Oil Furnace Water Temp Going to 200

Lifting the lever up on top of the backflow prevention valve will add water to the boiler. If you can't lift it, or if it sprays everywhere & won't stop, you may have found the problem.

SMITTY wrote:Lifting the lever up on top of the backflow prevention valve will add water to the boiler.

That lever on the thing you are referring to is a pressure reducing valve (in your case it's brown and should say watts). Their is a nut on top that you loosten to turn down a pipe to increase or decrease pressure. You need to turn off the top lever first to do so. The lever is a fast flush that is only used to flush the system with full line pressure. The way to add water is to open the valve before it (the regulator does the pressure) 12 TO 15 psi is where most regulators are set. should be good in most 2 story houses. For every pound of pressure water will be lifted 2 feet in height. 15 psi will take the water up to 30 feet, so your upper radiators will have water in them. Pressure also raises the boiling point of water from 212 at sea level. You still need to get the air out of the system. Power flushing is the way. THIS COULD GET COMPLICATED

Here is a pic with the flush lever off, their is a brass rod that pushes down, the lock nut loosen and the threaded rod turn to increase or decrease pressure. Your safety pressure relief valve should blow at 30 psi so stay in the 12-15, unless you live in a NY highrise.

Benduchi wrote:the boiler hit 220 and I had to shut it down again

I would turn the high limit down below the low limit setting, if it still fires you probably need a aquastat.

Well (SIGH) when I shut off the water valve before the back pressure preventer I of course stopped that leak but prevented the boiler from getting water and when it hit 220 it was out of water so at this point we don't know if I cracked the tank or if the seals went so we took her apart and cranked the bolts around the chambers but when we turned her on I felt water hit my leg when the flame started and so we killed it and looked in the combustion chamber to find a few inches of water and could see a ripple from a leak so were gonna get an electric hot water heater for now and have a few months to save some dough and repair the boiler and it will now stay as a heater for the house not water heater (which will save on oil) I will keep you updated and thanks for all the help a few of you were right on the money so this is my new home for this type of stuff

P.s here are some pics of the new back pressure valve and the other stuff ill post rebuilds pics of interested when we do it

If the system takes make up water their is a problem (leak)to start with, and should of never hit 220,unless you were that low it was not heating the aquastat

It sounds like the boiler is history. Time to start planning for a replacement. If it isn't already, consider splitting the house into multiple zones when you have the next boiler installed.

If the boiler has become a 'salvage item', PLEASE be aware that Weil McLain is not the only boiler on the market! If you stay with oil, do some research about tube boilers and other burners that are available. Plenty of time to replace Ole Bertha, and perhaps you might consider a coal stoker if you want something wonderful for a warm, economical and reliable heating device.

whistlenut wrote:and perhaps you might consider a coal stoker if you want something wonderful for a warm, economical and reliable heating device.

The best idea so far Their are some good deals on used ones, mine is a 1948 and does NOT take a drop of make up water. Are you close to anthracite coal country ???