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NRL
Citizen
Username: Nrl
Post Number: 256
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 11:18 am: |     |
What is the cause of a dirty sight glass? (One pipe steam.) When I did my weekly blow down the water in the sight glass stirred up and became muddy looking. Does the tank need a cleaning? I dont know when the last time it was done. Suggestions? |
Maplewoody
Citizen
Username: Maplewoody
Post Number: 335
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 11:56 am: | |
Our Plumber suggested we clean our boiler(gas furnace)By getting a bottle of cleaner and one with a rust inhibiter. We went to Palmer Plumbing on Valley St. PP suggested since we haven't cleaned our in the 5 years we've lived here to leave the cleaner in 24 hrs, and then to put the 2nd bottle of rust inhibiter/cleaner in after that.
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Master Plvmber
Citizen
Username: Master_plvmber
Post Number: 113
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 1:25 pm: | |
Flush/skim your boiler well and fire it immediately. Do yourself a favor and don't get involved in adding chemicals to the water.
Master_Plvmber
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jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3246
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 7:15 pm: | |
Master,
Why not use the cleaners?
On HeatingHelp.com, I just contacted the factory representative for Slant-Fin regarding their recommendations for cleaning a Galaxy boiler from their steam boiler line.
Slant-Fin came back and recommended using Utility #3 followed by Utility Colloid because this unit uses metal push nipples and does not have a hot water loop. The only rubber is at the glass tube compression mounts.
Now if the manufacturer will recommend it, why are you against it?
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Master Plvmber
Citizen
Username: Master_plvmber
Post Number: 114
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 7:15 am: | |
Because you'll never harm your boiler by cleaning it with water.
Some boilers leak after a single misapplication.
Most cleaners should be flushed from the system after 24 hours anyway.
The cleaners that bond smaller particles together to make them sink to the bottom can cause clogging in the gauge cocks, low water cut off, pigtail, etc., if not flushed properly.
My point is with our low-water-content residential boilers there are very few times that a decent flush won't do the job.
And if you were to use the chemicals you need to flush out anyway, why not bother doing it the safe way first?
I'll use chemicals in light commercial boilers because they are much larger and take all day to clean otherwise.
Another reason I'm hesitant is because another local plumbing company owner had an incident where he'd used a chemical cleaning agent and soon after the boiler flooded (he blames the chemicals) sending water out of the radiators all over the house. He was, of course, then obligated to tell the customer what was in the water which sent the homeowner into complete hysteria. It seems dirty, muddy, boiler water is still preferable to dirty, muddy, chemically treated water.
So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
It just seems like a waste of money and is unnecessarily risky.
On the other hand, when I do use a cleaner, I tend to use this one:
http://www.herchem.com/PDF/SCOUTSPE.PDF
Pease be careful.
Master_Plvmber
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jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3253
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 9:19 am: | |
Master,
I read and accept your response and opinion.
I would say, that if a boiler is going to leak after being cleaned, it is going to leak soon or later anyway.
And I would add that Slant-Fin did include in their response to follow the direction on the product exactly as listed and to take all normal safety precautions, and to follow their printed directions for water flush & cleaning of Slant-Fin Boilers.
In my postings I try to help people understand a situation, and I try to help them any way I can.
Yes boiler-cleaning products are chemicals. But to scare people because of that is taking things a bit far. After all, if people were aware of what fluids and chemicals were in their cars and SUV’s, Air Conditioning equipment and all the rest of our human stuff, we would be back to fires and caves. (I wonder what the CO levels were in caves with fires?)
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