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New Steam Boiler Flushed but still smells! please help

kpc_13
kpc_13 Member Posts: 3
lemon juice.

Comments

  • Scott Hall
    Scott Hall Member Posts: 6
    Installed a new Gas Fired Steam Boiler - BAD SMELL - LIKE Diesel

    Hi,

    I have installed a new gas fired Weil-McLain gas fired steam boiler. This boiler system uses city water. The water smells fine. This is a single line system. There was no smell with the old boiler of the same make and model. I have flushed the boiler about 15 times or more using a silicon boiler cleaning solution that I picked up from a major chain home improvement store. After flushing, the steam still smells bad like exhaust from a school bus! There is no smell coming from the chimney. Just from the boiler. I do not know what else to do. I have moved out of my house because the smell is so bad. What do I do?
  • heatguy
    heatguy Member Posts: 102


    scott more then likley what you are smelling is the oil used by manufacturer to make boiler section also some spray equipement with oil to protect from rust when sitting waiting to be sold my eyes used to burn when i started a system open windoew and let her burn good luck.
  • Paul Fredricks_5
    Paul Fredricks_5 Member Posts: 132


    Is the smell at the boiler, or at the radiators. We had an account that really stunk of cutting oil. The smell was near the radiators. The installers hadn't skimmed the boiler. We skimmed it 5 times before we got rid of it all.
  • Scott Hall
    Scott Hall Member Posts: 6
    Day 20 and still stinkin.

    I am hoping that it is the oil that is used to line the boiler. I have skimmed this darn boiler several times. I leave the windows open during the day and button up the house at night.

    Would anybody recommend using trisodium phosphate? What happens if it steams up into the radiators?

    thanks!
    Scott
  • RJR
    RJR Member Posts: 15


    I've used TSP, foams quite a bit, not the end of the world. 5 - 7 hrs. of skiming is needed
  • TCR
    TCR Member Posts: 5
    boiler cleaning

    Follow the cleaning directions that came with your boiler. I put in a new Peerless 3 section steam bolier last year. Cleaned it 3 times with a "TSP Substitute" solution and skimmed it (very important if you have not done this) a bunch of times after that. The oil smell was gone in a few days. I also added a chemical recommended by my oil company - huge mistake! It sounded like someone was in the basement with a hammer wacking the pipes. Changed back to plain water and the system was perfect.
  • Scott Hall
    Scott Hall Member Posts: 6
    I would follow the instructions but...

    The instructions just say skim the boiler, this may take several hours. - obviously the tech doc writer at Weil-MCclain was in a hurry to get to happy hour on a friday afternoon when he/she wrote the manual.
  • Daniel_3
    Daniel_3 Member Posts: 543


    Skim, skim , and skim again. After skimming for several hours while maintaining low pressure, a steady water line at the level of the skim port, and a steady hot temp the water will eventually run clear. Empty content of the boiler and let it cool down. Run water at full pressure and leave the drain open until water runs clear. It will eventually clean the system after waiting several weeks to repeat a very exhaustive cleaning such as this. Avoid chemicals on Weil-Mclain boilers. They advise against it because of the rubber (can't remember the material name) push nipples between the boiler sections.
  • BRIANJ
    BRIANJ Member Posts: 118
    Bad Smell

    When I installed my boiler last year there was a constant smell of pipe dope. It was particularly bad whenever the boiler fired. It's a lot better now but sometimes I think I still smell a faint bit of the dope. Good Luck
  • sjdecker
    sjdecker Member Posts: 1
    New Furnace...who's responsible?

    I've been living with my new boiler for about 2 months now and have a cough/sore throat.  I've missed some work time because of this.  My boiler guy never heard of this terrible smell ever occurring before.  He brought over some powder to put into it a few days ago...still smells in my house.  I need to skim,skim and skim the top of the boiler apparently.  Who is responsible for all of this work and my missing work?
    anthrocode
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