Steam low water problem

sixtog

This is driving me crazy already i usually pipe a PSE 800 m before the Harford loop because slant fin don't have an outlet for a secondary low water cutoff on the boiler itself, but i keep getting called back because boiler is not working. the boiler has water. If i reset it comes on it is not the probe i clean it and it only happens on this type of boiler i do the same thing with Williamson boiler and it's great the equalizer is  1"1/2  i know i should have brought it down 2"1/2 but not sure if it would had made a difference

Long Beach Ed

You get lots of steam bubbles in that loop. It varies with the boiler design. The steam that's made in the base of the boiler rises in that equalizer just as it rises in the boiler.

It's a bad place for a low water cutoff. That's my thought.

ethicalpaul

I can't imagine steam bubbles forming or traveling there. Is it possible the boiler is throwing water (surging) its water into the mains and the level is actually dropping that far?

EBEBRATT-Ed

I agree with @ethicalpaul

Is the boiler water surging or bouncing? Was the boiler skimmed?

sixtog

I skimmed the boiler but the water doesn't seem like it's bouncing too much. I do have that problem in another job with the same type of boiler and I've been skimming almost every 2 weeks and the water gets stable, but when I come back to check on it, the water is bouncing like crazy. i have the same problem there with the secondary low water cut off going out. It's hard for me to see if the boiler is surging since I'm not there when it happens and I can't see inside. 

pedmec

Is your near boiler piping and pipe size installed per manufacturers specifications?

are you skimming correctly? getting the boiler water temperature just below steaming and then skimming. using a large skim port to remove as much surface water as possible, larger than a 3/4" opening.

Long Beach Ed

For now, why not swap the resettable and non-resettable cutoffs? While the boiler will cut in and out, you won't get the lock-out call. And your customer won't lose all his heat.

JUGHNE

Or if you remove the boiler drain bib, add a nipple/tee there, put the bib back on the

bull of the tee and the LWCO on the open run.

That would lower it a few inches.......actually too low for safe operation.....but a temp try.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Skim with TSP using Dan Holohan's method works every time. 1 2 hour skim and your done.

JUGHNE

How close is the probe to the back of that tee?

(thinking of expansion/contraction of probe)

Will these lock out if the probe becomes grounded??