Posted by Steve K. on January 20, 2000 at 18:14:20:
We have an old, oil-to-gas converted, single-pipe steam system in the 80-year-old house we just bought. It's my first experience with hydronic heating.
The bottom half of the gauge glass looks brown--you can't even see through to the water--but the 1/2 inch of water above the brown area looks clear (no sediment). So I'm thinking maybe it's just that the glass needs cleaning.
I don't want to break the glass. Do the brass nuts above & below the glass exert pressure on it, so that I might break the glass if I turn them too far? If not, what keeps the glass in place with enough pressure to prevent leaking? What's the procedure for removing the glass (for example, which way do I turn each nut)?
Help appreciated...