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Original Crane Boiler "Internal Syphon Gauge" not functional. Is this okay?

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drfronkonstein
drfronkonstein Member Posts: 10
in Strictly Steam
So the boiler has been working perfectly fine, but I've noticed for the three years I've owned this house that this gauge has not worked. It's stuck; not leaking or anything, just stuck at this pressure point. Is this gauge something that would be really useful to me?

See my original discussion on the boiler here: https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/161480/age-of-this-crane-boiler

See some pictures of the gauge here: https://imgur.com/gallery/1FTABJm

Thoughts? Should I get a new gauge? What should I look for? Should I send this one out to get rebuilt? I'm also pretty handy myself... I've never rebuilt a gauge but I think I could! Would be neat to see the original one functioning. Don't also want to waste my time if the gauge really just isn't necessary.

Thank you,

Vincent

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,313
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    Well... a pressure gauge is a nice thing to have...

    So I'd be inclined to get one and tie it in to the system somewhere handy. They're cheap, and if you're reasonably clever you can find somewhere which reads usefully.

    Then I'd set about seeing why that original gauge doesn't work. Take if off the boiler (and plug the opening!) so you can work on it. Could just be a plugged up pipe or tubing inside, or simply just so old that the linkages and gearing (sometimes) and shafts are stuck (PB Blaster, soak, then a liberal dose of brake cleaner can do wonders there). Or... of course something might be broken, which is sad -- but unlikely.

    Have fun!
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    ted_p
  • ted_p
    ted_p Member Posts: 65
    edited July 2020
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    Jamie Hall said:

    Well... a pressure gauge is a nice thing to have...

    So I'd be inclined to get one and tie it in to the system somewhere handy. They're cheap, and if you're reasonably clever you can find somewhere which reads usefully.......

    I agree. One thing I'd add though, is that you'd be better off with something like a 0-3 psi gauge.



    The low pressures that a home heating boiler typically should operate at would barely register on that old 30 psi gauge in your picture, even if it did work.

    Your readings would be closer to mid-scale on a 0-3psi gauge, and you'd have much better resolution. Here's one on Amazon for less than $28:




    Kodiak Controls KC25-3# Low Pressure Gauge 3 PSI

    Ted
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,062
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    IIWM, I would just add the 0-3 gauge on a tee under the pressure control, but above the pigtail,.....also cleaning or replace the pigtail and the opening into the boiler.
    Did the 0-30 ever show any pressure?
    You could just leave it as code requires that range of gauge, even though it is usually worthless for resi steam boilers.
  • Shalom
    Shalom Member Posts: 165
    edited July 2020
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    Got one of those too. It goes up to 6PSI when the header is barely warm. PSE&G who have a service contract on this boiler said they can't get it off without breaking something, and can't get the part to replace it with even if they did get it off. (edit: the boiler was installed in 1963 and this is probably the original part.)
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,660
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    Are you sure it is bad and it isn't just that it isn't quite zeroed and the boiler isn't building pressure because it matche the edr of the system closely (or the system or boiler has a leak)
    BobC

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