Weil McClain Gold Oil - Water Level Issue

Well now, there are only two ways that water can get into a boiler, and it can't make water on its own. So…

The first way is through the automatic water feeder. They have been known to leak. However, there should be a shutoff valve on the water line to the feeder. That is what you shut off when you say you shut off water to the boiler? You didn't just turn off the feeder, you actually closed the independent shutoff valve?

OK. Then it isn't the feeder.

The other way water can get into a boiler is if it also has a coil for heating your hot water, and I note that you do say that people have suggested you might have to replace the coil. So, check that. Again, there should be a valve from the cold water domestic line to the hot water coil on the boiler. Close that and make sure any mixing valve faucets (showers, lavatories, kitchen sink, whatever) show no hot water flow. Try them all, then close them. Does the water still rise? It shouldn't.

Report back, please.

I don't see a coil but it must be on the left side of the boiler because I can see an aquastat there.

Get a plumber or a service tech (hopefully one that actually knows something).

There are only 2 or 3 was for water to get into the boiler

1. Shut off valve ln feeder bypass is leaking (if you have a bypass)
2. Water feeder leaking by
3. Tankless coil has a pin hole in it.

If you have had 3 people in and they have proven it's the coil that can be replaced no need for a new boiler.

It's a half a days work for 1 man ………If the bolts come out easily.

Tankless coils are fairly cheap.

Your other alternative is if the coil is leaking, and the bolts don't want to come out without a fight is to cap both tankless heater connections and install an separate water heater probably gas if you have it or electric if you don't. This will keep the boiler off in the summer. Have them disconnect the low limit if you do that

I've seen submarines with simpler piping…

Yes, that blue handwheel valve should shut off water to the automatic feeder. I can't be quite sure whether the yellow lever handle valve or the blue handle valve in that vicinity is the one to shut off your hot water without shutting off the autofeeder. Try shutting both of them off… and leaving the boiler off, as that may also prevent expansion from heating the water having a place to go.

There are other ways to do this… but let's find out what is leaking first.

Or just turn the thermostat way down and don't draw any hot water. But turning it off with the red switch won't hurt anything if it's already off on its own.

I wouldn't suggest doing that if I knew exactly which valves did what. In the ordinary way, I'd just say to close the valve which is on the line from the domestic cold water to the boiler — but I'm not at all sure looking from the pictures which valve that is.

Here is an illustration I just made for someone with a similar situation. This is how you are set up now. If your tankless coil is defective and it is determined that you need to replace it, then there is a possibility that you can just abandon it.

There is more than one way to pipe in a indirect water heater to a steam boiler. Weil McLain actually has special tappings in the boiler made for using the boiler water. here is the diagram from Weil McLain.

This is how you would connect those pipes.

Of course that will only work if your hot water tank is an Indirect water heater as shown. That means the water tank you have needs to be equipped with a heat exchanger. If the water heater is only an electric water heater that is being use as a storage tank, then you need to do the new tankless coil, or install an electric water heater, or a Gas water heater, of even a separate oil fired water heater. The last three options may cost as much or more than the repiping and moving operation, already quoted. Can you show the model number of the water tank? That will tell you if it is an indirect or not

The WB 30 is not an indirect water heater. There is no heat exchanger coil inside the tank. You must use the tankless coil in the boiler to keep the boiler water separate from the domestic potable water.

So you are back to replacing the coil or abandoning that tank for a different water heater. Tough choice. Keep your fingers crossed that the feed valve is the problem, and not the coil.

After looking at all your photos I believe these valves are what you need for testing the feeder and the tankless coil.

@slowlybutsurely Said: Edward - thank you for this! I believe the yellow valve is for the hot water, as I turned that off for a test last night and we do not have hot water in our sinks, etc. Would that make sense?

Yes that makes sense. The yellow valve is actually the cold water feed to the water heater. (you cant get hot water out if you dont put cold water in).

We have learned that it is either the feed valve or the tankless coil.   When you turn on the yellow valve and leave the 2 blue valves off, we will learn if it is the tankless coil.  If the water level rises with the yellow valve open, and the blue valves closed off, the high pressure in the tankless coil will either increase the water level in the boiler indicating a leak, or it will not cause the water level in the boiler to rise, indicating no leak.

Sounds reasonable. You can run it like that until you can get the work done — just be sure to check the water level in the boiler from time to time.