Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Lower Water Cut Off and Auto Feed

gt873923
gt873923 Member Posts: 31
in Strictly Steam

Hi all,

Thanks to all the help on this sub I've got my steam heat working well and heating evenly. Increased main venting and slowed down the radiators so that I'm not seeing any noticeable water loss on my 80 year old steam system with 2 year old Crown boiler.

I now seem to be facing a new issue where my Unimatch auto feed kicks in very briefly (maybe 1 or 2 seconds). I can't get to the boiler quick enough to see the level in the sight glass and whether the Cyclegard CG400-2090 is calling for more water. From checking the boiler periodically as it's heating the sight glass level moves very little.

Have any of you dealt with a similar issue and/or could suggest some things I could investigate now we're almost out of heating season? Faulty Auto Feed? Low Water Cut Off set too high?

Thanks!

1000014050.jpg 1000014051.jpg

Comments

  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 2,389

    Is it this feature you are noticing, Maybe during the test it adds a bit of water and with the returning condensate the whole event only lasts a few seconds.

    image.png

    https://hydrolevel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/CG400-Instructions-web.pdf

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,193

    The CycleGard should add an temporary shut off of that feature for service ..

    Running around the house checking and then the boiler shuts off……Grrrr

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • gt873923
    gt873923 Member Posts: 31

    @109A_5 It could be that. It's difficult to say at the moment though as the boiler is only firing periodically so not many consecutive 20 minute cycles to tell.

    I was wondering if the LWCO was kicking in but it seems to be adding such a small amount of water.

    @Big Ed_4 i know! I'll hear it upstairs but by the time I get to the basement it's off again.

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 7,616

    can’t you put a chair next to the boiler and watch it for a few cycles instead of running downstairs?

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

    Big Ed_4
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 2,389
    edited April 13

    If you think the Uni-Match WFE-24 is doing something it should not be doing, you can temporally disconnect the wire I annotated in Orange and see if the issue still happens. This way it still supplies 24 VAC power to the Uni-Match WFE-24 but disables the trigger. Don't let the disconnected wire touch anything else or tape it up. This diagram may be from a newer version than you have, I believe it is close enough for you to get the idea. Also see if the boiler's water level drops significantly over a few days.

    image.png
    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 2,389

    If the trigger is coming from the Cyclegard CG400-2090 and the boiler's water level is maintained at a good level maybe it all works out well. If the system just keeps the minimum amount of water in the boiler I would think the efficiency could be better if the water level was higher. LWCO / Feeders often just maintain a safe operational minimum water level, for better boiler performance manual attention is still needed.

    Newer versions of the Uni-Match WFE-24 have programmable timing.

    image.png

    Also feeders like the VXT-24 have a delay that would ignore a brief call for water.

    image.png

    You will have to figure out what is best for you.

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
    ted_p
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 17,688

    I would disconnect the auto feeder. Manually fill the boiler to half a glass and keep an eye on the water level a couple of times a day until you see what is happening. Then you will know if the water is being added when not needed.

    If you are relying on the feeder to keep the boiler at 1/2 a glass you shouldn't The feeders are supposed to keep the boiler at a MINIMUM water level not to be relied upon for everyday use.

    ethicalpaul

Categories