| Author |
Message |
    
Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 21
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 2:09 pm: | 
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Moved to Maplewood recently and this is the first time I'm changing the water in my boiler. I just realized there is no water level indicator on the boiler. This boiler (manufacturer is Utica) seems pretty old, but I would have expected some kind of gauge.
Does anyone know how else I can measure the water level as I refill it? Would it be very bad to overfill it? |
Master Plvmber
Citizen
Username: Master_plvmber
Post Number: 287
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 2:28 pm: |
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Is it a steam boiler, or a circulating hot water system?
Master Plvmber |
Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 22
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 2:31 pm: |
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It is a steam boiler. |
mammabear
Citizen
Username: Mammabear
Post Number: 141
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 2:44 pm: |
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You really don't see a water level guage? It usually looks like a thin glass tube. If you overfill a ton (I did this once by accident) water can go up through your radiators and overflow on to the floor, creating quite a mess. Too little water, and the boiler will not run (or should not run if it is properly equipted with a low-water shut off)
Can you tell I manage the boiler situation in our house??? My husband has no idea how the thing works.. |
Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 23
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 2:49 pm: |
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No glass tube. Looked all around the boiler and couldn't find it. I turned the heat back on and I'm not getting a good response from the radiators, so I might not have added enough water. |
David Cataneo
Citizen
Username: Dave_cataneo
Post Number: 39
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 2:49 pm: |
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Did you take the jacket panel off the boiler? On some really old models its in the rear of the boiler. I don't think I've ever seen a steam boiler with no sight glass. If there isn't one are you certain you haven't got a gravity circulation hot water boiler? |
Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 24
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 3:11 pm: |
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Thanks everyone for the advice. Turns out there is a glass tube. Unfortunately, the inside of the tube is almost completely caked with copper residue. I passed by it thinking it was just another piece of copper tubing. But when I went back down with a flashlight, I could see slivers of light through it. I then realized I had overfilled my boiler by about 4 bucketfulls! |
Soda
Citizen
Username: Soda
Post Number: 2222
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 4:41 pm: |
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MOL saves the day once again! |
Jgberkeley
Citizen
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 4159
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 27, 2004 - 9:31 pm: |
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The tube is not copper coated, rather rust coated. It can be removed and cleaned by someone who is pretty handy with these things. |
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