the power is off it can't feed if the other controls are electrically open

Thecrow

I'll snap pictures of the wiring. I'll also test it in the am. It is a NG boiler penco.
https://penncoboilers.com/products/boilers-gas/16-series-boilers

Thecrow

I haven't had time to run tests on it today but maybe tomorrow but when I arrived it was working properly and water was normal. Was it a freak thing? Is that normal was it the power that went out or something? Here is pictures of the relevant side. Does anyone see anything incorrect?

EBEBRATT-Ed

The wiring diagram is pasted to the boiler. Follow that and see if it looks right. I can see it in the picture but it's too small to read.

Other than that if the plumber wired it...he should stick to piping. The wiring is sloppy. Romex looks taped to the gas line is a no no if that's what I am seeing

Fred

It wasn't a power outage. You need to make sure the auto water feeder kicks in when it is suppose to. A power outage won't change the level of water in the sight glass.
Having said that, I see you have a Cyclegard Low Water Cut-off on that boiler. That don't call it a Psycho -Gard for no reason. That LWCO will shut the boiler down every 10 minutes or so to check the water level. If the water is OK, it will re-fire the boiler, if it's low it will add water.
You should replace that unit with a Safegard. They don't shut the boiler down several times each heating cycle. Can you remember where the water level was in the sight glass when you found it shut down? It may have just been in one of those psycho cycles.

Thecrow

I'm going to verify that tomorrow to see if it working properly. When I checked it when it was off it only needed about a gallon of water before it kicked back on maybe it was between cycle? The plumber installed everything. It was working good today while I was working on my other pipe run.

Thecrow

My plumber told me that it needs to be skimmed more because water was bouncing and dirty skimmed it today for an hour runs beautifully. However, I found the problem the drywall guys never tightend one radiator and it was leaking so that's where I lost my water. My boiler has no auto feed and plumber says they are a waste that he's always had problems with them. His contracts also mention them specifically he won't take responsibility for when they overfill or something