On this case, the steam boiler kept shutting off on low water. The customer was threatening legal action because the building was cold. The boiler manufacturer hired me to see if I could help figure out the reason. Steam boiler
Enjoy your direct consistency on your inspections, I was in the HVAC industry for over 40 years and it took watching your segments to remind me of many situations like yours. I spent time representing Iron Fireman Powerflame & IC burners and Honeywell & Fireye combustion burner controls. I thoroughly enjoyed doing startups and modifications to old boilers and working with some of the best mechanics around . GOOD JOB
I forget last winter to take care of Weil McLain steam boiler, draining rust and sledge, this winter , I went to do I found the too much rust almost blocking the drainage valve I clean it and change the water. After that when I open the drainage valve, too much vacuumed air inside the boiler, sucking air inside , I changed the water about 10 times already , still the same vacuum , only 15 years old boiler and never have this problem , can you advise me , please what to check on this boiler to take this vacuum off , thank you
Steam systems need to breathe. When the boiler starts, it will push the air from the piping so the steam can enter.At the end of the steam cycle, the steam starts to condense. When this happens, air rushes in to take the place of the steam. If there is a blockage in the condensate pipe, the air cannot return to the system. When this happens, the system goes into a vacuum. I am not sure if this is a one or two pipe system. If it's a one pipe, I would check the air vents for blockage. If it's a two pipe, I would check the traps to be sure they are not filled with dirt, blocking it. Hope this helps
Hi. Can you please explain how draft affects the gas pressure? I would have thought that they're independent of one another. Isn't the gas pressure fixed and controlled by the gas control / regulator? Also, how were the draft issues affecting the boiler going off on low water? Thank you so much.
George Great question., When adjusting the burner gas pressure, it is against the pressure inside the combustion chamber. In most instances, the combustion pressure is slightly positive. This boiler was supposed to be +0.15" wc with a draft at the boiler outlet of -0.05"wc. Since the draft was ten times more than the manufacturer recommended, the combustion chamber went negative. You would have to increase the gas pressure to reach the gas pressure set point since the chamber is negative. Once the draft was at the proper amount, the gas pressure was too high. Hope this helped Ray
Stephen steam systems can be very efficient if installed and operated properly. The Empire State Building in NY has steam heat and has a Leed gold certificate
@@boilerroomdetective Areas of application here in Germany for steam heating systems. Fields of application Steam heating is hardly used in office and private buildings. It is mainly used in larger buildings such as exhibition halls or warehouses. Here it is characterized by low operating costs. Another advantage is that it heats up large rooms quickly. The poor controllability and the high space requirement are disadvantages that make steam heating unsuitable for conventional private houses. The use of a steam heating system is particularly useful where process steam is generated. This is the case, for example, in industrial laundries or commercial kitchens. In this way, the steam that is generated anyway can be used for heating..
@@Metal-never-die1220 Stephen, We do not see low pressure steam used much on new buildings in the US anymore because people believe it to be inefficient. We are getting away from fossil fuel fired heating systems over here. One of the benefits of steam systems is the distribution costs. It takes less than one ounce of steam pressure to transport steam one hundred feet. That is much less than air or refrigerant distribution costs. Thanks for the comments. Hope you are staying warm over there. The resurgence of steam boilers here is due to the microbreweries opening. Most use steam in the brewing process.
