Cleaning Bottom of Oil Fired Steam Boiler..(WM 478)

Athana

Hi.

Our Oil company under a service contract cleans/services our boiler every year...from what I understand it is a complete job..?..maybe?..except for the bottom.

They say it is the homeowners responsibility to do this.

I usually empty the water via a levered valve where I see it drops in the sight glass..but I understand there is another cleaning at the bottom requiring draining..but this seems more complicated as there is no lever to open & close..and even if I can get those fittings off ,if I empty it Im worried about damaging the thing...?

Will cleaning out the bottom of this 12 year old boiler(400,000btu)help save on fuel?

nicholas bonham-carter

Annual service

That tech may be referring to the "blowing down" of the low water cut off. This should be done not only by him once a year, but also by you once a month, in the heating season9. The sediment in it is flushed out by this and prevents the float valve from sticking in the high water position.

Whoever installed your boiler should have installed a gate or ball valve in the boiler drain tapping. This valve could be opened a couple of time each winter to let the sludge out into a bucket. I don't know how effective that is as the sludge becomes quickly welded to the bottom, and can only be scrapped out with a tool.--NBC

Hap_Hazzard

I'm sure you're right.

They wouldn't expect the owner to blow down the boiler. ;-)



Typical boiler drain valves are 3/4" bibcocks that get so plugged up with sediment they hardly drain at all. They also have a tendency to get stuff caught between the valve disc and seat so they can't fully close. So you can't do much good by opening the drain valve, but you could get yourself in trouble if you're not prepared to replace it.



If you're worried that sediment will affect heat exchange, it's not as bad as you think. Most of the heat exchange happens in the flueways, not the bottom if the boiler.

Athana

Thanks.How often should the filter be changed in Oil fired Boiler?

Thank You Hap/Nicholas..In the end the Oil co serviced the boiler with the usual tune up & guy showed me the low level drain which I hadnt noticed cause it was so black..Opened it ,was a bit clogged...but a little poke and after a little while water ran clear. Form now on I know to empty that as well as the other drain for clearing sight glass.

How often should the Oil Filter be changed?