Babbitt Liquid User Manual

BABBITT LG SERIES

LIQUID LEVEL GAGES

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Babbitt International, Inc. 713-467-4438
P.O. Box 70094 Fax [phone]

Houston, TX 77270 www.babbittlevel.com

Detailed Description

The LG Series Level Gage consists of a glass (or polycarbonate) indicator and float chamber,
which is mounted directly to the process vessel. Standard gages are normally flanged or coupled
to the process vessel, but a variety of mounting styles are available to suit most any vessel or
piping requirements. (See Table 1 of the brochure for more details.)

Gages are manufactured to meet the exact specifications of the process such as operating
pressure, temperature, specific gravity, etc. Standard materials are stainlesssteel,howevermost
any non-magnetic material may be used including PVC, Kynar, Hastelloy, Monel, Alloy 20, and
many others. A magnetized float is contained inside the chamber, which is designed to meet the

requirements of the process conditions. (For this reason, floats are not interchangeable unless
process conditions are identical.) The float moves freely inside the gage chamber as level rises
and falls. Under normal conditions, the float should be about 70% submergedin the process fluid,
but it is important to note that the position of the float in the fluid will vary with different process
conditions.

STANDARD INDICATION

The scale assembly used for indicating level consists of the clear indicator tube with the red
magnetic follower or “bird” and a graduated scale marked with feet and inches (special scales are

available, ie: metric, gallons, 0-100%, etc.) The scale is mounted parallel and immediately next to
the indicator tube. The tube is hermetically sealed to prevent moisture and dirt accumulation. A
rubber “bumper” is sealed inside the bottom of the tube to cushion the impact of the “bird” against
the glass. The bright red bird provides maximum visibility (even at night), however light kits for

illuminating gages are available. A black reference line around the bird allows the operator to
match the graduated scale with the actual level of the process fluid. Positive zero indication is
provided by a nameplate at the lower end of the scale. If the bird is de-coupled from the float, the
bird will fall down behindthis nameplate andwill not be visible. Thus,whenthevesselisempty,the
level gage will read zero and the bird is still visible float. To prevent the float from losing magnetic

coupling with the bird, a spring or stop plate is mounted into the top and bottom of the gage
chamber. This cushions the impact of the float against the chamber when the process vessel is
completely full or empty.

FLIPPER/ROLLER INDICATION (OPTIONAL)

Babbitt offers a flipper/roller style indicator as an option to the standard tube/follower indicator.
“Flippers” are industrial grade indicators, which consist of a series of metal flags,silver on one side
and red on the other. As the magnetic float moves up and down with the level, each flagwill rotate

180° to show the other color. Babbitt flippers are housed in a rugged, hermetically sealed
aluminum housing with a recessed glass window. Each flag rotates on a ceramic and stainless
steel bearing surface, whicheliminates “sticking”or hanging up. Flipper assemblies arebuilttothe
length of the level gage in one continuous piece up to 20 feet with no joints or blind spots.

FLIPPER/ROLLER INDICATION (OPTIONAL) (Cont.)

Flipper assemblies are offered as an option to the standard Babbitt indicator where surging or
turbulent levels may cause “de-coupling” problems. They are also more highly visible than the
standard indicator. They come with or without the scale in feet and inches.

INSTALLATION

LG Series gages are securely packed in specially designed crates to provide maximum protection
of the glass tube and float chamber during shipment. It is important to unpack and inspect each

gage upon receipt to insure the glass tube and chamber are free from damage. If you should find
bent or broken parts, contact Babbitt immediately. All Babbitt gages are fully insured against
damage or loss (unless otherwise specified by customer), however claims must be filed within 15
days from date of receipt of shipment.

The float chamber should always be leveled vertically. If it is not leveled vertically, the float may
become magneticallyuncoupled from thebird. Should this happenduringinstallation,simplyusea
permanent magnet or magnet tool (available from Babbitt) to pull the bird back up to the float’s
magnetic field. See the TROUBLESHOOTING section of this manual for more details on
re-coupling float and birds.

Valves should be installed between the process vessel and level gage to allow draining, cleaning,
etc. Standard blockvalves may be used and canbe ordered with the gagefromBabbittorsupplied
by the customer. All gages are shipped complete with 0.125 inch composition gaskets.

NOTE: IF COMPOSITION GASKETS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR PROCESS
CONDITIONS, APPROPRIATEGASKETSSHOULD BE USED IN PLACE OF THOSE SHIPPED
WITH THE GAGE.

PRESSURE TESTING

All Babbitt gages are hydrostatically test to 1.5 time the specified pressure rating prior to shipment
to insure pressure tolerance. However, the gage should be blocked in or the float removed if the

process vessel is to be pressure tested in the field by the customer as most vessels are tested at
much higher pressures thanthe maximum operatingprocess pressure. While the float chamber is
capable of withstanding these higher pressures, the float is not and may collapse under vessel
tests. Should floats be damaged during testing, replacements are supplied at the customer’s

expense.

FLANGES & CONNECTIONS

Process connections and vent/drain flanges are designed to meeteach customer’s specifications.
The graduated scale assembly is based on the length of the float chamber from center to center of
the process connections. All flange boltholes straddle the centerlines unless otherwise specified.
On STYLE A Level Gages “stop plates” are supplied to insure the float is contained inside the
chamber. For more information on dimensions, flanges, etc., see Tables 1-3 in the brochure.

IMPORTANT!!!! IF YOU DON’T READ ANY OTHER PART OF THIS
MANUAL, PLEASE READ THIS PAGE. IT MAY SAVE YOU TIME, MONEY
AND MUCH FRUSTRATION.

PLACING THE GAGE IN SERVICE

To insure proper operation of the level gage, the following steps should be taken:

1. Make sure that operatingconditions (temperature,pressure,specificgravity,etc.)are
within maximum rating of the gage. Each gage has a permanent nameplate at the
bottom of the scale indicating process specifications, serial number, tagnumber etc.

2. Install float. The float is marked “TOP” to insure proper orientation.

2a. On STYLE E Level Gages (Top Mount) remove float stop.
2b. STYLE A Level Gages are supplied with floats stops which should be installed between top

and bottom process connections.

3. The float chamber should be closed withno openings to the atmosphere. Check to see that
all drain and vent plugs are securely in place and any vent and drain valves are closed.

IMPORTANTNOTE: THIS STEP IS VERY IMPORTANTIN HIGH PRESSURE APPLICATIONS.
IF THE BOTTOM VALVE IS OPENED FIRST AND THE VESSEL IS UNDER PRESSURE, THE
FLOAT INSIDE THE CHAMBER WILL SHOOT UP LIKE A “CANNONBALL” AND COULD
LODGE IN THE TOP OF THE CHAMBER CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FLOAT AND
CHAMBER.

4. When the gage is mounted and ready to be put into service, the TOP process
connection valve should be opened first and should be opened slowly to allow any
pressure to equalize. This allows process fluid or vapor to enter the gage slowly and
reach operating pressure and temperature at a reasonable rate.

5. When the gage has reached process process pressure, then open the bottom

process connection and installation should be complete.

CAUTION: NEVER USE THE VENT OR DRAINON THE GAGE AS A PRESSURE RELIEF FOR
THE PROCESS. DOING SO MAY PERMANENTLY DAMAGE GAGE AS WELL AS CAUSING
HAZARD TO PERSONNEL.

REMOVING THE GAGE FROM SERVICE

To remove the gage from service, the following steps should be followed carefully:

1. Close the BOTTOM process connection vale to prevent further filling of the gage.
Then close the TOP process connectionvalvetocompletelyisolatethegagefromthe

process pressure.

2. Attach proper vapor collection equipment to the gage vent connection if required.
Open the top vent to relieve pressure in the gage and allow air to flow when the

bottom drain is opened.

3. Attach the proper liquid collection equipment to the bottom drain and remove liquid. After

all process fluid is out of the gage, the gage is then ready to be removed from service.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

Standard Babbitt gages have 1/2 inch vent and drain plug in the top and bottom of the float
chamber to allow cleaning and removal of the process fluid as required. Some gages are

connected by the customer to a solvent or steam line which allows them to decontaminated or
“blown down” periodically without taking the gage out of service or removing the drain flange and
float. Babbitt gages should be cleaned and inspected at least on an annual basis, or more
frequently depending on the severity of the process. To perform maintenance and clean gage,
follow these procedures:

1. Block in the float and chamber with the process connection valves or wait until the
vessel is empty or out of service. Follow the steps on previous page for “Removing
The Gage From Service”.

2. When all thefluid has been drained from thegage chamber, remove the drain flange
and let the float slide out of the chamber. Be sure to examine the float for excessive
wear and clean as required.

3. Clean the inside wall of the chamber with a “bottle brush” or similar scrubbing tool.
Some processes may dictate the use of suitable solvent for cleaning.

4. If the gage is located when the bottom drain is near the floor or other equipment
where it is difficult to reach, it is possible to order gages with a top flange in place of
the standard vent plug, or the drain flange may be mounted to the top instead of the

bottom. This allows the gage to be cleaned and serviced through the top end.

5. After cleaning the chamber, replace the float and drain flange. A new flange gasket
may be required. (Note: Make sure to use gaskets compatible with the process fluid
if replaced.)

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (cont.)

6. Check the stainless steel pipe clamps to insure they are tight and adjust the scale
holder up or down on the float chamber to make sure the positive zero is correctly
positioned.

7. Use a permanent magnet ora magnet tool from Babbitt to attract thered “bird”until it
is again coupled to the float inside the chamber.

LG SERIES PARTS LIST

When ordering replacement parts for Babbitt Gages, the following information is required:
a. Serial number of gage or accessory item

b. Description of item
c. Original purchase order if possible

A. TYPICAL FLOAT CHAMBER PARTS

1. Vent plug and spring

2. Drain flange and spring

3. Drain plug

4. Magnetized float

5. Top float spring

6. (Style A Only) Float stop plates with spring

B. INDICATOR SCALE ASSEMBLY

1. Scale/Channel Assembly

2. Indicator Tube (glass or polycarbonate)

3. Pipe Clamps

4. Name Plate

5. Indicator tube mounting blocks (top and bottom)

C. FLIPPER/ROLLER OPTION

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SALE

1. All orders should be entered as follows:
Babbitt International, Inc.

P. O. Box 70094
Houston, TX 77270