Air Filter/Dirt Seperator for Boilers?

Unknown

I have cleaned/replaced more burner assemblys on these LP gas units, than you can shake a stick at! Not an easy task or cheap foer the customer. An inline filter would be much easier! I saw the replacement for the Voyager at the tradeshows, the Phoenix. They claim we should not have these problems with these units. Time will tell!

SpeyFitter

System cleanliness

Regarding boiler "cleanliness," perhaps I think of boilers too much like car engines, but are there any products availble to put on the intake vent of a boiler that filter the incoming air? I'm not talking a K & N but do you think it would have any merit in protecting the boiler and heat exchanger, etc.?

Also, I've never personally installed a dirt seperator in a residential boiler, such as the one by Spirovent as an example. Has anyone used one/serviced one? What were the results? I would also be interested in the results based on a system with lots of ferrous components versus one with few, if any ferrous components (e.g. Copper/Brass parts/pipe and only CI circulators).

hot_rod

really no

downside to installing a dirt separator on a system, even a brand new install. It can keep teflon tape, solder balls, copper shavings, whatever out of circ pump vanes, zone valve seats, etc. It's a cheap piece of protection. One save easily pays for the device.

Use a separator, not a Y strainer as the strainer reduces flow when they collect debris. Separators allow the dirt to fall into a large bottom chamber and not reduce flow size.

Caleffi makes a very nice, well tested separator, by the way Unique element that will not corrode and break down like some of the metallic versions can.

Several years ago I replaced a Polaris that leaked under warranty. The replacement tank came with this filter assembly. I was concerned with the limited surface area, so I chose not to install it. Perhaps a large filter like on tractors or semi tractors.

I have seen the burner and sock on another brand of condensing tank heater become plugged with fireflies that hover to close to the intake pipe. Consider those early versions had vacumn cleaner blowers on them. Any bugs within a couple inches would be sucked in!

hr

Darrell_4

Here in Alaska, where the bugs are allowed to roam free and uncontrolled, I am observing a problem with side wall vents, namely, the exhaust gases attract every known bug in the area, and the intake sucks them up. I have cleaned munchkins and Ultra's with inches of dead bugs in the case. I have cleaned others where the burner cone had a thick layer of bugs inside the cone preventing good flame rectification.

A couple of weeks ago I asked this same question and got an answer back about a filter that had been devised. I built one and installed it on a boiler I can watch easily.

I cut out 15 inches of the 3" intake and coupled in 12" inches of 4" with 4x3 rubber couplings. Inside the 4" I place a vacuum cleaner bag held in place by the upstream coupling. I tapped both sides for testing...the new install didn't even bump my digital manometer at two decimal places.

The idea was given to me by Mark Eatherton...

Wayco Wayne_2

I've been thinking of the

same thing. A filter for Mod Cons air intake. I know I lived through the Glo Core debacle and they used them. Problem was that no one changed the air filter. If you have a picture please share. I may come up with something similar. WW

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Darrell_4

This rig worked like a champ and was simple in design. I can't see a downside, except that it will eventually cause the air prover switch to not prove and I'll get a service call. I can't imagine that happening in a twelve month service cycle. On some boilers restricted combustion air would just cause the boiler to fire at a lesser rate.

It is a modification to the vent system, and I s'pose somebody could make a scene about that, but it will definitely keep the bugs and cottonwood tree seeds out of the boiler. Even dandelion fuzz can kill these boilers.

I don't have a picture...yet.