Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Salt in steam boiler

acl10
acl10 Member Posts: 349
What would happen if I added salt to the water in the boiler to make it boil faster.

Comments

  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
    You'd be disappointed.

    Salt (NaCl) raises the boiling point of water. Considering how corrosive seawater is even when cold, I can imagine how destructive it would be when heated.
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • graphitic corrosion

    salt could also contribute to graphitic corrosion of the boiler sections as could the use of water-softened water as a feed source.

    some localities unfortunately have well water which is high in chlorides which can cause the same unhappy result.

    if you want a faster boil on your system, then make sure your burner is well adjusted, and keep your pressure low.--nbc
  • Abracadabra
    Abracadabra Member Posts: 1,948
    what?

    salt will not make water boil faster.  Not sure where you got that.







    Salt will elevate the temperature required for water to boil, ie. depending on the concentration, instead of boiling at 212, it will boil at 220.
  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,785
    Did you say you wanted to buy a new boiler??

    If you put salt in you boiler, even in the smallest of concentration, you could pretty much guarantee that you will be buying a boiler in a year or two.  Salt, along with the boiler action of water and the very high temperatures of the cast iron above the water line would be a an excellent way to destroy a cast iron boiler.  The only other method that I could think of that would be more effective in destroying a boiler would be dry firing it until its cherry red, then suddenly filling it with water.  CRACK!!
    Dave in Quad Cities, America
    Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
    System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
    Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
    http://grandviewdavenport.com
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,161
    Uh... no.

    Salt will make the water boil at a higher temperature, and hence slower, not faster



    Salt will corrode the dickens out of your boiler.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
    what would happen?

    You would be getting a new boiler in short order...but your heating guy would like you.
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

This discussion has been closed.