new automatic feeder not feeding steam system

Ken_8

Simply get out your meter and check each leg of the circuit. If a 24volt arrangement, make sure there's 24 volts coming out of the appropriate terminals of the LWCO. If there's no power at the right terminal(s), the LWCO end switch is bad.

Your meter will show the "open" point. Unless you provide a schematic of some sort, there's not much we can do to help from here.

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Michal

new automatic fill not feeding steam system

Installed a safeguard model vxt-24 low voltage automatic feeder on a steam systen and wired it to the model 67 low water cut off, wired it as per the diagram and even did the initial setup as per the catalog, went through everything and there is power where it belongs and everything, seems if I empty the boiler it does not feed, i know there is a preset wait period, but i wait and it still does not work, the contacts on the 67 work fine (even leveled it cause whoever installed it installed it crooked) and close the circuit as needed. has anyone installed these digital ones, and have you had any issues with them, I am going to go to the home owners house at the end of the week and redo the wiring and reset it again to see what happens, contact 3 on the lwco is fed directly from the low voltage transformer as in the diagram from the company.

Ken_8

You must

install a jumper on the #67 if memory serves.

Also, why are you installing a feeder? How often does the boiler require filling? Every few days? Once a week? Once a month?

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Michal

jumper not needed manual says

there is a jumper that is used if you are using the burner circuit to energize the contacts, but I am using power from the transformer to do it, its one of the options in the installation manual for that feeder. I have wired it that way too and still didnt work. i have no idea now, when I hit the bypass switch it feeds, but doesnt feed when the lwco drops down, these people have fed the boiler once every two weeks, they are new home owners and scared to leave the house knowing the boiler might need water. otherwise I would never install it.

Michal

that what i was going to do

thats what i will do when i go back, I have thought that might be a problem, but just seems od since even if I jump out the #4 terminal, the feeder still does not feed, thats waht worrying me, it should feed when I apply poer to the #4 terminal, i have to check the setting for condensate timing on there

don_52

Michal

Michal,

If you are satisfied that contacts 3 and 4 on the
#11 switch are good you might try this;

Manually drop the level to the "burner on and feed state",
everything running, if it doesn't work then it might
be up against or over the tranformers capacity.

If you don't want to do that, try wiring in a 2nd
transformer on the switch/feed side and put the original
back the way it was between contacts 1 and 2.

Now the 2 sides are isolated from each other so if it
doesn't work then your at least down to the switch
and the feeder.

My "guess" is that when the additional burden of the
feeder coils inrush is added to the rest she just runs
outta poop, the display works giving the illusion
that everything's ok and should work, but it don't.

If that's the case I would imagine the whole system
would trip out and just relight as long as a call for
heat was present, but you wouldn't know that unless
you saw it happen.

I attached the #11 switch, vxt-24 and 2nd tranformer,
maybe Ken will have a different take and other folk
may chime in.

Hope the info helps, regards

Michal

thats what I was thinking too

I was thinking the same that the transformer is out of load, its a 40 va transformer, but like you said, that extra load might be too much, but when I push the auto fill button on top it opens the solenoid, so i think it has the extra umph, that vxt-24 has a preset wait period before it feeds water, so i have to sit and wait this time and reset the control completely, but I will wire it as you have on your drawing. Thanks for the help, never thought this would be such a pain, oh well. i have to go through everything again, its hard when you have the homeowner stuck to you like a fly. but also I will check the switch on the 67 and see if its o.k.. i did a quick continuity test and the circuit broke when the water was low.

jim bannister_2

vxt

Michael,

Are you getting an lcd display? If the display is showing LOC, you have to shut off power to the feeder and then turn it back on. The LOC position means that the feeder went through two cycles trying to raise the water level. If the water level is still too low, the feeder locks out to prevent flooding. On the vxt display you should have LOC ERR or a number indicating how many gallons have fed since the last cycle. Check the dip switch settings as more than one flipped will bring up the ERR message. Start out with the low water cutoff dip switch first. This shuts off the feeder as soon as the water level breaks the #11 switch. If this is working properly, then you can adjust your time and feed rate for the individual job.