# Boiler overfilling



## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

The boiler was overfilling at one of our plants and they were having to operate it manually, I wonder why.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

I see.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

Obviously because the ground isn't connected.:biggrin:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Stevie Wonder says it's clear to his fingers!


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## CoolWill (Jan 5, 2019)

So... There had to be a reason to do that in the first place.


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## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

CoolWill said:


> So... There had to be a reason to do that in the first place.


Float doesn't work? Bad control design?


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

CoolWill said:


> So... There had to be a reason to do that in the first place.



Low IQ comes to mind.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

glen1971 said:


> Float doesn't work? Bad control design?


Drivers “helping” me out while I was running conduit and pulling wire for a new compressor at a plant. They absolutely destroyed beyond repair the old one that I was going to save and rebuild for a spare. Most of these guys are willing to help, but are absolutely bulls in a china shop leaving a path of destruction like a tornado.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

MTW said:


> Low IQ comes to mind.


I see.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

“I landed the wires on separate terminals, but there was no continuity. So I put them on the same terminal and got continuity. Problem solved!”


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Obviously it's because the lug is too big for the terminal.

And if you cut them a bit, you don't have to take the screw out :biggrin:


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Nice to see the correct color code


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## Tonedeaf (Nov 26, 2012)

the floats probably stuck you need to flush water out of the float valve everyday or they gummed up.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

Tonedeaf said:


> the floats probably stuck you need to flush water out of the float valve everyday or they gummed up.


The float was new out of the box, they couldn’t understand the difference between NO and NC contacts and what a common was.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

gpop said:


> Nice to see the correct color code


Color code I’ve got one plant that ALL control wires are brown THHN 16awg. From the manual station and batch control to the MCC, all brown and no numbers.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

460 Delta said:


> Color code I’ve got one plant that ALL control wires are brown THHN 16awg. From the manual station and batch control to the MCC, all brown and no numbers.



I had a similar one a few years ago for a bin tipper, the plant maintenance guys had replaced all the wire with white thhn.


I thought that was bad, but that still doesn't come close to what you've described....


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

460 Delta said:


> The float was new out of the box, they couldn’t understand the difference between NO and NC contacts and what a common was.


So, you're saying you let the "drivers" make up the brand new switch, and they had no idea what they were doing? Is that common practice?


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

joebanana said:


> So, you're saying you let the "drivers" make up the brand new switch, and they had no idea what they were doing? Is that common practice?


It's common practice for drivers to be laborers if they're not on a load. It's also common for them to do something while I'm busy running conduit and pulling wire that they think will be less labor intensive, as in installing a float switch.
By the time I knew what they were doing, they had the old one demolished and were asking me how to connect the wires, they were up on top of a flat roof for access and I was landing wires inside. I was busy and thought I explained it well enough to them, obviously not.
R-mix is a whole different world and culture, loose and wild is the norm and it's so ingrained there's little I can do generally to stop it. Really good guys and a few gals that will do whatever I ask them, but watch out for the hurricane that follows.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

Cow said:


> I had a similar one a few years ago for a bin tipper, the plant maintenance guys had replaced all the wire with white thhn.
> 
> 
> I thought that was bad, but that still doesn't come close to what you've described....


I'm not sure how they did it, probably rang out the wires to ground and landed them as they went. They original owners had a construction crew with some good electricians in it, but probably got way behind and here you are. Possibly had a couple handy drivers pulling in the wire for them and oops, we forgot to number those, is that a problem?


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

460 Delta said:


> It's common practice for drivers to be laborers if they're not on a load. It's also common for them to do something while I'm busy running conduit and pulling wire that they think will be less labor intensive, as in installing a float switch.
> By the time I knew what they were doing, they had the old one demolished and were asking me how to connect the wires, they were up on top of a flat roof for access and I was landing wires inside. I was busy and thought I explained it well enough to them, obviously not.
> R-mix is a whole different world and culture, loose and wild is the norm and it's so ingrained there's little I can do generally to stop it. Really good guys and a few gals that will do whatever I ask them, but watch out for the hurricane that follows.


 So, what happens when someone gets hurt, as in electrocuted, or flashed?
I would think make-up would be less laborer, and more specialized.

In the refinery, unit operators weren't even allowed change light bulbs. Do they let you drive their trucks?


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

joebanana said:


> So, what happens when someone gets hurt, as in electrocuted, or flashed?
> I would think make-up would be less laborer, and more specialized.
> 
> In the refinery, unit operators weren't even allowed change light bulbs. Do they let you drive their trucks?


I don’t ask them to do things like this, they take it upon themselves to do it or the batch manager asks them to. I’m not their boss in these situations, I keep them from danger when they’re with me. But I can’t hold their hand all the time. 
And to answer the last part, yeah I’ve trucked a load of concrete on occasion but don’t like to. I’ve got a class A CDL with no restrictions.


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