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High water level

Jalen_Jalen2006
Jalen_Jalen2006 Member Posts: 44
edited December 2024 in Strictly Steam
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boiler has two issues but I noticed another one, high water level when it runs. This unit has an auto flame combustion control and it has a sensor for steam pressure. I believe the sensor is bad and it’s not recognizing steam pressure so it’s going up to 12 psi and tripping the boiler. The issue I’m confused about is the water level is very high in the boiler? There may be nothing wrong in regards to the water level but it does seem weird. (I already checked the and. I already checked the put nitrogen through the pigtail. I made sure it was clean. ( I was able to get a new sensor. Now I am able to read boiler pressure and the control is turning the burner on and off now when it reaches pressure.)

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 25,210

    What is this boiler powering? It doesn't quite sound like a typical heating boiler. Would you go into more detail about the steam pressure sensor? And is it intended to regulate the burner power?

    The most likely problem is either a bad sensor — or the connection of the sensor to the boiler or header or steam drum, as the case may be, is plugged.

    As to why the water level might be high (how high? Still in the sight glass?) how is water fed to the boiler? Gravity? Condensate return tank and pump? Boiler fee tank and pump? If the latter, how is the pump controlled?

    And does the water level drop to normal when the boiler is off?

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • neilc
    neilc Member Posts: 2,901

    picture = 1000 words,

    of the control(s), sightglass, pigtail, wide angle, so we see it all in one shot or 2

    known to beat dead horses
  • Jalen_Jalen2006
    Jalen_Jalen2006 Member Posts: 44
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1825445#Comment_1825445

    it’s heating a church I think the issue was related to the sensor. The sensor connects to the burner control and acts as the operator instead of the usual pressuretrol. It gets condensate in the return tank and pumps into the receiver tank and into the boiler when the water level drops.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,780

    @Jalen_Jalen2006

    So you solved the pressure problem. It looks like you have a condensate tank that pumps into a boiler feed tank and then the boiler feed tank feeds the boiler.

    You probably have a McDonnell Miller #150 pump control that operates the feed pump(s) mounted on the boiler. When the water level drops the float in the 150 drops and the switch starts the pump

    The older models had a mercury switch, and they were pretty reliable. The newer models have a snap acting switch which I have had problems with the switches sticking. Either model may be dirty inside with rust or muck in the float chamber and occasionally a float gets a pin hole in it so the float sags and keeps the pump running longer than normal which will cause a high water level.

    Jalen_Jalen2006
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,292

    I also do not see a square D float switch. Is there one?

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,780

    There is a switch on the condensate tank not a Square D. The boiler feed pumps are controlled by something on the boiler which is not in the pictures.

    Intplm.

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