Steam boiler using water.

Unknown

I thought I was typing "month" but my fingers had something else in mind. Not sure why but I've been doing that a lot lately. Probably the medication I'm on for my messed up back. Supposed to be 5 to 7 gallons per month and not week and I have corrected it. It's nice to see someone is paying attention! Thanks for the heads up!

Glenn

Thom Masse (a rookie)_2

Steam boiler using water.

How long should the water in a steam boiler last? 1day?3days? A Burnham, gas fired, steam boiler needs to be filled every three days. Low water cut off works, because that's when the wife is cold. So if he missed a day to check and fill the boiler, she'd be cold. No visual signs of leaks. Could the steam be too wet and how would I dry it?

For my next question...

Unknown

We usually state

that if you are using in excess of about 5 to 7 gallons of water per month, it may be too much. This is for average sized residential boilers and will vary with larger boilers. To be certain that you are not losing steam due to a possible hole above the water level, fill the boiler up into the supply riser and look for weepage between the sections and on the burner tray or floor. Based on your comments though you probably have already done this.

Next, look for weepage of steam from radiator valves, air vents and for possible leaks in return piping. Sometimes a little lost steam can add up to a pretty good amount of water lost. Dry steam is primarily a result of correct near boiler piping and the condition of the boiler water. Hope this helps.

Glenn Stanton

Burnham Corp.

JM_2

Thats a lot of water

5 to 7 gallons a week sounds like an auful lot of water to be adding. I am not an expert, but my burnham independace V
says right on it that if you are adding water more than once a month you should call a sevice tech. I add a little water every two weeks, I know i have a few leaky valves.

Ben_3

If you are adding that much water to your system I would say you have a leak. Is this one pipe or two pipe steam? How does the water return to the boiler? If you have a gravity return system where the end of the steam main travels back to the boiler buried underneath your basement floor that is probably where your leak is.