Testing Water Level inside a Boiler

Gauge glass is designed to show the level of water inside a boiler. The bottom of the glass must be at least three inches above the tubes in order to function well. The passage leading to the glass can be clear and water level can be tested accurately by taking these steps.

1. The top valve on column and top valve on glass must be closed, while the drain valve on glass should be opened. If water flows freely from drain, the water passages from boiler column and from column to glass are clear.

2. The bottom valves on column and glass should be closed, while the top valve should be open. If the steam flows freely from drain valve at bottom of glass, steam passage from boiler to column and from column to glass are clear.

3. The drain valves on glass are closed and drain valve on column are opened. If steam flows freely from column drain, the column itself can be conclude as crystal clear.

4. The column drain valves are closed and the bottom valves of column and glass are opened. The water will rise quickly to its correct level in the glass when the valve is closed. If action is sluggish, some obstruction may still be in the pipes or valves. The entire drain valve must be surely tightly closed and all other valves widely opened.

These are the proper procedures in testing the water level using a water column. With simply opening the drain valve and not touching any of other valves, the glass does not prove that both top and bottom connection are clear.

A water column is a hollow casting, or forging, connected by pipes at top and bottom to the boiler's steam and water spaces. For more information about water column and how it works, consult with the experts at Quest-Tec Solutions or visit their website at http://questtecsolutions.com/water-column-products.

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