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Posted by Wes on April 28, 2002 at 22:19:44:
In Reply to: LOW WATER CONDITION posted by Mike on April 28, 2002 at 08:20:30:
: I would like to know the proper procedure to follow in the event of a low water condition. I have two 35 hp. water-tube boilers that operate at approx. 120 psi. If I encounter a low water condition the first thing that I do is blowdown the gauge glass. If I see no water then I blowdown the water column. If I still see no water then I try all three trycocks from the top to the bottom until I see a level. If I see no level then at that point I shut-off the fuel supply (natural gas in this case), the blower fan, the feedwater,and the main steam stop vlv. I have taken the boiler off-line and will allow it to cool slowly. Is this correct? This is only if I see no water level, because the water level may be below that of the incoming feedwater (which may be the cause of the problem). By shuting off the feedwater I removed the risk of the possible feedwater inrush hitting heated boiler heating surface and causing an explosion.
If there is no water in the sight glass I would'nt waste time verifying the low water condition. I would shut down first then see if the sight glass is working. Since these are high pressure boilers the LWCO should be tested daily which on my boilers tests the sight glass. It is also possible to have water in the sight glass but low water in the boiler if the gauge valves are blocked or shut off. I