re: water level for boiler ...

abe jr

hi all,

this is a picture of my boiler -

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/sonofabel/boiler.jpg

it is a one pipe steam system and i have a question that is more of a curiosity than anything ...

if i open the drain that is along the "return loop" (bottom left most spigot) and slowly fill the boiler , when water starts to run out of the open spigot - since that "return loop" T's back into the supply line 6 inches above where the supply line goes into the boiler - that means the boiler is as full as it is going to get , no ?

so if i shut off the supply at this point and check the sight tube , wouldn't the level it is at be the highest i would ever need to fill the boiler ?

thanx for any answers , please feel free to correct any improper terminology i might be using ... abe ...

abe jr

i dont think i worded that very clearly , it was late ... ...

i guess what im asking is - if water overflows into the "return/hartford loop" while filling the boiler , does that mean the boiler is as full as it can get ?

thanx ... abe ...

Unknown

Heres your pic

to help visualize your question . The Hartford Loop is there to hold the minimum amount of water in the boiler so it won't fire dry , in case there was a leak and the low water cutoff fails . You would always need to add water to make the level higher from that point , which is typically 2 to 4 inches above the Hartford Loop .

J.C.A._3

In My opinion.

The make-up/ feed line should be BEHIND that swing check,on the bottom of the return,so that it is being fed to the boiler with "mixed water", with a positive shut off valve. Unless the feed line is serviced with an automatic feeder, the backflow preventer doesn't need to be there at all...although some of the cities and towns in my area seem to think it does.The swing check , seems to be there only because the tee coming back on the Hartford loop is in the wrong place.(steam trying to go through that tee, AND it will,would hold the return water from getting back to where it needs to go...notice a short cycling thing happening here?)All the piping diagrams I've ever seen want that equalizing tee 2" BELOW the waterline, minimum.Looks like that one is 2" slightly above the float level of the LWCO.Honestly, all the measurements are right there in the install manual.That elbow/drain tee on the boiler return pipe should have been at a 90° angle to the wet return pipe, and the return/equalizer tee, piped into it at or below that.

I'd also say that copper (for Rons' sake) anywhere above the waterline is truly discouraged. JMHO.

Please, anyone here, let me know if I missed this one.Chris