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Central boiler mystery

Started by petefrom bearswamp, January 12, 2019, 10:10:08 AM

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petefrom bearswamp

My furnace is now 13 1/2 years old.
I check the water level virtually every day.
Yesterday morning at 8 AM all was OK and I didnt stoke it because there was a huge bed of coals that I wanted to burn down so didnt load until 10 AM or so.
Everything OK at that point.
Wife hosed off the garage floor due to a diet coke spill, and the hose was hooked up to the domestic hot water faucet.
We went to pick up grand kids at about 2 PM and checked the level then and it only showed half way on the site tube.
It has been cold out so I thought the water in the tube was partly frozen.
Checked again at 8 PM when we got home and took the tube off and it was clear, still halfway down..
In a panic I filled to the proper level and all night long wondered what had happened.
No sign of boiling over while we were home.
I cant believe that boiling would have used that much water as I have boiled it several times over the years and only had a minimal drop in the water level.
Everything is OK this morning.
This is head scratching to me.
Any thoughts?
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

Southside

I am not familiar with how your unit works but can you not plumb in a feed in valve so the water would always be at the right level?  Years back I had my OWB set up that way. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

petefrom bearswamp

Would you have to install some sort of a float system?
I have to add some water about once a month, I attribute this to evaporation.
There are no leaks evident.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

Southside

Mine was based on keeping a constant pressure in the system. It was pretty low. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

DDW_OR

"let the machines do the work"

E Yoder

With open vented pipe there would be no pressure in a CB system, it would overflow, correct?
Anyway, the sight tube probably only shows the top 10-20 gallons I'd guess? In other words it's positioned up high, not down to the bottom of the tank.
But you may have an intermittent leak at a fitting, pump flange or somewhere. Give everything a good look over. Some leaks only drip with a temp change.
HeatMaster dealer in VA.
G7000

thecfarm

I had a leak on the backside of the pex pipe. I bet I run my hand up and down on that pipe 20 times before I felt it was wet. More than a week. I think it was a very small drip and it was evaporating. Than it got worse and I could feel it.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

petefrom bearswamp

I think with the open vent on the CB the pressure would have to be so low as to not keep the level up without overfilling.
I think I had a weeping leak on a line last year and it must have evaporated so quickly that I couldn't find it.
Changed the water last summer and tightened everything and now seems to be OK.
Water level has been OK since the problem.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

maple flats

Different brand, but I was an OWB dealer for 12 years. Non pressurized like yours. They can boil off that fast, especially if your wife drew enough hot water to kick the draft fan on and the aquastat for the fan stuck on. Just keep an eye on that. Over the years I changed several aquastats for that reason. Changing is simple if yours is like ours were. The temp probe was in a brass well, you just shut off the power, remove the old, and be sure to use the silver grease on the sensor bulb when you install a new one.
My guess is that was the cause. Even a good bank of coals can boil a lot of water if the fan sticks on.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

petefrom bearswamp

Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

Dave Shepard

I don't think any Classic has a fan. If they did, you'd have to put a grate on the stack to keep chunks of wood from going up.  :D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Rebarb

Hmmm can't wrap my head around this.

I've had a 5036 classic for years and maybe add a gallon or 2 a year, if that.

If not a leak, possibly damper door stuck open " rare " .

Is your temp range the recommended 175-185 ? 

My water level has always fluctuated depending on box temps but always in the circle. 

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