Water level in glass gage ?? help?

Todd Proia

Help,, I just had to put in a new steam boiler after one had cracked. And what is happening is that when cold the water level in the glass is a little above halfway, after firing for a little bit (15min) the water is very low in the glass gauge. I turn off the boiler and immediatly the water line in the glass gauge goes back up to the middle minus the condensate.. any idea why? Is this bad? Thanks in advance

Unknown

Might be

the water under steam pressure pushing out of the boiler through the return piping . Would you know if they installed an equalizing pipe with a Hartford Loop ? The pipe size is critical too . And what brand boiler is it ?

If the water level rises back up immediately after shutdown then I wouldn't think it's clogged returns . But it is a possibility .

Robert O'Connor_7

Todd....

Can you post a picture of the boiler/near boiler piping. If I had to make a guess (without more info, its just that) I'd say the boiler might be surging. If the boiler is surging, then it will have to be skimed...Read the installation instructions on skiming....Robert O'Connor/NJ

Unknown

Water Level

You may have some surging going on due to oils that have accumulated on the water surface from the installation of boiler, pipe and fittings. But the true fact is that the gauge glass sometimes is really not indicator of the acual water level in the boiler. The reason for this is that when the water in the boiler begins to boil, the steam bubbles rising through the boiler water will displace the water and actually make the water level rise instead of what you are seeing in the gauge glass. When you shut it down the water stops boiling and the level reurns to normal levels. Here is a graphic from GAMA - IBR Hydronics Institute that represents that very well. Hope this helps.

Glenn Stanton

Manager of Training

Burnham Hydronics

www.burnham.com

Todd Proia

it is a burnham inv-6-1 the pressuretrol is set at 1.5 and the dif at a little over 1? also pic is posted

Todd Proia

Thank you for the explanation. I was starting to get worried , didn't want it to dry fire or anything.. thanks

Unknown

The header and return piping

look great , and sized right . Robert and Glenn got it right .