Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.
Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Leaking Drain Valve

Hey everyone - noticed that my drain valve below my LWCO appears to be dripping. It seems relatively slow (the bucket below is basically just "wet" where it drips).
It appears to just be the valve that's leaking but the LWCO is presumably old (at the very least ~2 years since we bought the house). Relative novice with steam heat / plumbing so not sure how much I want to venture in completely replacing the valve myself. Would it be difficult? Presumably would have to drain the boiler first.
Would putting in a plug like this https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-BRSP075-3-4-Brass-Sq-Head-Plug-Lead-Free be sufficient for the "summer" until we get it serviced normally and can have it replaced?
Pictures included.



It appears to just be the valve that's leaking but the LWCO is presumably old (at the very least ~2 years since we bought the house). Relative novice with steam heat / plumbing so not sure how much I want to venture in completely replacing the valve myself. Would it be difficult? Presumably would have to drain the boiler first.
Would putting in a plug like this https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-BRSP075-3-4-Brass-Sq-Head-Plug-Lead-Free be sufficient for the "summer" until we get it serviced normally and can have it replaced?
Pictures included.



0
Leave a Comment
Categories
- 80.9K THE MAIN WALL
- 2.5K A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
- 36 Biomass
- 394 Carbon Monoxide Awareness
- 2.6K Controls
- 1.4K Domestic Hot Water
- 3.7K Gas Heating
- 101 Geothermal
- 130 Indoor-Air Quality
- 2.3K Oil Heating
- 30 Pipe Deterioration
- 564 Plumbing
- 4.2K Radiant Heating
- 333 Solar
- 12.1K Strictly Steam
- 36 Water Quality
- 7 Industry Classes
- 51 Job Opportunities
- 7 Recall Announcements
Comments
On the other hand... one often hears that those controls have a working life of something on the order of ten years, so perhaps it is time to just replace the whole LWCO.
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England.
Hoffman Equipped System (all original except boiler), Weil-Mclain 580, 2.75 gph Carlin, Vapourstat 0.5 -- 6.0 ounces per square inch
> That's the blowdown valve on that old (yes it is) McDonnell Miller. You can try opening it -- you should be once a week or twice a month anyway, bot blowdown the control -- and closing it again. Some crud may have gotten caught somehow.
>
> On the other hand... one often hears that those controls have a working life of something on the order of ten years, so perhaps it is time to just replace the whole LWCO.
Yup, I actually have been doing that since we bought the house! Typically every two weeks or so until the water coming out is clear.
I thought it might be the case to just replace the whole thing. Would using the plug for now be an okay idea? Was hoping to just handle it with the annual maintenance.
> What would the plug do? Keep your bucket slightly dryer? I'd just let it drip.
Pretty much lol
Just didn't know if it would be worth it to stop.
If I were you, I'd replace it with a probe type if feasible.
For the probe type, what's the advantage? I've heard of them before but haven't done much research yet.
However...
They are electronic gadgets, rather than mechanical, and there is a great deal to be said either positively or negatively about either one. In your situation, I'd just replace the one you have with a new one to match. Much easier to do. But then... I have both on Cedric. They both do require maintenance, just different, and they can both fail, just differently.
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England.
Hoffman Equipped System (all original except boiler), Weil-Mclain 580, 2.75 gph Carlin, Vapourstat 0.5 -- 6.0 ounces per square inch
I think if we were to replace it we'd likely stick with the same type for now then if/when we need to replace the boiler possibly change it up for the new one.
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England.
Hoffman Equipped System (all original except boiler), Weil-Mclain 580, 2.75 gph Carlin, Vapourstat 0.5 -- 6.0 ounces per square inch
Just go to a hardware store or big box and buy a new valve and a short nipple and some pipe dope. Put the new valve under the old valve for now it will keep it from leaking.
Next time you have the boiler serviced your technician should take the LWCO apart and clean it. Then he can take the old valve off and put the new valve in it's place