Any ideas?

Glen

I looked at this boiler late today. It had been mothballed for 1.5 years during a bankruptcy. At that time it was drained. One week ago - new owner filled and fired. Today - there is a cascade of water. Ceramic insulation has been washed out, pH is about 6.5 - 7.0 tops. On Monday the little darling will be peeled apart for closer examination. Should I be surprised if the section(s) are cracked - or after all this time - do the wallies suspect push nipples and gaskets leaking? Complete install is about 10 years young.

Unknown

Tough to Tell

what may be the cause of the leakage Glen. If it did't leak when initially filling it last week then we know that it didn't crack from freezing. There could be a myriad of reasons why it may have leaked after firing though. This could be from an internal corrosion problem from excessive water makeup over its life, mineral deposits on the crown sheet, etc. The PH of your water is not exactly desirable though. Something above 9 would be much better. Taking it apart will show whether it is from a nipple though. There are no gaskets so there is no concern with that. I would suspect a weakened area fro previous corrosion due to the acidic water makeup. Wish I could give you a more definitive answer but that's difficult to do from this end without being there to see it.


Glenn Stanton

Manager of Training

Burnham Hydronics

U.S. Boiler Co., Inc.

Glen

thanks glenn -

I too am leaning towards the pH as the cause - but will know more after the teardown. This is much more than drip ...