Discovered water leeking from boiler

Vic

this morning. Happy new year! I shut the water, gas and electricity off and went about draining the unit (steam, 1 pipe) so as to not have too big a mess. While draining with a hose and bucket I found that the boiler was flooded (had to hold the hose about 3 feet over the boiler to get the water to stop flowing). When the water level got closer to normal the leak stopped (was dripping from inside the unit somewhere). I turned the water and electricity back on and observed the glass guage while the auto feeder refilled the boiler. When the water level got to about 1/2" from the top and the auto feeder did not shut off I shut everything down and here I am. My questions are: 1)Do boilers have some sort of overflow that would account for the drip or is there something wrong with the unit? 2) Is there an easy way to determine whether the problem is with the low water shut-off or the auto feeder? (both were replaced 2 years ago) 3) Will it be safe to run this unit for now with the auto feeder disabled and if so what level should I look for in the glass guage?

Unknown

My guess is...

You have two problems.

Your Low Water Cut Off is stuck.

Your boiler has a hole in it.

I wouldn't go by somebody on the internet's advice. Have it checked out. It is dangerous, if the LWCO is stuck.

Noel

kevin coppinger_3

I echo...

Noel's advice. The hole in the boiler(above the waterline) probably caused the LWCO/auto fill to lime/crud up and letting it stick. Get a steam pro over there to look at the situation. Yes you could Run the boiler but if it has a hole in it much of the steam is going up the chimney and you could be in a no water situation which could be deadly. Babysit that boiler until you can get somone over there THIS week. kpc

Vic

Thanks for responding Noel

Can you tell me if it is OK to run this unit for today with the water shut off? I would prefer to call for service tomorrow.

Vic

Thanks, Kevin. Will do.

Unknown

Not with a stuck low water cut off

AND a leak.

That's as dangerous as it gets.

You were lucky it stuck sunk.

You don't have much luck left. That was a warning from somewhere....

Noel

scrook_2

service...

why not get a service person over to check/repair/swap the LWCO today, (or depending on weather etc. stay cold till tomorrow, a non holiday) and perhaps getting it running *SAFELY* through the weekend, then you can get it properly repaired/replaced next week. A low water/dry fire event is one you DO NOT EVER want!

Heck of a way to start the year though.

What brand and how old is the boiler itself?

Vic

The label on the boiler says Professional Stewart-Warner. I don't know the age. Old. Asbestos wrapped pipes. Can holes in boilers be repaired or will I have to replace it. If it needs to be replaced will I have to have the asbestos removed first or do you guys have a way to work around it?

kevin coppinger_3

that would ...

be a No on the boiler repair....I have never heard of that brand which would probably mean that it's past its useful age anyway.Yes you can work around the asbestos thing but that is a legal nightmare if you don't get the proper removal disposal thing done...where are you? kpc

Big Ed

Bite the bullet

It can be repaired but with the cost of repair and figuring the old age of your boiler it pays to replace it.

Yes the asbestos need to be removed before any repair and replacement .Also any pipe insulation that it remove need to be replaced...


After you bite the bullet and replace the boiler you would be glad you did..

scrook_2

OLD...

Replace it! If it was a resent/current production model the possibility of replacing a section might exist -- or it might be wortth replacing anyway, it depends -- but an oldie, there's only one solution for leaks... and even if it turned out that is did not have a hole it likely would still be the time to replace it. Your contractor probably knows someone he likes for asbestos remediation.

Steamhead

Stewart-Warner

bought out the makers of Winkler oil burners sometime in the 1950s. The boiler is thus about 50 years old. It has earned its retirement.

DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES operate any boiler with a bad low-water cutoff. You might not live to talk about it.

Go to the Find a Professional page of this site to locate someone near you who can properly replace that piece of heating history. If you're in the Baltimore area, e-mail me!

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

bob young

luck vs. heavy fine

you can work around the asbestos removal if you don't mind being arrested.some people will give it a shot,maybe you will be lucky.