Steamer building pressure in cabinet

[15flounder]

I'm new to steamers but I'm working on a stack of Groen HY-5E's. The lunch ladies report the doors blow open with some force. I don't get it. It's an atmospheric steamer that's not supposed to develop any pressure. The boiler has a 1/2 psi relief valve and the drain line is wide open! I would think steam would more readily go out the drain than force the door latch open. Recently I separated the drain lines because the top and bottom were tied together and the steamers were making a loud popping sound while both were in operation. I thought maybe it was too crowded in there with the condensate spray and all the steam. They have been quiet since running a new drain for the top steamer but now other pressure problems. Today I verified the drain is not blocked anywhere from the cabinet to the end. I removed the small orifice from the condensate hose and made sure it wasn't clogged and had clean entry into the drain. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.


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[HVAC_Marc]

does the relief work?

[mcr]

Check the probe level sensors for lime build up. Especially the top ones for each chamber. I had 1 that was filling too high because the top sensor wasn't shutting the water off. We had popping, gurgling,reliefs going off ect. Each cavity has it's own relief also. Not easy to get to.

[ECtofix]

Is the drain installed properly?

Check page 8 and 9:
http://download.partstown.com/is-bin...O-HY3E_spm.pdf

[VanMan812]

Drain trapped?

You said you cleaned the condensate orifice but did you confirm the valve is opening and water is going down the drain?

[15flounder]

Sorry, I've been out. The drain line is not trapped but it also isn't correct as far as the sticker on the back is concerned. The sticker shows an elbow out the back suspended above a big reducer or funnel and then that line is connected to a floor drain. Mine had an elbow on the top, silicone hose down to a tee for the bottom steamer then silicone hose straight down to the floor drain leaving a 1" air gap. I would just redo the drains to match the sticker but these have been installed this way for 10 years now. That kinda tells me the problem is somewhere else. I'm going to check those water probes again and also make sure the fill valves are closing.


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[15flounder]

Okay. Just looked at what ECtofix sent. Seems I have a factory-supplied drain line so that really can't be the problem, can it? Oh man, I hope they're overfilling or I'm back to the drawing board.


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[15flounder]

Update: Today I've returned to these steamers now that school is out and I can have all day to play with them. I have cleaned/checked the water level probes as "mcr" suggested and they aren't broken or shorted. I noticed when filling the top steamer, the HI probe satisfied before the LO probe. While draining, the LO probe opens before the HI probe. There is a long probe in the top port and a short probe in the bottom port. The two steamers are configured the same but the bottom steamer fills like I think it should. I'm not sure if the ports were welded on the boiler wrong or what. So I switched the probe wires so the lowest probe corresponds to the LO light on the board. Then I checked the manual to make sure I have the correct probes and they're in the correct position. To my surprise, the manual only lists one part number for both probes? Am I reading this right? Can anyone tell me if I should have identical probes or unequal length?


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[ECtofix]

The manual only lists one part number for both probes? Am I reading this right? Can anyone tell me if I should have identical probes or unequal length?

You might want to call Groen with a good model and serial number handy. Been years since I've looked at an HY-5E, so I'm merely referring to manuals. That model had some changes through the years. Your might have an older model while looking at the manual for newer one:

• OLDER MODEL'S MANUAL - #9 on page 19: http://www.unifiedbrands.net/media/2743/ret_om_hy5e.pdf
• NEWER MODEL'S MANUAL - #4 on page 24: http://www.unifiedbrands.net/media/3654/148666_1215.pdf

The probe part numbers in the older manual and newer one don't jive. The OLD manual's part numbers DOES hint at there being two different probes, but one part number doesn't come up as what the manual says it is:

• OLDER MODEL'S PROBES:
  141284 = http://www.partstown.com/groen/gr141...UdUfgNAes5XRg=
  141285 = http://www.partstown.com/groen/gr141...UdUfgNAes5XRg=
• NEWER MODEL'S PROBE:
  141424 = http://www.partstown.com/groen/gr141424

FYI: The probes protrude into an enclosure within the steam generator called a baffle. Scale can build up within that baffle. Scale can skew the water level probes' ability to accurately sense the water level.

Have you done a REALLY GOOD descaling of the generators? I suggest that. You might need to figure out a way to circumvent the water level controls somehow in order to OVERFILL the generators - thereby removing scale that might have accumulate above them.
Since you're in some down time, that's what I recommend.


Additionally - are you certain that a weak door latch isn't the culprit? I don't recollect whether you said that BOTH doors are blowing open.
Just my thoughts...

[VanMan812]

Update: Today I've returned to these steamers now that school is out and I can have all day to play with them. I have cleaned/checked the water level probes as "mcr" suggested and they aren't broken or shorted. I noticed when filling the top steamer, the HI probe satisfied before the LO probe. While draining, the LO probe opens before the HI probe. There is a long probe in the top port and a short probe in the bottom port. The two steamers are configured the same but the bottom steamer fills like I think it should. I'm not sure if the ports were welded on the boiler wrong or what. So I switched the probe wires so the lowest probe corresponds to the LO light on the board. Then I checked the manual to make sure I have the correct probes and they're in the correct position. To my surprise, the manual only lists one part number for both probes? Am I reading this right? Can anyone tell me if I should have identical probes or unequal length?


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Depends on what year your unit was built but on newer units (built within the last ten years or so) the probes are identical. The probe weldments aren’t even, therefore when you drew two even length probes into the boiler they end up reading at different levels.

I would do as ECtofix suggested and call Groen to see exactly what setup you have (have your serial number ready).

[mcr]

I have worked on about 5 of these. I have removed same length probes out of some and different length probes out of others. The parts manuals aren't always correct with these. As suggested call Groen.