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glass gauge wont empty

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bennythepitbull
bennythepitbull Member Posts: 37
in Strictly Steam
glass gauge wont empty but my heat works how do i get the glass gauge to empty ? i should note the low water cut off is working the everything fires up and everything is normal but this

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  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
    edited December 2011
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    sight glass question

    i'm not sure i understand the question. the sight [or gauge] glass always has water in it up to about half full, showing the waterline of the boiler. if you want to clean the glass, then, turn off the boiler, close the valves [gauge cocks] at the top and bottom, undo the nuts at the top and bottom of the glass tube, and use a small brush to clean it. 

    if the tube is completely full, then the boiler has too much water in it. do you have an auto fill?--nbc 
  • bennythepitbull
    bennythepitbull Member Posts: 37
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    thats just me being dumb

    I should have said i drained the boiler 2wice still stays full
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,478
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    Plugged

    Make sure the valves above and below the sight glass are fully open (CCW). Does that glass ever show any evidence of movement in the water column?



    You could have a plugged up connection into the boiler that feeds the glass gauge. Maybe you'll get lucky and be able to fish a narrow piece of wire through the valve but usually you have to remove everything to clean them out.
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
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    full sight glass

    don't drain the boiler unnecessarily, and when you refill, then run it as soon as you can to drive the excess oxygen out of the water. to remove sediment from the bottom of the boiler, a little bit of water can be drained off while hot [blowing down the boiler].

    you will probably be able to poke a bit of wire through the gauge cocks when the tube is removed.--nbc
  • bennythepitbull
    bennythepitbull Member Posts: 37
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    the bottem valve was blocked with sludge --

    thanks all 
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 857
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    And This is Why

    Every sight-glass on a steam boiler should get a proper sight-glass blowdown valve.



    It helps to keep the sight-glass clean so you don't have to take it apart and risk breaking it and it verifies that the sight-glass is telling you the truth.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
    EdwinD
  • Abracadabra
    Abracadabra Member Posts: 1,948
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    what kind of a stop cock is that?

    I don't think I've seen a stop cock like that.
    trivetman
  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
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    Just a ball valve

    That's a 1/4" ball valve mounted on a nipple screwed into the petcock tapping. This is a big improvement over the petcock because you can open it instantly and, if it's a full-port valve, the opening is the ID of the pipe, and, unlike a petcock, it won't be seized shut the first time you go to open it, or get clogged with sediment and refuse to reseat when you go to close it. I use full-port ball valves for all my draining, flushing and skimming valves. Petcocks and globe valves are practically designed to allow water to drain slowly, without carrying any sediment with it.
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • Abracadabra
    Abracadabra Member Posts: 1,948
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    mistyped

    sorry, typed stopcock, meant gauge cock.  I don't think i've seen a gauge cock with a tapping in it to mount a valve like that.
  • Gordo
    Gordo Member Posts: 857
    edited December 2011
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    Almost All

    sight-glass fitting sets have a little so-called "valve" tapped into the bottom fitting.



    They are easy to overlook.  They are Combraco's little joke. Most folks don't even know it's there.



    I'd remove it.  The sight-glass fitting is tapped  for 1/4" npt. Use it to thread in a proper full port ball valve.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    "Reducing our country's energy consumption, one system at a time"
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Baltimore, MD (USA) and consulting anywhere.
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc
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