vertial boiler water feed problems

hi all

bit of a werid problem (for me) i have a water tank plumbed to a little hand force water pump then to boiler with a check valve boiler fitting. i tryed steaming the boiler and found it almost impossable to raise pressure.i then noticed the water tank drained without me pumping it !!. so i blanked off the check valve and drained some water off and in 5mins or so i had the safety valve popping.

so my question is should there be a shutoff valve in between boiler and pump ??? or am i doing something wrong ??

thanks

gavin

Boilers usually have a clack valve (check valve) between the boiler and the pump or injector and an isolation valve between the clack and the boiler so it can be isolated if it is leaking steam/water back to the tank.

Is the tank higher than the boiler ? Water should not flow into the boiler unless the supply pressure is higher than the boiler pressure.

Paul.

Hi,

thanks for the reply.

the top of the tank is level with the bottom of the boiler. i have a 90C clack valve on the boiler (new valve) with 5/32" pipe to a brand new hand pump (https://maccmodels.co.uk/live-steam-fittings/water-hand-pumps/3-8-ram-5-32-pipe-free-standing-hand-water-pump-front-pipe-fitti.html

to tank via 5/32" pipe again. from pump out put to clack valve is about 3" rise.

so yea im at a lost.

thanks

Gavin

On SPEEDY (LBSC design), there is a 'clack' valve on the pump and another 'clack' valve on the boiler. It sounds as if steam is passing from the boiler through the boiler clack valve, condensing and sucking a small amount of water into the boiler. Steam will once again pass the boiler clack, condense and draw water. This continual process would eventually fill the boiler ? Do you hear the clack 'rattling' ?
I would look at the boiler clack first and make sure it seals properly.

BobH

HI thanks for the reply.

the boiler does "prime" it self you can hear the water feed "sucking" when tank almost emety. i be removing the boiler clack valve today to be checking it and the pump too. think i might order some more pipe and a inline 1/4 turn valve as well.

thanks

Gavin

hi all

checked the clack valve it didnt rattle so opened it up dumped it in sonic cleaner put it back togeather now its rattling away. also pump wasnt rattling either so did the same ,so now i got 2 rattles ready to be reinstalled. would it be best to add a shut off inline while it all apart ??

thanks

Gavin

Edited By gavin compton on 26/02/2016 17:04:17

Clack doesn't or rather shouldn't need a spring. Ive never seen this happen, but fitting a light spring should fix things, if you can find one to fit which wont rust. The hand pump will probably be good for over 400psi so will easily overcome the spring resistance.