Steam coming out of boiler

Guest_5

I have turned off the water feeder and the water level stayed the same.

Seems strange that ever since I replaced the faulty main vent with a Gorton #1, things started to get weird. Although all radiators (including the 2nd floor) are heated nicely albeit not uniformly.

Cut-in is 0.5 and 1.5 cut-off.

Forgot to mention that the water is constantly dirty (even after several days of flushing) and the low water gauge popped once a month back.

Steve_132

steam coming out of boiler and...

Hello and thank you in advance.

A few years back, I have a contractor came and installed an automatic water feeder to my steam boiler. The automatic feeder is connected from the hot water boiler to the steam boiler. Is this wrong?

A few weeks back ever since my steam boiler starting to act up, steam comes out of the steam boiler (not sure which pipe as it was misty). I have replaced the main vents, and lowered the PSI to 0.5 to 1.5.

Now, when the whole acting up started, I can feel the water pressure when I am taking a shower or using the faucets to fluctuate from time to time. Only when the steam subsides (or when it does not occur) does the fluctuation goes away for a long time.

The hot water boiler is fairly new (a few years old) but the steam boiler is practically ancient.

Mark Hunt

Sounds like


your boiler may have a crack in it, probably above the water line.

I would call someone to come look at it.

Mark H

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Guest_5

hmmm

Thanks. A crack you say? However, this only happens randomly. It was running fine the whole day yesterday and last night. Only this morning when the heat came on and near the end did it started to steam.

As for the automatic feeder, would it affect my hot water pressure at all? Mind you, anytime my steam boiler acts up, pressure on my water line fluctuates. Sigh.

Mark Hunt

That depends


The water feeder could have an effect depending on how much water it is trying to feed the boiler. Kind of like flushing the toilet when someone is taking a shower.

There are only so many places that steam can escape from the system. Could be a bad air vent, the pressure relief valve or a crack above the water line.

I doubt that it is a bad air vent because it should do it every time.

The relief valve is possible, but the system pressure would have to have climbed significantly for the valve to lift. As long as the relief valve was vented toward the floor(as it should be), you would have noticed some water there. You did not mention seeing this.

So that leaves the boiler block.

Try this.

Turn the water to the feeder off and see what happens. Do not let make-up water into the boiler. If there is a crack above the water line, your boiler will lose water pretty quickly. The leak may not always be visible.

Let us know what you find.

Mark H



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