burners—an emphasis on education and training that continues
to this day, and one of the reasons for which OESP honored
Carlin/Hydrolevel.
Hydrolevel Co. was founded in 1965 by Michael DeLeonardis.
According to "The Hydrolevel Story," a summary of its begin-
nings published by the company, a boiler explosion at a New York
Telephone building in Manhattan that claimed the lives of 21
people on October 3, 1962, caught the attention of DeLeonardis
because it was caused by an undetected low-water condition; as it
happened, DeLeonardis, of Farmington, N.Y., was experimenting
at the time with an electronic, water-level device for steam boil-
ers. DeLeonardis had developed his idea in Italy, where he had
trained as a steam engineer before World War II. After immigrat-
ing to the United States, he refined his ideas while working on
shipboard steam boilers in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, according to
the history. Using water as an electrical conductor, DeLeonardis
designed a control utilizing a "probe" sensor. The electronic
control monitored the level of the boiler water without the use of
moving parts that can wear and stick. An innovative time delay
mechanism was incorporated, which allowed the probe to be
used in the "violent water" of a steam boiler without short-cycling
the burner. He took the idea to New York Telephone, which was
investigating how to avoid a recurrence of the tragic explosion.
The telephone company recognized the advantages of the design,
and in 1965 the electronic control was specified for all New York
Telephone buildings. Hydrolevel was established as a company,
and the Safgard trademark was launched and production of the
first probe-type low water cut-off was underway, according to the
Hydrolevel website.
Today, Hydrolevel incorporates its proven technology into
a line of temperature limit/low water cut-off combinations, low
water cut-offs for steam and hot water boilers, multi-purpose tank
level controls and condensate pump controllers. Hydrolevel's
steam controls include the programmable VXT Water Feeder,
the CycleGard foam-compensating cut-off, 1100 Series Mini
controls and 500 Series cut-offs for commercial boilers. The new
Fuel Smart HydroStat control performs as a low water cut-off, as
well as a temperature limit control and boiler temperature reset.
C. Cowles & Company was founded in New Haven in 1838.
The company evolved from a manufacturer of lanterns for horse
drawn carriages to a precision metal stamping company, produc-
ing components for U.S. and Japanese automakers.
Today, with six operating divisions, C. Cowles & Company has
diversified into plastic injection molding, commercial lighting,
automotive accessories, boiler controls as well as burners, controls
and igniters for the heating industry.
www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2015 35
BUSINESS OPERATIONS
l F O N
