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Another Mystery! Steam Boiler Flooding With Indirect.

We have a steam boiler with an indirect water heater that keeps flooding water. We shut off the master boiler water feed, and this had no effect, so not from there. That leaves the Indirect.

We all know that a leaking coil inside a boiler can flood the boiler. My question is: Can a leaking coil inside an indirect also flood the boiler? Anyone ever experience this?

The indirect circulates the boiler water through it’s coil, BTW.
New England SteamWorks
Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
newenglandsteamworks.com

Comments

  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    High pressure to low pressure.
    80 PSI in tank.......2 PSI inside tank coil and boiler??

    With DHW pressure tank down to 0 PSI would steam boiler water raise pressure inside tank?
    mattmia2STEVEusaPA
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    IIWM, I would isolate the boiler water from indirect tank and leave the pipes open at the tank and see what comes out.
    Makes an obvious "show me" for the customer.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    I'm sorry @New England SteamWorks But we only allow one steam mystery at a time and you still haven't figured out the previous one.

    Please return next week after you make us wait over a week to find out who was right.

    :p
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
    New England SteamWorksCanuckermattmia2Grallert
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    ChrisJ said:

    I'm sorry @New England SteamWorks But we only allow one steam mystery at a time and you still haven't figured out the previous one.

    Please return next week after you make us wait over a week to find out who was right.

    :p

    LOL...

    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    Haven’t posted any photos in awhile, we’re building this EG55 at the moment. Once we get that done, we’ll had to mystery #1 next week. Looks like Tuesday


    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    If I keep working on my steam boiler, will I get arms like that :sweat_smile:
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
    KC_JonesIntplm.
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    That’s what 36” and 48” pipe wrenches will do for you!
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    ethicalpaul
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583

    That’s what 36” and 48” pipe wrenches will do for you!

    Where's your plumbers torpedo! How can you tell how much pitch you've got with that. :D

    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • STEAM DOCTOR
    STEAM DOCTOR Member Posts: 1,951
    > @New England SteamWorks said:
    > We have a steam boiler with an indirect water heater that keeps flooding water. We shut off the master boiler water feed, and this had no effect, so not from there. That leaves the Indirect.
    >
    > We all know that a leaking coil inside a boiler can flood the boiler. My question is: Can a leaking coil inside an indirect also flood the boiler? Anyone ever experience this?
    >
    > The indirect circulates the boiler water through it’s coil, BTW.

    Hi. Almost definitely the indirect. I have seen this in the flesh. Once the indirect's coil get a hole,the indirect and the boiler become one unit. The city water will enter the indirect, enter the coil and enter the boiler. I had one customer who had water coming out of radiators because of precisely this situation. Indirect was only few years old
    DZoro
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,272
    Hi, I’d put a pressure gauge on the indirect drain and shut off water to the tank. See what the gauge does. ;)
  • > @ChrisJ said:
    > (Quote)
    > Where's your plumbers torpedo! How can you tell how much pitch you've got with that. :D

    If you look closely, it is laying on top of the boiler!
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • I had the customer shut of the cold water supply to the indirect overnight: No flooding.
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
    Advise them to be careful with the water in the indirect since without the city pressure pushing the water from the indirect to the boiler the DHW can now be contaminated with the boiler water.
    New England SteamWorks
  • Bill_Kitsch69
    Bill_Kitsch69 Member Posts: 48
    This is a test. This is only a test.