Water Level Drops in Sight Glass

P McNulty

You guys had some good comments earlier. I continue to tweak things (reducing cut-out pressure), and see some small improvements (less banging).

I have noticed now that when the pressure gets to just about 2 pounds, the water in the sight glass drops down below the glass (water bounces gently). Then the pressure drops a bit, and the water level rises. Problem is, eventually, the Low Water light comes on, and boiler turns off. A few minutes later, the boiler comes back on.

I have drained the boiler until the water runs clear. The water in the sight tube is pretty clean. When the boiler is not firing, the water level is about the middle of the sight glass.

Its a new Weil-McLain EG-75 boiler,two pipe system (wet return) in a 125 year old ~2500 sqft house near Boston MA.

Again, thanks in advance for any help.

ed wallace

boiler water line

boiler needs skimming oils in the boiler from manufacturing are causing the problem

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John@Reliable_9

Jumping water

As Ed said sounds like it needs skimming! done proper could take afew hours. Also wrong piping can cause it too.John@Reliable

Steamhead

Wrong near-boiler piping

can cause the water level to tilt inside the boiler, either tripping the low water cutoff or cracking a section. If the water level rises immediately after the burner shuts off, it was probably tilted. Make sure the boiler is piped as shown in the instruction book. W-M can probably send you one if you don't have it.

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Unknown

How much \"B\" dimension do you have?

On the return side, how many inches of height do you have between the water line and the lowest horizontal pipe that is ABOVE the water line?

You might have too much steam pressure for this dimension.

Noel

P McNulty

25 inches (mid of sight-glass to bottom of header) Ed Wallace came by and suggested I post a photo of the boiler... see next posting.

Thanks!

Paul

P McNulty

25 inches (mid of sight-glass to bottom of header) Ed Wallace came by and suggested I post a photo of the boiler... see next posting.

Thanks!

Paul

P McNulty

25 inches (mid of sight-glass to bottom of header) Ed Wallace came by and suggested I post a photo of the boiler... see next posting.

Thanks!

Paul

P McNulty

25 inches (mid of sight-glass to bottom of header) Ed Wallace came by and suggested I post a photo of the boiler... see next posting.

Thanks!

Paul

P McNulty

25 inches (mid of sight-glass to bottom of header) Ed Wallace came by and suggested I post a photo of the boiler... see next posting.

Thanks!

Paul

Unknown

The header isn't the return.

How high is the lowest horizontal pipe on the RETURN side, above the water line.

The return is where the water goes when the steam pushes down on it in the boiler and the air in the return does NOT push back down on the water in the vented high return.

I'm trying to see how high the water climbs in the returns before it hits a horizontal pipe that fills up and steals all of your boiler water.

One PSI equals 28 inches of water up the returns. If you had 2 PSI steam, your water would lift 56" in the returns. Every bit of piping under this point will fill with water from the boiler. When the pressure in the boiler falls back, this water will flood back to the boiler.

Noel