steam heat

Gary Gouthro

We found a plugged pigtail and the spring missing from the pressuretrol, so we replaced the pressuretrol and cleaned out the pigtail. The problem was that originally the boiler wasn't shutting down and it was blowing the relief valve. Why is there a difference in the setting on the pressuretrol and what is showing on the gauge? The gauge seems to always be higher. What is an acceptable pressure for a low pressure system on the gauge? What is too high?

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

You can find

the answer here:

http://www.heatinghelp.com/newsletter.cfm?Id=54

scroll down to "One-Pipe Steam"

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Bob_19

FYI

> We found a plugged pigtail and the spring missing

> from the pressuretrol, so we replaced the

> pressuretrol and cleaned out the pigtail. The

> problem was that originally the boiler wasn't

> shutting down and it was blowing the relief

> valve. Why is there a difference in the setting

> on the pressuretrol and what is showing on the

> gauge? The gauge seems to always be higher. What

> is an acceptable pressure for a low pressure

> system on the gauge? What is too high?

Bob_19

FYI,

If replacing or just opening up the pigtail the water cushion is usually lost.
This water is there to protect the pressure gauge bourdon tube(which is usually copper or brass) from coming into contact with live steam. If steam hits this tube just once you can warp it so much as to causing it to go out of calibration, causing ir-regular pressure readings.

The loop needs to be filled with water prior to install.