I’m upgrading from oil to gas steam and I was recommended the feeder but a friend who’s a master plumper advice to steer away from the automatic feeder because they could flood the house if it’s stays open or fail , is this true? Is there a way to use and avoid this issue ?
Good stuff. Boilers are a lot different between the north and the south, that I have worked on. A lot interesting information. You are one smart fellow. I like those kind of jobs where you have to study the wiring diagram and have to do some rewiring to make it work. But it makes it hard on the next guy. Thanks
I realize this comment is not related to the purpose of the video. However, at the beginning of the video, make note of how the Pressuretrol is oriented compared to the pigtail. It might be easier to see it later in the video, too, like at 0:38 seconds. Pigtails tend to unbend as the pressure increases, changing the angle of the Pressuretrol. When the pigtail is oriented as in this video, it can change the setting of the unit as pressure changes in the pigtail. Page 3 of the manufacturer's installation instructions show the pigtail running front to back, not side to side.
Emin HVAC its safe to run this way.. its shutting of on low water then filling to proper levels ,,,before the guy had to go down there and fill it manually .
Most electronic lwc require pipe dope only on the probe threading, as tape can disrupt the ground circuit and cause problems with the feeder and lwc operation. The control definitely needs to be replaced but you might want to recheck that too. Thanks for sharing.
steven lavimoniere I thought this was interesting from Mcdonnell & Miller: "The use of PTFE tape or exotic thread sealant (BlueBlock, RectorSeal, etc.) can act as an insulator blocking the probe voltage’s current path. Remove the probe and reinstall using a pipe dope or boiler grease". Other manufacturer's just say to use a minimal amount of pipe dope. I guess the newer pipe dope can cause problems, though the current generated by the probe is very small, so it wouldn't take much to affect it.
When I was a teenager the local Gulf station, old 30's Art Deco architecture 2 bay gas station was heated with steam. The boiler was in the basement accessible by a trapdoor in the office customer waiting area. System worked fine according to the owner but every morning after he unlocked the office he'd open the trap door go down into the basement and open the manual fill valve to get the oil burner to fire up. When I asked him how long he'd been doing that he said it's a manual feed only and he gave me the ok to look around the boiler. I found a steady drip, drip drip coming out of the sight glass and informed him if he called his service technician to replace the glass as it was cracked he would more than likely not have to add water every day. He called the oil service guy who replaced the sight glass with a new one. He spotted me a few days later and told me thank you as he never noticed the sight glass was cracked and hadn't had to add water since the glass was replaced. His mechanic found it strange to walk into a warm garage in the morning. Since he bought the station he was told by the previous owner he had to add water every morning so the heat would come on and all he knew was add water on comes the heat no problem. He had the station just over two years when I pointed out the bad sight glass. Now a bank sits on the site but there are a few old gulf stations still around even though they no longer sell gas it's nice to see an old piece of the 1930's still around and still servicing cars. Steve interesting way to get the water feed to work even though it isn't quite what it was designed to do but it works which is what's important. Nice fix Steve.
On the old steam ships 1930s the water that returns from the condenser flows into a tank called the hotwell. Inside the tank is a float arm that controls the throttle valve of the boiler feed pump. The more water in the hotwell, the faster the pump runs and so the pump always regulates the water level in the boilers. If after some time the level gets too low because of a small steam leak somewhere, there is a pipe between the reserve feedwater tank and the condenser, and since there's 28 inches of vacuum in the condenser, if you open the valve on that line, the vacuum pulls water from the reserve feedwater tank into the condenser where it flows into the hotwell. Such a simple system and it just works with no electricity. Why don't they use a system like that these days?
Great job man. I like the videos like this that have to do with the controls and wiring. Its real interesting and definitely takes some skill to get things straightened out like you did even though its only temporary. Can't wait for the vid of the new LWCO install. Thanks. Justin
Great job steve. Sometimes jobs make you think outside the box. "You got to do what you got to do, so thats what I ended up Doing." Steve Lavimoniere. Great saying.
Yep thats what separates the men from the boys. Most guys would have them waiting for a couple weeks while the new control came in. Doing what you have to do and ending up doing it to make it work while they wait is what is going to get them to call you next time.
I think I see a regular furnace in the background. Why do some houses have a modern heating/air system and over in the corner is a old boiler? I been in a few houses and I seen this myself. It's weird, why not get rid of the boiler if you have a modern heating/air system?
SkyLimitTV the house is big and built in the 30 all staem radiators in house . the furnace was for one section of house that was added on .to have a.c and heat out there .i believe .this house was like a small manion . not sure anyone would remove the steam radiators .there beauitful
steven lavimoniere Oh and I was told a steam radiator and hot water radiator are 2 different things. You cannot use a steam radiator for a hot water boiler? I thought they were both the same
if you use a steam radiator for hot water you have to drill and tape a bleader vent up high to get rid of the air .i have converted 2 pile steam systems to hot water before .. and used the steam radiators plug the stean vent plug and tape another manual vent up high as long as it a 2 pipe steam you can do it ..one pipe steam will not work ..
Very interesting Steve. So if I understand correctly the low water level cuts the boiler off which when working properly should add water to the boiler. For now you have wired it to add water when the t-stat calls for heat. What kind of safety's does a boiler like this have? Nice video.
Umm you should carry a soldering iron in your tools. What it looks like and sounds like is there is a broken or cold solder joint on the terminal block hence why there is a match book wedged in there to provide tension on the terminal block and the borked solder joint. A simple re-flowing of solder on all the blocks pin would have fixed this problem and took less than 5 minutes and could have got this machine running at least long enough until the new control came in.
+ElfNet Gaming i rather just replace the board .a repair like that in the field soldering up a board,,could leave me wide open for a lawsuit ,,,no thanks
I agree with your distaste of auto, but not because of your reason. If that much water is leaving the boiler, it’s because of bad near piping that is throwing water into the main
great video...Are low water cut offs interchangeable or do you have to use the same model when replacing them? Also what is the price range a plumber would usually charge to replace
Good show Bro. Lav
I’m upgrading from oil to gas steam and I was recommended the feeder but a friend who’s a master plumper advice to steer away from the automatic feeder because they could flood the house if it’s stays open or fail , is this true? Is there a way to use and avoid this issue ?
Good stuff. Boilers are a lot different between the north and the south, that I have worked on. A lot interesting information. You are one smart fellow. I like those kind of jobs where you have to study the wiring diagram and have to do some rewiring to make it work. But it makes it hard on the next guy. Thanks
Phillip Groom it was a bit hard to figure out ,,had to chase all the wires out .. to see what went were ..
I realize this comment is not related to the purpose of the video. However, at the beginning of the video, make note of how the Pressuretrol is oriented compared to the pigtail. It might be easier to see it later in the video, too, like at 0:38 seconds. Pigtails tend to unbend as the pressure increases, changing the angle of the Pressuretrol. When the pigtail is oriented as in this video, it can change the setting of the unit as pressure changes in the pigtail. Page 3 of the manufacturer's installation instructions show the pigtail running front to back, not side to side.
Great idea Steve that will work till u get that part in but sure is better than feeding water manually.
justin henning yes feeding water manually is a pain .it is working quite well this way.
Manual is better, sorry. Auto hides leaks, especially if you pay no attention to the volume reading
good job Steve. sometimes you just have to do things to get it working temporary. however it has to be done safely.
Emin HVAC its safe to run this way.. its shutting of on low water then filling to proper levels ,,,before the guy had to go down there and fill it manually .
Good work bud.
That match pack is holding a bad solder joint in place..if you had electrical solder skills a quick fix would have it working again...
Feeding it manually is the best way to know what is going on.
no you shouldn't unless your valve is bad
Great vlog Steve! Great troubleshooting . looks like you knocked it out of the park. Keep up the great work!
rumboldj1 she is working now ..
Most electronic lwc require pipe dope only on the probe threading, as tape can disrupt the ground circuit and cause problems with the feeder and lwc operation. The control definitely needs to be replaced but you might want to recheck that too. Thanks for sharing.
***** good comment
steven lavimoniere I thought this was interesting from Mcdonnell & Miller: "The use of PTFE tape or exotic thread sealant (BlueBlock, RectorSeal, etc.) can act as an insulator blocking the probe voltage’s current path. Remove the probe and reinstall using a pipe dope or boiler grease". Other manufacturer's just say to use a minimal amount of pipe dope. I guess the newer pipe dope can cause problems, though the current generated by the probe is very small, so it wouldn't take much to affect it.
Thanks to you, I now have a working knowledge of all the controls on a single pipe steam boiler. I own two. Good job outta you.
Most Shisty mechanics will not check probe before changing controls. Nice to see good work shown to the public.
When I was a teenager the local Gulf station, old 30's Art Deco architecture 2 bay gas station was heated with steam. The boiler was in the basement accessible by a trapdoor in the office customer waiting area. System worked fine according to the owner but every morning after he unlocked the office he'd open the trap door go down into the basement and open the manual fill valve to get the oil burner to fire up. When I asked him how long he'd been doing that he said it's a manual feed only and he gave me the ok to look around the boiler. I found a steady drip, drip drip coming out of the sight glass and informed him if he called his service technician to replace the glass as it was cracked he would more than likely not have to add water every day.
He called the oil service guy who replaced the sight glass with a new one. He spotted me a few days later and told me thank you as he never noticed the sight glass was cracked and hadn't had to add water since the glass was replaced. His mechanic found it strange to walk into a warm garage in the morning.
Since he bought the station he was told by the previous owner he had to add water every morning so the heat would come on and all he knew was add water on comes the heat no problem. He had the station just over two years when I pointed out the bad sight glass. Now a bank sits on the site but there are a few old gulf stations still around even though they no longer sell gas it's nice to see an old piece of the 1930's still around and still servicing cars.
Steve interesting way to get the water feed to work even though it isn't quite what it was designed to do but it works which is what's important.
Nice fix Steve.
Never would have guessed that Bryant made steam boilers
I remember when I was a kid at school we had steam radiators. The one thing I always remember is it was ether way to hot or way to cold.
Then the maintenance staff didn’t know what they were doing
On the old steam ships 1930s the water that returns from the condenser flows into a tank called the hotwell. Inside the tank is a float arm that controls the throttle valve of the boiler feed pump. The more water in the hotwell, the faster the pump runs and so the pump always regulates the water level in the boilers.
If after some time the level gets too low because of a small steam leak somewhere, there is a pipe between the reserve feedwater tank and the condenser, and since there's 28 inches of vacuum in the condenser, if you open the valve on that line, the vacuum pulls water from the reserve feedwater tank into the condenser where it flows into the hotwell.
Such a simple system and it just works with no electricity. Why don't they use a system like that these days?
Great job man. I like the videos like this that have to do with the controls and wiring. Its real interesting and definitely takes some skill to get things straightened out like you did even though its only temporary. Can't wait for the vid of the new LWCO install. Thanks.
Justin
needmorediesel thanks for watching
Great job steve. Sometimes jobs make you think outside the box. "You got to do what you got to do, so thats what I ended up Doing." Steve Lavimoniere. Great saying.
Ryan Dugger its working is all that counts
Yep thats what separates the men from the boys. Most guys would have them waiting for a couple weeks while the new control came in. Doing what you have to do and ending up doing it to make it work while they wait is what is going to get them to call you next time.
Love the steam videos do more! Would love to see a old gravity hot water system if you ever run into one but they must be pretty rare these days.
+Zachary Radford i see then gavity systems still out there i will try to get some video if i see one
Cool video Steve
acechoice45 thanks for taking the time to watch
The real question is why does he have to refill it so much? He’s leaking steam. He’ll rot out the boiler with all that fresh water
You can’t use Teflon on any lwco probe threads. Dope only. Says it rite in the instructions
Look at
"steam boiler with major problems fixed" to see the front to back arrangement
What is more common? 24 volt low water cut offs or 120 volt cut offs??
I think I see a regular furnace in the background. Why do some houses have a modern heating/air system and over in the corner is a old boiler? I been in a few houses and I seen this myself. It's weird, why not get rid of the boiler if you have a modern heating/air system?
SkyLimitTV the house is big and built in the 30 all staem radiators in house . the furnace was for one section of house that was added on .to have a.c and heat out there .i believe .this house was like a small manion . not sure anyone would remove the steam radiators .there beauitful
steven lavimoniere Oh and I was told a steam radiator and hot water radiator are 2 different things. You cannot use a steam radiator for a hot water boiler? I thought they were both the same
if you use a steam radiator for hot water you have to drill and tape a bleader vent up high to get rid of the air .i have converted 2 pile steam systems to hot water before .. and used the steam radiators plug the stean vent plug and tape another manual vent up high as long as it a 2 pipe steam you can do it ..one pipe steam will not work ..
steven lavimoniere and it’s a bad idea.
Great work Steve
Harry Dickson she is working
Maybe a re flow of the soldering joints on the circuit board will help.
Nice job
gekkedirkie i never tend to want to repair a cercut board i rather just replace it straight out
Kinda complicated! excellent repair Steve!
Very interesting Steve. So if I understand correctly the low water level cuts the boiler off which when working properly should add water to the boiler. For now you have wired it to add water when the t-stat calls for heat. What kind of safety's does a boiler like this have? Nice video.
DC Rickerson the safety is the low water cut off
great job steve. thanks for the video.
Jerry heath thanks for watching
Umm you should carry a soldering iron in your tools. What it looks like and sounds like is there is a broken or cold solder joint on the terminal block hence why there is a match book wedged in there to provide tension on the terminal block and the borked solder joint. A simple re-flowing of solder on all the blocks pin would have fixed this problem and took less than 5 minutes and could have got this machine running at least long enough until the new control came in.
+ElfNet Gaming i rather just replace the board .a repair like that in the field soldering up a board,,could leave me wide open for a lawsuit ,,,no thanks
I don't like automatic feeders. They tend to overfill the boiler while the water is up in the risers and radiators as steam. Too much makeup water.
I agree with your distaste of auto, but not because of your reason. If that much water is leaving the boiler, it’s because of bad near piping that is throwing water into the main
What ever happened to the Good Old Days when everything was contacts and no circuit boards to fail?
Brad1237202 them days are gone for good i am afraid
Yeah contacts never failed LOL
Nice work Steve!
heavydiesel thanks for watching
great video...Are low water cut offs interchangeable or do you have to use the same model when replacing them? Also what is the price range a plumber would usually charge to replace
Nice work!
Michael Milburn thanks for watching
Bryant/ carrier does not make boilers either oil or gas these are made by Dunkirk boiler co
Steven were are u located I need some work done.?
+Raymond Flores in dartmouth ma.
I really enjoyed the steam system repair. Do you work on a lot of steam systems?
Chad Cheras i do my fair share of steam
I need my old Steam Boiler to have HydroLevel VXT120 install.
Hope they gave you some coffee bro. sounded like it was your first call of the day yawning lol
That water def needs to be changed
noe name steam boiler water needs changing for sure
Привет из Саратова!!!
can you say nice fuckin game indoor accent
in your
Cool video
Nicholas CeeA thanks for the comment
P
Piece of junk ECR Dunkirk boiler
Look at
"steam boiler with major problems fixed" to see the front to back arrangement