HELP Weil Mclean leaking gaskets

Jim_108

I went on a no heat today found 12 section Wiel Mclean boiler empty and off on the lwco. The supply water valve was off so I turned it on to fill the boiler. Shortly after the boiler started leaking at what seemed like all across the bottom front? I cut the 4'' return on the side of the boiler and disasimbled the other lines so I could start pulling apart the sections. As I was pulling the sections apart I found the gaskets ( rubber) were kind of the consistancy of tar. Some of them were ok with nice sharp edges but most of them looked like they were melted but not from heat. They were sticky and when I would take a little bit of a gasket and put it be between my fingers I could roll it up in a ball then press it flat. It would sorta glue my fingers together but without much strenght.

Any body out there seen this before? What happened to these gaskets. I do have a chemical company feeding chemicals into the boiler with an auto pump and I am wondering if the stuff they are installing is the right stuff.

Oh yea the top larger gaskets are the same way. And some of them have part of the gasket that looks normal and the other part of the same gasket is all gooie and soft and sticky?

Thanks

Jim

Steamhead

"I do have a chemical company feeding chemicals into the boiler "

There's your problem. W-M is very specific about this because of those gaskets. Flush everything out before you refill to get all the chemicals out of there.

Charlie from wmass

They like selling that chemical.

The chemical companies I have dealt with often try to hook the chemical feed pump to the switch that turns on the condensate feed pump. The last time it got into a fairly heated discussion when I asked why does the boiler need more chemical every time it needs fed back the condensate? The system was a closed loop and the condensate was recycled ( the pasteurizer supply wanted to dump the condensate into a floor drain and keep adding fresh water to the boiler to save the cost of a condensate receiver) The owner went with the chemical supply company and refused to install a flow switch on the freshwater inlet to the condensate tank. That was the only boiler I ever refuse to warranty. After 2 monthes I got a call they had issues with the boiler not making enough steam. The problem was more chemical than water in the boiler. Their answer? Unplug the chemical feed pump and dump the chemical in the floor drain until the boiler had enough water in it.   

Jim_108

flushing

Should there be no chemicals or are they putting in the wrong chemicals. There is several unopened containers in the boiler room. I was looking at the container and it had #269 on it.

Also to flush out the system since I got all the sections apart I should be able to wash them out with a hose before I put them back together... right?

Jim

Steve Garson_2

Does the same apply to Rhomar boiler treatment

Steamhead:  I used the Rhomar oxygen scavenger in my WM boiler a couple of years ago.  Should I drain the boiler and replace with fresh water?



Steve

Steamhead

No chemicals at all

is what I remember. Check the manual to be sure. And flush it out every way you can think of.