Cleaning Steam heating system

Jay Stillinger

I just had a new gas steam boiler put in. I converted from an old oil Weil-McLain to a gas Weil-McLain. After going through with the conversion, one of the pipes sprung a leak which I have now had replaced. I still am experiencing some problems, however. I saw water spots developing on my living room ceiling and rain upstairs to discover my daughter's bedroom radiator (we have the old style one-pipe system) was spitting water out of the valve. I read on this site that it could be that the system needs cleaning. My question is, How can I clean the system? Do I need a professional to do it or can I?

Thanks for any insight.

nicholas bonham-carter

cleaning the boiler

one of the most important parts of any boiler installation is the final cleaning,also known as "skimming" the boiler.
this is the controlled draining off of oil from the surface of the waterline,while warming [not boiling ] the water.it should normaly have been included in the cost of the instalation.
i suggest you order a copy of "the lost art of steam heating" from here, and you can be a more informed steam boiler owner.
provided the installers have left you a valved port, slightly above the waterline, you can do it yourself.it sometimes takes several times of several hours each session to get all the old oil out.draining and refilling will NOT clean out all the oil.
why not look in the installation manual for the boiler [available on line if not to be found]. w/m will have specific instructions about this, so that your warranty is not compromised.
other causes of the "wet steam" are: steam pressure too high; incorrect supply and return piping [look in the manual for info]; and bad [or missing vents].--nbc

Jay Stillinger

I appreciate it, Nicholas. I'll look into ordering the book you mentioned and check into those other points you mentioned.

ttekushan_3

do what n.b-c said and

When I get this question, I tell the client to have the system steam cleaned. Some people get it faster than others. Gotta have some fun in life ;-)

nicholas bonham-carter

steam cleaning

steam cleaning the boiler through the risers and mud legs might be the most effective method of all.
the only downside is not being able to heat during the operation.
i still do not see why no one has come up with a simple permanently installed self skimming device with maybe a spin-on type of oil/crud trap! 75% of boiler problems described here have dirty water as the root cause.--nbc

ttekushan_3

Thanks for noticing that.

So many problems are caused by this, and the newer boilers with narrow waterways are sensitive to it the way old boilers weren't.

Problems of uneven heating may not be radiator vent problems if you notice "panting" or rhythmic surging of the air exiting the vent. This is contamination, and most people don't believe it since its probably been that way since the boiler's been installed. Blowing down the controls will never get rid of the stuff riding on the water surface!

This is where I like systems that have a boiler feed pump so I can easily dump the return water down the drain, so it is as you said, steam cleaning the system.

I know YOU know this already, but others might find this to be new information.