tube sheets clogged how to clean

Jim Wlliams

Bruce, to get this right, I have my flu coming out of the rear of the boiler. If I open the top port, I can actually spray water onto the boiler tube sheet, or pins and fire the boiler and not get flame out of the top port? Just trying not to burn the house down, built in 1931.

Jim Wlliams

cleaning tube sheets

I let water into the flu and subsequently the tube sheets of a WGO4 weil-McClain home hot water boiler. The gunkis like concrete. Hammered out with steel rod but was not real clean, now i have fine black dust all over the house. Suspect from blowback or leak from combustion chamber. Should be nagative pressure but seems slightly positive. Can I use muratic acid to clean the external tube sheet to help exhaust flow? If not, what?

frank_25

dirty boiler

Seems to me that the boiler hasn't been cleaned in too long a time. A normal boiler won't plug up if it has been maintained. That's what service is all about. We take care of our customers. We call them for yearly tune-ups, free-of charge, according to their service contract. Service is not expensive, it PAYS [on both sides of the fence] That's why we won't do COD or service burners that we don"t sell oil for. Unfortunately, now you are paying for traveling down the cheap road. Just keep rodding away, and flush it out. Then get a real oil company to deliver and service.

Jim Wlliams

frankiewrench, It's not that I'm cheap, I live in Memphis, I do believe I have one of maybe 3 oil burners in the area. No one hear really works on home boilers, they say they do, but they don't.

frank_25

THEN..................

..........maybe ya oughtta switch to gas [God forgive me]. Ya need to service oil burners yearly. No question about that. To clean out that boiler of yours, ya need to remove the burner, and hose out the soot, rod it, hose it, etc. It's a messy deal. Good luck.

Jeff Lawrence_25

Jim

I'm southwest of you in Atlanta. I actually got called out on my first oil fired boiler in 12 years last fall. The owner had a knucklehead out that 'knew all about oil' but actually only knew about the oil in his truck.

Good oil people are around, but there's not too many left in the South. Keep scraping and cleaning. you're gonna need to find someone that can service your burner that knows what they're doing. You may want to call your oil supplier an ask.

Good luck.

Dave_4

Cleaning

I use the back breaching on Weil Mclains so I can clean the boilers with water. I us a pressured sprayer but a spray bottle you buy at the home centers for cleaners works as well.

I don't get carried away and flood the thing, but I spray down into the boiler as it is firing .

You will see the water soften that hard material then as it turns to steam it will pop that stuff out from the pins. It will fall down into the fire box and get burned.

You will be surprised how clean you can get that boiler.
It will look as good as the day it was put in.

We have been cleaning Weil Mclain and HB Smith boilers that way for years with great results.

Dave in NH

Jim Wlliams

Dave, I would be spooked to fire my boiler open, would this work to spray the pins , seal the boiler then fire it?

brucewo1b

Jim

If your afraid to fire the boiler open crank it up to 220 degrees shut it down and spray away it should work well. Do it again and again if need be. Just a good spray try not to get too much water to the chamber but it will work wonders. You will watch it melt away but some slag will find its way to the chamber so clean that after with the vac being careful not to get the camber itself. Let us know how it works for you.

Dave_4

cleaning with water

That is correct ... Take the cover off and hold your hand on the service mans switch if it freaks you out , give it a try.

You will see the draft of the chimney will draw the fuel gases up the chimney and you can spray down into the boiler....

Truth is , I haven't put a brush in a Weil Mclain for years and I clean a lot of boilers.

Dave in NH

brucewo1b

Jim

If you are not familliar with Daves approch then use the 220 metheod, you need to know that the chimney is drafting before doing it the live fire way.

brucewo1b

Jim

If you are not familliar with Daves approch then use the 220 metheod, you need to know that the chimney is drafting before doing it the live fire way.

Jim Wlliams

Bruce and Dave
I can check for draft, I will give this a try, and my wife will be hapy if I get this black dust up the chimney and out of the house. I shall email my success story. Thanks all.

Johnnnniee

Weil Mclain Cold Start Boiler

I'll have to give that water trick a try
So what is your cleaning procedure for a Steam boiler or a FHW boiler that is set up cold start?

Dave_4

The procedure is the same . The water won't turn to steam as quick so be careful you don't use to much . If you do , you might have a little water coming out the bottom front of the boiler onto the floor .

But , that's all that will happen . The world won't come to a end nor will you hurt your boiler.

Dave in NH