What are the chances

bob young

I too have had my share of mishaps with 101'S & 67'S & 47 2'S. I lean toward the probe type & electronic models nowadays. i hated them years ago but i believe they got them pretty much ironed out today. the float stuff is over for me.

John T_3

M&M #67

Was called upon to replace a LWCO for the client of a GC we work for. The GC was doing repair work after the one pipe steam system over-filled and leaked from a third floor radiator and did quite a bit of damage. The over-filling problem came about after the clients regular contractor had replaced the M&M 67 because it wasn't switching the burner.

The insurance company was going to take the old/new LWCO to do some testing and had a representative there to take it as soon as I disconnected it.

When I arrived to change it out the first thing I noticed was the older M&M 101 feeder, so I inquired wether the LWCO was tested to see if it was really defective as I've had the 101's over-fill in the past. They assured me it was tested and found to be defective.

Installed the new LWCO, tested it, fired the boiler checked operation. Everything seemed okay. Got a call about a week later from the GC, waters leaking from a radiator vent. Beat it over there, sure enough the system was full and water was running through the feeder. It just has to be the feeder I thought, but the 101 was being powered. Checked the LWCO, it was calling for water. Disassembled to find the float was full of water.

Now what are the chances that two #67 LWCO installed by different contractors at different times could both have bad floats. Of course I am assuming that is what's wrong with the other one as I did not check it.

Any one else run into this?

I'm lucky I was able to catch it in time. Feel bad for the first contractor though, he probably felt lousy about the damage to the home and he lost a customer.

John T.

gerry gill

I've run into it enough that

i now like to install a vaporstat that is wired in series with the 101..doesn't stop a 67 lwc from staying in the feed position and flooding the boiler, but once the header gets full of water it weighs enough to open the vaporstat and break the feed circuit..you still get a no heat call, but it does save the hardwood floors..can you tell i've had my share of issues with 67's?

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John T_3

Vaporstat

Sounds like a good idea. The problem is trying to convince the HO that she needs to spend more money cause the new part I just put on is junk. What good is an unsafe, safety device.

John T.

Dave Yates (PAH)

yup

A "remanufactured" one that did exactly the same thing. Cost me several grand to repair the damage.

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Empire_2

Hey guys, just a thought.

Let me run this by all of you. I had a 101-A LWCO that was occasionally overfilling a commercial steam boiler which we were able to catch every time due to the no heat call. After neumerous calls I found that if I throttle down the incomming water feed, the float assy. was now able to seat against the incomming water pressure. With the incomming valve wide open I would get water still entering the boiler (very slow, but still comming in) and eventually overfilling it. Just thought I'd share this situation with you and see what you thought. Seems the hi water perssure was to much for the valve to seat against.
Mike T.

Long Beach Ed

Bob Young

...is right where I am on this. There was a time whenever any M & M mechanical feeder overfilled you would know the problem was somewhere in the system. Either it was installed too high on the water level, fed with hot water, too much water pressure, clogged downstream feed line, etc. etc.

Lately, though, the feeder always seems to be defective. And yes, I, too, had to rip out a dozen of the older probe type that had failed.

The probes seem to work these days, but I still opt for a float type with vaporstat in my homes.

Ed

FredR

LWCO

FredR

LWCO

Would someone comment on the following. Contractor had the float in the condensate tank pumping condensate to boiler.
Vacuum system: It was hard to establish water level (manual water feed). I changed to have the 150 pump switch (the contractor had not used the pump switch in the 150) operate a makeup solenoid.I also installed a PRV set@15# and check valve.
The system operates@5#. This makeup is added into the Hartford loop. Condensate makeup pump operates through float switch before the 150 calls for water. The 150 first switch operates the solenoid and if level drops further the second switch stops the burner.
Thanks