adjusting pressure on watts SB1156F water pressure regulator

[mikael6]

I have a weilmclain natural gas fired boiler that has a copper water supply line going to it. The supply line has a shutoff valve and then there is a backflow preventer and then the Watts SB1156F water pressure regulator before going into the boiler. On the regulator I can take off the "cap" that has the lever on it to manually push water through. Then there is and adjustment that I can turn with a flat head screwdriver. My question is I am not sure which way to turn it to increase the pressure and which way to decrease the pressure (ex: clockwise or counter clockwise). I downloaded a manual for it online but it didn't mention this. Please let me know the answer and also anything else applicable for adjusting the pressure on these. Thanks

 

[Mr_David]

The amount of pressure allowed to pass through the regulator is controlled by a spring. The screw pushes on the spring, which pushes a diaphragm. The controlled pressure is equal to the spring pressure on the diaphragm.
Turn the screw IN(clockwise), the more pressure is applied to the spring. Controlled pressure goes up.
Turn screw OUTcounterclockwise , the less pressure. controlled pressure goes down.

Is this a space heater and this is make up water? Why would you want to increase pressure?
Best to buy and install a gauge so you're not guessing on the pressure.

 

[mikael6]

This isn't a space heater but it is for make up water. I like the idea of a gauge. The reason for this is a long one that I will explain in another reply as I have to run now. I will be back in touch. thanks for reply

 

[mikael6]

Ok, I'm back. Here is the long story. I have 3 story apartment building with basement. 6 apartments total (2 per floor). Each apartment has natural gas fired weil mclain boiler put in about 8 years ago. 2 Apartments on first floor have their own individual supply and return loops (not connected to supply or return loops on other boilers). Other 4 apartment boilers share common supply and return loops. One day a couple years ago I saw the pressure relief valve on one of boilers was dripping (don't remember which one). I researched this a little and replace it. However, leak continued. I found online assistance from a guy who was really nice and knowledgeable. He immediately saw that the pressure in the 4 boilers that share common loop was really high (don't remember what it was but I believe over 30 maybe even over 40, each boiler has its own gauge and they were all reading really high so we knew it wasn't an issue with an individual gauge). We started to troubleshoot this and replaced a couple of these watts pressure regulators. We replaced one or two expansion tanks (each boiler has one). We installed a bigger expansion tank even on one of the boilers (bigger than the one that was there). We individually shut off water supply to each of boilers to troubleshoot. Anyway, no matter what we did, the water pressure in these 4 boilers would go up. I finally just gave up as I spent so much time trying to figure this out with the guy online. I have to say he was really good and patient. Anyway, each boiler has a low water cutoff so I decided to close the water makeup supply to each boiler ( there is a shutoff valve on the water makeup line to each boiler that sits behind (farther away) the watts pressure regulator and the backflow preventer). Since I did that, I never had any high pressure issues again.

However, a few weeks ago I saw that the pressure relief valve on my hot water heater (one for whole building) was leaking. I replaced it but leak continued on the new valve. I contacted a guy online who helped me and we determined that the water pressure regulator valve that sits right after the water service pipe entering the building was defective. We had a water pressure reading I believe of 138 psi. I replaced this water pressure regulator and set the dial to 70 psi and tested the pressure with a gauge and it read 70 psi. I then thought maybe this high water service pressure was the cause of the boiler pressure issue. My rationale was that maybe because the water service pressure was so high it was overwhelming the individual watts pressure regulator at each boiler and causing the high boiler pressure. Anyway, I want to test this theory.

So, I turned the makeup water valve back on to one of the boilers on the shared loop and the pressure in all boilers increase to about 30 psi (it was around 13 before). I then remembered that I had fooled around with some of these watts pressure regulators on the individual boilers in troubleshooting 2 years ago and tested adjusting them. So, I may have set the pressure on the regulator too high or low.

So, basically I am trying to get back to square one in troubleshooting the high boiler pressure on the boilers on the shared loop (the boilers on the individual loops are fine and don't have this pressure issue). I would like to have the makeup water turned on but not have the boiler pressure skyrocket.

I should mention that maybe it isn't even worth fooling with this as I could just get the boiler pressure at a good level and turn off make up water to all 4 boilers and just leave it as I have the low water cutoff on each boiler.

 

[phishfood]

This isn't meant at all personally, or to offend.

But, personally, I think that since you have quite a few other people who could be affected by a dangerous or unsafe situation, or would be very negatively affected if the heat were to fail in dead of winter, you should have a highly qualified professional working on your systems.

You seem to have a good degree of mechanical aptitude, and probably like to work on things like this yourself, but you have a duty to the tenants to keep such a potentially dangerous thing as a boiler system in top operating shape.

Just my opinion.

 

[Mr_David]

This isn't a space heater but it is for make up water. I like the idea of a gauge. The reason for this is a long one that I will explain in another reply as I have to run now. I will be back in touch. thanks for reply

What I meant by space heating was that it is a closed system used to heat the rooms and livings space , Not for taking baths and washing dishes.
Here in sunny southern California we don't see very many hydronic space heating systems so my experience is limited on that subject.

How ever, if you're talking about domestic hot water system which I don't think you are, I may have a few ideas to share.

 

[mikael6]

Yes, it is a closed system in that the water in the boiler loops doesn't in any way contact the potable water for baths, sinks, etc. I would appreciate help.

In terms of safety issues, I understand the concern. I did work with a qualified hvac person over the phone on this (they were out of state) and he couldn't figure this out. However, he never had me check the water pressure for the supply line for the building. I am wondering if all of my issues were related to the fact that it was really high but now it is under control. I set it for 60 psi. I am not sure what ideal setting should be for my building.

 

[mikael6]

One thing I'd like to add about getting a professional is that I've been down that route with another issue at my building. I had the new boilers put in about 8 years ago and system had one year warranty. Before year went by and after I kept having issues with zone valves failing and thermostats failing as well. It was costing me an arm and a leg to have this company keep coming out after warranty went away. I kept asking why this kept on happening to individual service techs coming out and they never could tell me why. I contacted the service manager about this and still no good answer. Well, I did my own research and it turned out that because the thermostats didn't have batteries they were powered by something on zone valve and some type of transistor was supposed to be installed on zone valve and was never installed. The installation company didn't know about this. I told them and they didn't even apologize or anything like that or offer me a credit for the work they had done that I had paid for. Anyway, they came out and installed these. This cut down on issues but I still kept having some issues with the thermostats. I replaced them with battery operated thermostats and am good now.

My point is the following: I don't have unlimited money. I have a wife and 5 children to support. I can't afford to continuously pay these people to come out when they might fix the problem at hand but not look at the bigger picture. I find at times that if I don't do my own homework and learn how these things work that I can be taken to the bank. In addition, I enjoy working on these things and I think my knowledge level is at the point where I can do it safely. I have done all kinds of research on the boilers (read entire manuals and loved it) , water pressure regulators, zone valves, etc.

I appreciate everyone's help. I really like this site.

 

[frodo]

I understand your concerns on what it costs to maintain a large family.
BUT, you have 6 apartments with 6 families that pay their rent. they deserve not to have their heat interrupted because you want to save a few bucks.
fooling with boiler controls is a iffey thing. their are safety switches and controls. that could go wrong. endangering the lives of all in the building.

most likely, most probable, the building PRV was the underlying trouble.
do yourself and your family a favor. have a tech do a safety inspection on your system

YES, it cost money. that is what the tenants pay their rent for

 

[mikael6]

Frodo, I should clarify. Their heat is not being interrupted. The heat is and has been working in all of the apartments. There was and is no service disruption. I understand safety concerns but have read enough about how boilers work that I am confident I can work on them safely. I am not going to go through what I went through before with a company that keeps coming out and charging me and not fixing the issue as this seems to be complicated. I will troubleshoot the rest on my own. It may already be fixed now. I need to go out to the building to see if the pressure has risen since I turned on the makeup water valve. If you disagree with what I am doing and don't want to offer guidance, I am fine with that.Take care!

 

[mikael6]

Last week I turned the makeup water back on to one of the boilers with the watts regulator set for a very low pressure with the screw adjustment. I went to check it yesterday and the water pressure in the boilers did not skyrocket like it used to do. So, the issue looks to be resolved. The problem was that the water pressure regulator valve on the water supply line into the building had failed and caused excessive pressure in the system so that it was forcing too much pressure into the boilers themselves. I am going to continue to set the adjustment dial on the watts pressure regulator to be the same as one of the boilers on the individual loops that did not have the pressure issue.

 

[frodo]

a little trick i do to get air out. bump the psi up. turn pump on, then bleed on the upper most point
and any laterals.
set the psi at the make up water, then using a gauge, bleed again at upper point to set system at pressure i want