Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Sight glass on main shows a surprise

ethicalpaul
ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
Sorry I couldn’t resist the clickbait headline, but I installed a sight glass just below my main because I wanted to watch the condensate return.

But water started pouring through the main. I had put in some Rectorseal 8-way after I did two skimmings and I guess it released a bunch of mud.

So I’m going to drain it and refill with just water to see if it does better.

It reminded me of Willy Wonka (the original of course). Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/WSRvvNQ5WLc
NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
CTOilHeatSuperJFred

Comments

  • 1Matthias
    1Matthias Member Posts: 148
    Where did you get that? That looks awesome.
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    > @Danny Scully said:
    > Come on now, if you can spend money on that, and install it...you can repipe the boiler! :lol: :wink:

    Not until Spring, and maybe not until new boiler purchase! 😃
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    edited December 2018
    > @1Matthias said:
    > Where did you get that? That looks awesome.


    It’s a connector system called Tri-Clamp. This stuff is used in breweries, etc and I thought it would be cool. It’s rated for really high temps and pressure. Here’s what you see there:

    1.5” sight glass:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29WV92?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

    1” NPT adapter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074W76F1N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fd8cCbG6T2NHA

    Tri-clamp 2-pack (includes gaskets)
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073J7D1WN?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    edited October 2020
    Here’s part 2 after a skim to clear water, and two drain and fills. Is my NBP just a really good water pump???

    Edit for future viewers: When I look at this video today I'm pretty sure that it was no longer carrying boiler water into the main (in this video). It was just condensate. But yes, the piping was all wrong. See my later discussions on HH where I did re-pipe my weird header to make it a lot better)

    https://youtu.be/5FPvOcOWU8A
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
    luketheplumberFredLS123
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    I thought about it and now I’m sure it’s the piping. The boiling water and steam go up to my “header” and since the header doesn’t go straight to the equalizer to allow the water to fall down, it’s acting like an old fashioned percolator carrying/pushing the water all the way up the riser to the main!
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • SeanBeans
    SeanBeans Member Posts: 520
    edited December 2018
    I’ve seen boilers piped with undersized pipes and improper equalizers just pick up all of the water in the boiler and throw it into the mains..

    The company who installed it blamed it on the fact that they only had steam baseboards, which were pitched the wrong way with too small of pipes. Try figuring that one out
    ethicalpaul
  • SuperJ
    SuperJ Member Posts: 609
    edited December 2018
    Neat videos, this stuff make me want a steam system
    ethicalpaulLS123
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    This really is a fantastic illustration of how those "vertical headers" don't work.

    Really good stuff.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    ethicalpaul1Matthiasadasilva
  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
    I wonder how much water ends up in my header too. The manual for my boiler calls for 2 supplies. I at least have a lot of vertical and a fairly large steam chest which I suspect helps.
    ethicalpaul
  • Canucker
    Canucker Member Posts: 722
    @ethicalpaul You can get those larger and with threaded adapters, if you wanted to put them on, say, your header. Available up to 4 inch ;) The tri-clamp connectors will allow the piping to move without loosening, if you tighten them properly
    You can have it good, fast or cheap. Pick two
    ethicalpaulGordy
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    ^ I would like to see that. It would be very interesting.
    ethicalpauladasilva