Low Water Cutoff in Boiler - Steam

[New & Improved - N/F John]

I have float type cutoff switch that gets stuck in the down position after draining the boiler. I had the service tech over twice and each time all he did was giggle the switch to start the burner. He said the muck in this old boiler is the cause. Today it did it again and I did the same thing and then it eventually unstuck by itself. What a pain!

This cutoff mechanism looks easy enough to take apart to clean. He said he could do it but it would only muck up again. What do you think I should do?

John

[Bubba]

John, You giggling tech is a smuck, lazy or doesnt want to make any money. Its simple but Id recommend a professional do it. Order the gasket/s for the low water cut off. Shut off the boiler. Drain it below the cut off. Disassemble the unit. Scrape and flush the gook out. Dont be too rough with the float mechanism. Put it back together with new gaskets, fill the boiler and run it. Test it by draining water and make sure the burner stops. Then start flushing the crap out of your boiler. Bubba

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The service tech is an idiot. As Bubba stated, order the gaskets and clean the shutoff. If there is a lot of muck, look at what has to be done to clean the entire boiler. That muck can make for poor heat transfer and loss of efficiency.

Low water cut off is a very important safety device. Care for it properly.

[The Freon Cowboy]

clean out the low water cutoff, reassemble,

then learn to blow the thing down regularly !!!!!!!!!!!

"New & Improved - N/F John" wrote:

after?draining the boiler. I had the service tech over twice and each time all he

[New & Improved - N/F John]

What can be done to flush it? Should I attach a garden hose to the drain on the covered piping and force water in the opposite direction? What about some air pressure?

[beecrofter]

If you don't blow down the boiler a gallon or two periodically to remove the muck this is what happens.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Depends on your boiler design. Some can be opened up and a hose can flush it out.

In use, the boiler should be given a "blow down" on a regular basis. This is done by opening up the drain while it is operating under pressure. It forces out any accumulated solids. The water column should be flushed that way also. Industrial boilers are piped into a tank that can take the pressure and steam and then allows the water to go to a drain.