| Author |
Message |
    
ASH
Citizen
Username: Ash
Post Number: 87
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 8:08 am: |     |
We turned down our heat last night (to about 62) and woke to a very cold house (58 according to the thermostat). I went down and turned the thermostat up to 68 and it's been half an hour and not a peep from the boiler. It's warm but not making any noise, and the steam gauge is just above zero and staying there (not sure if this means anything). It's a very old boiler, but has been working fine since we bought the house in Nov.--dates back to 1929, like the house, with a gas conversion. Do these things just take a little while to get started or is it broke? I'm a little scared 'cause I have a baby in the house and one stick of firewood (feel like a frontier lady!). Any advice much appreciated. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4266
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 8:14 am: | |
Check the water gauge. The most likely scenario is that you have to add water.
You will find a tube on the front of the boiler that shows the water level. There should be a water valve nearby that you use to fill the boiler. There should be a rubber gromet on the site glass that shows the correct level to fill to.
I am surprised you haven't had to add water since November, if this is the case. |
ASH
Citizen
Username: Ash
Post Number: 88
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 8:19 am: | |
I've been draining out dirty water and adding new water periodically. But I will check this--thank you! I'll report back if this works...I just called %^%$ PSE&G and a recorded voice told me I could schedule a repair appointment on Tuesday! |
ASH
Citizen
Username: Ash
Post Number: 89
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 8:25 am: | |
Thank you so much BobK for your fast and helpful response! The furnace kicked in right after I added water. |
Richard O'Connor
Citizen
Username: Roconn
Post Number: 80
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 8:34 am: | |
ASH,
That was going to be my pointer...check for water ... sounds like your low water cut-off kicked in ...
A good sounds like otherwise your boiler is doing exactly what it should be.
Richard (ROC)
--Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.--
--AIM: ROConn |
wharfrat
Citizen
Username: Wharfrat
Post Number: 915
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 10:50 am: | |
ASH-
Somewhere on your boiler is a box with a small pinky sized light. This is a low boiler cut-off. When water is too low in the boiler the pinky-sized light shoud turn-on.
I'm mentioning this because this can help you accurately gauge when you need to add water to your boiler.
|
Richard O'Connor
Citizen
Username: Roconn
Post Number: 85
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 12:56 pm: | |
Water should be added to the boiler:
1) ALWAYS WHEN BOILER IS COOL/COLD AND NOT FIRING
2) ALWAYS BEFORE the low water cutoff kicks in
Don't mean to be yelling, but we should (in this weather) all be making a point of a daily trip to visit our heat providing friend in the basement.
Richard (ROC)
--Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.--
--AIM: ROConn |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1958
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 3:15 pm: | |
Richard - we have a very old boiler & the water shut off works differently than want you suggest:
1. Step one - notice no heat (usually first thing in the morning or when otherwise flimsily dressed).
2. Go to thermostat in living room & punch waaaaay up. Listen for boiler to kick on.
3. If it does not kick on within 10 seconds, say (and this is very important) soflty under breath "shit". Then, loudly, "Honey, do you have shoes on? The furnace needs water".
5 out of 6 times, this method works to send The Spouse to the freezing cold, icky basement.
 |
Richard O'Connor
Citizen
Username: Roconn
Post Number: 90
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 4:24 pm: | |
But that's what i'm saying .... if we check it more frequently that early am trudge to the frozen basement wouldn't have to happen.
Richard (ROC)
--Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.--
--AIM: ROConn |
chocoholic
Citizen
Username: Shrink
Post Number: 87
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 2:35 pm: | |
Richard,
why wait to add water until the boiler is cold? Is it possible to wait that long in this type of weather when the boiler seems to be on alot trying to keep the heat up in the house? |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4306
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 2:43 pm: | |
Our water feed is hooked up to the hot water heater which in conveniently located next to the boiler. Is this unusual? Is it legal? It sure is convenient and seems to eliminate the problem of cracking the boiler. |
tjohn
Citizen
Username: Tjohn
Post Number: 2072
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 4:29 pm: | |
Legal and good practice. I believe code requires a backflow prevention valve however, to prevent water from being sucked from the boiler in case of extraordinary low water pressure conditions. |
Richard O'Connor
Citizen
Username: Roconn
Post Number: 104
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 4:51 pm: | |
Everything I've read on the subject says that you should only add cold water to boilers. So that is more a Master Plvmber question ...
As to adding the water to a not HOT not FIRING boiler ... that's all about not cracking the boiler ... and remember, adding water to a firing boiler is going to give you an incorrect water line when the boiler stops firing and the steam returns as water to the boiler.
But I defer all 'official' answers on this subject to MP .. it is what he does for a living.
Richard (ROC)
--Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.--
--AIM: ROConn |
tjohn
Citizen
Username: Tjohn
Post Number: 2073
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 5:17 pm: | |
Hot water MUST be OK. The hot water takes cold water and makes it hot. The boiler takes cold water and boils it. How can starting with hot water be bad? The idea of the feed from the hot water tank is that there is less risk of stressing a hot boiler. |
Richard O'Connor
Citizen
Username: Roconn
Post Number: 106
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 5:24 pm: | |
I don't know the answer ... tjohn ... what you say makes sense to me ... but really ... that which i've read says use cold water .... (wondering if there's something about available O2 that comes into play ... less oxygen in cold water than hot? I really don't know.
Richard (ROC)
--Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.--
--AIM: ROConn |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 866
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 7:35 pm: | |
Mine is also hooked up to the hot water coming off the hot water heater.
One problem with adding water while it is still firing or was firing very recently is that there may be a lot of steam up in the system that will condense and come back down when it cools a bit. If you add too much water, you could have an overfull boiler. I'm not totally sure what happens then, but I don't think it is good.
|
Master Plvmber
Citizen
Username: Master_plvmber
Post Number: 162
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 - 8:00 pm: | |
Hot water tends to be less clean than cold water. McDonell-Miller, the industry leader in fluid level control, maintains in their literature a clause releasing them from liability when a boiler is fed with hot water through one of their controls. Hot water is very bad for automatic water feeders. It damages seals and solenoids.
Adding hot water, manually, to a steam system is not a problem.
Remember to always add water to the return lines, never the boiler itself.
Master_Plvmber
|
Richard O'Connor
Citizen
Username: Roconn
Post Number: 110
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 16, 2004 - 12:35 pm: | |
Ok, I know this is actually a thread drifting question but what do you mean MP by "less clean" ... (and thinking I know where I found the info on cold water ... I have McDonell-Miller controls on my boiler) ....
Just curious
Richard (ROC)
--Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.--
--AIM: ROConn |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page