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No pressure at pigtail?

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Dylanjlu
Dylanjlu Member Posts: 5
edited December 2023 in Strictly Steam
Recently moved into a house with a smith steam boiler. I wanted to check the system pressure because I noticed the system gauge is up at 25+ psi which doesn't make sense. I attached this low pressure gauge to the pigtail and needle barely bounces off zero? Is this odd? 

Edit: I blew through the big tail so I do not believe it is clogged. System seems to stay on until the thermo stat reaches the set temp. It does cycle off for about 1 minutes before turning on again for 15 minutes. 

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  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,364
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    Steam? If it is, it may be quite normal -- or the pigtail may be plugged. But I'd be on the normal...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 2,705
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    wait,

    does the gage at 25 go back to 0(zero) when the boiler is off?

    and post a picture showing both gages, all in one,

    ###(is the pigtail clear?
    all the way back into the boiler?
    did you blow thru there, all the way back into the boiler?)
    known to beat dead horses
  • Dylanjlu
    Dylanjlu Member Posts: 5
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  • Dylanjlu
    Dylanjlu Member Posts: 5
    edited December 2023
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    I disconnected the pressuretrol and blew on the pigtail when it was connected to the boiler. I felt the water push out and I was able to blow straight into the boiler

    The 30psi pressure gauge will go back to 0 but the system needs to be off for several hours and fully cool down
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,567
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    Your 0-30 lb gauge is bad. Sounds like it is running normally. Clean the gauge glass and then add a little water to keep the boiler glass at 3/4" full (normally we keep it 1/2 full) but you low water cut off may be interfering. Try that and see if it helps.

    Can you step back and post some pictures of the boiler and the piping above and around the boiler?
    ethicalpaul
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,794
    edited December 2023
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    Pig tail plugged or gauge . There seems to be a lot of surface scum . Boiler needs to be skimmed off the surface oils.

    Love the way they mounted the relay right next to the pressuretrol . I see inexperience....

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • Dylanjlu
    Dylanjlu Member Posts: 5
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  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,364
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    Since it is heating with low pressure and no real banging, don't fix it -- but whoever installed that boiler evidently can't read. That header should be at least 24 inches above the water line to get dry steam, and it could easily have been done right.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Dylanjlumattmia2
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 7,907
    edited December 2023
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    And the horizontal run between the main riser and the equalizer should not have a reducer. The water needs to drain UP to get out of the header.... Water does NOT drain UP!

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

    ethicalpaulDylanjlumattmia2
  • Dylanjlu
    Dylanjlu Member Posts: 5
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    OK thanks for taking a look. I've replaced a couple corroded pipes down by the cleanout and the hartford loop but I am not sure I want to tackle the header pipe. Although it seems simple with the union right at the main rise...
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,702
    edited December 2023
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    Because the header and riser to the main is huge it might work ok but if it bangs at the header you know why.

    Those bourdon tube pressure gauges can become wildly inaccurate if the internal components become bent from dropping them or twisting the case from say accidentally levering against them while working on something else. I suppose it is also possible if there is water hammer and the case is bent it could actually see a pulse of that pressure and stick there.

    I would probably put a union on that pigtail so you can remove the gauge tee and the pressuretrol without dealing whit everything else.

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