Steam boiler keep restarting
Posted on reddit and was suggested to ask here for advice. Newly installed IN5I 140k BTU steam boiler for heating. While trying to reach desired temp set on the thermostat, boiler would fire and restart after 2-3 minutes, sometimes 10, rarely stays boiling more than that. The thermostat is connected to the boiler and that turns off as well. When the boiler shuts off, the LWCO devices has a red light on, then blinks after a minute then goes away as the boiler comes back on. Once or twice a day I would hear the water feeder add water into the boiler. Sight glass is clear and 2/3 full. Attempted to skim the boiler, which I'm not sure if the tech has done, but I only see clear water and tiny amounts of debris come out so I stopped there. I'm aware that the heading and copper pipe is not correct but can't change that atm. Anyone have ideas what it could be? Appreciate any help.
Comments
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The water in the gauge glass looks extraordinarily oily. You are experiencing carryover, where gallons of water are being vomited into your main. That water no longer being in your boiler causes your LWCO to activate. The water returns and the cycle continues.
The boiler needs to be skimmed, and since it's a brand new install, if it were me, I would wash it out first according to the manufacturer instructions with a TSP substitute or washing soda which are both kinds of detergent.
This will need to be repeated, since the vomited oil water has been distributed all through your system and it will take time for the oil to return to your boiler.
And don't forget to get it inspected to close out your permit (this is said with some jest)
NJ Steam Homeowner.
Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el0 -
Hi sorry I'm new to this stuff and I did a bit of googling on what you mean. You're basically saying water, instead of steam, is going into my pipes because of oil on top of water in the boiler? And that is what's trigger the LWCO device to shut off the boiler? Also, here is a clearer picture of my sight glass, how can I tell if it's oily (sorry if it's obvious)?
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You did a good job of understanding, yes you have it correct.
Yes the LWCO gets triggered because there is a shortage of water in the boiler (because so much water is in the pipes) due to the oil causing violent boiling, like when you are heating milk on the stovetop and it starts to boil, it boils over instead of boiling cleanly like water.
Yes the glass is oily and so you can assume the water in the boiler is as well. See all that black oily gunk?
PS: and to be pedantic, it's water combined with steam that is being vomited up into your main pipe (the horizontal pipe that makes its way around the ceiling of your basement)
NJ Steam Homeowner.
Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el0 -
Thanks for the info. Just another question if you don't mind. If this was the case, should I see a drop of water level in the sight glass when the boiler fires up? I am asking because I observed the sight glass for a few minutes, from firing to shutoff, the water level didn't move and stayed at around 2/3 full.
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Yes you would see a drop in the water level in the gauge glass when that happens.
But I'm confused…if the water level isn't moving what happened here?:
When the boiler shuts off, the LWCO devices has a red light on, then blinks after a minute then goes away as the boiler comes back on. Once or twice a day I would hear the water feeder add water into the boiler.
NJ Steam Homeowner.
Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el0 -
I am as confused as you are 😅 I assume it should start dropping after a couple of minutes but that doesn't seem to be the case…
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The gauge ports are jammed with the same oily residue thats in the glass. Probably the top one, so you arent getting a true reading if the water level.
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That makes sense… Would skimming help unjam the ports as well?
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not really. If they are really gummer up, you may have to get in there and literally poke them clear. Hopefully not. Try skimming and the soda wash down trick first.
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
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Or much of the oil is in the main and so it's not carrying over fully up there any more. But either way if it were me, I'd wash it briefly then skim. Check your manual to see what it says…some of the manufacturers recommend washing and tell how to do it, but not all of them, but I think they all should.
NJ Steam Homeowner.
Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el0 -
Maybe but if it is still carrying over I would expect the LWCO to trip again as it did before. Anyway, it's oily in there for sure!
NJ Steam Homeowner.
Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el0 -
clearly it needs to be skimmed, not clear why the installer didn't do that but i think the tapping for the lwco is very close to the normal water line so that isn't helping matters.
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where is the skim tapping on that boiler?
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<strikethrough>it may be where they put the pressuretrol.</strikethrough>
Edit: my mistake, it’s fortunately on the right side, “F” on drawing
The Burnham cleaning instructions are a little weird but at least they advise >7 up to 11 pHMy other question is why’d they put all the old controls on it? I guess they bought it non-packaged to save a few bucks??
NJ Steam Homeowner.
Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el0 -
Yes, it needs to be skimmed. First though clean out the gauge cocks. Drain it down to LWCO. When its cool, take the stems out of the gauge cocks, use the rods that protect the sight glass to poke inside the gauge cocks. Then fill and flush each one. I would prove they are jammed before assuming anything you see pertaining to the water level is true. And skim the boiler.
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Yes, and since you will probably be doing that again in the future, order one of these ball valves for the bottom of your sight glass which will allow blowing it down periodically to make sure it is giving you a true reading:
Hose barb adapter for the bottom:
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IF you manually add water to the boiler or drain water from the boiler do you see the water level in the site glass go up and down?
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