Owner's manual or help drain a steam boiler

TJC_2

If what you mean by "water feeder" is a water pipe with shutoff pipe leading to the bottom side of the boiler - then yes there is one. The unit does have a low water cutoff. I decided to kill the gas pilot so it would not be heating when I drained the system. The first step on the instruction plate on the boiler was to remove ac power to the boiler.

Two more notes: First, when I opened the valve at the bottom of the low watter cutoff, about 1/4 cup of thick gunk dripped out, but no water. Second, the pressure/vacuum gage reads about 10 on the vacuum side. I don't know if this is normal for "at rest".

TJC

Overfilled Steam Boiler

I just bought a home with a steam heat. The boiler is a Pennsylvania Furnance & Iron Co. 2514-S. Where can I find an owner's manual? After reading through the site, I found that I needed to drain (and clean?) the system. I've drained it and I believe I've overfilled it. I then drained it again, taking much longer this time. I'm afraid that this may have left "standing" water throughout the system. Can you give instructions on how to do this or is it very specific to the manufacturer?

HELP!

will smith_4

overfilling?

TJC-One question: Don't you have a water feeder? You should have, and it has a float which automatically regulates the water level in your boiler. You do have one, don't you?

thfurnitureguy_2

Ok, Not being a pro! I connected a hose to the boiler drain and ran water back through it. I needed an adapter to connect the 2 male fittings. This let pressure build up and it got the drain flowing again. I then followed the instructions on a bottle of boiler cleaner and have done it twice with some additional success. You should be able to adjust the water leavel by letting water out at the boiler drain and allow it to fill with the auto feed to the correct leavel. If you have a steam system, all of your pipes flow back to the boiler. There should be no trapped residual water. Any thoughts from the pros?

TJC_2

You said << got the drain flowing again.>>

I am able to fill and drain the boiler, its just that the first time I filled passed (way passed) the fill tube indication.

Question 1: Is a steam boiler at rest (burners not firing) supposed to indicate a vacuum?

thfurnitureguy_4

No, remove your gauge, (Burner off and unit cold) its most likely bad. If it reads 0 when removed, you may have a venting problem.