How to tell if you have wet steam?

Hap_Hazzard

Saponification

Chris, I was just pondering your observation, "Steamaster + oil = BAD just like most other treatments I think," and I started wondering if something like saponification is happening.



Saponification is the process where organic fats and lye (sodium hydroxide or caustic soda) are boiled to make soap. While the oils that would be present in a boiler are chemically different from the triacylglycerides used in soap, they might be similar enough to form soap-like products in the high-pH environment with the addition of the Steamaster tablets.



This would account for the effects people have observed when these tablets are added for the first time, but it also explains why it's a one-time-only phenomenon.



If soapy substances are being formed, this would obviously cause foaming, but it also causes the remaining oily materials to be dispersed in the water so they can be flushed out when the boiler is drained.



While this can't take the place of skimming, I think it can definitely remove the stubborn oily remnants that linger on after repeated attempts at skimming.

ChrisJ

Soap

Hi Hap,



I think they could happen, but in my situation its not as my boiler has been clean since using the wand and skimming back in October.



Just found out our next door neighbor paid more than us for heat in Jaunary in a smaller house with NG forced hot air and new style windows.  I'm in a VERY good mood today.

Hap_Hazzard

I paid even less.

A few weeks ago I took a second look at my utility bills and found that the hadn't been charging me for gas. Apparently the sending unit on the meter had stopped working, so even though the meter was still running, the reading they showed on the last two bills hadn't changed. I wonder how long it would have taken them to notice if I hadn't called them. I mean, did they really think I'd stopped using gas right in the middle of winter?

SWEI

meter reading not changed

out there this triggers an alert.  A tech comes out to inspect and test the meter about a week later.

Hap_Hazzard

I had to call them

I had to make an appointment for the technician to come out, so I could be there to re-light all my pilots.

rmoore007ri

steamaster tablets == wet steam == low water

I've been greening my new system as much as possible. Everything running beautifuly at very low pressure. No more that a 1/2 inch of dither in the site glass. Quiet. Just aded 4 tablets of Steamaster tablets. Water in the gauge glass dropped almost to the LWCO and I was spitting water out of the new Gorton #1 vent . . . Do not understand the chemistry here. But all the brown yucky stuff vanished and the glass is pale pink.



Tomorrow will be the old connect the hose to the boiler and trail it outside and run water through the whole thing for 30 minutes . . .

ChrisJ

4!?

Why did you use 4 tablets?

rmoore007ri

why I used 4 Steamaster tablets

My Burnham boiler is rated at 358 sq ft / 86 MBH and the instructions said use 4 tablets for every 100 sq ft / 25 MBH . . . But I thought 15 tablets would be, er, way too much.



I've no idea if with the passage of time the level will stop dropping. First time I've tried these.

ChrisJ

358sqft

Sounds like an IN5?

I would use two tablets at the absolute most and only if you check the PH afterwards. One tablet if you want to play it safe.



The instructions on the bottle cannot be followed.





I would completely drain the boiler, rinse, refill and add 1 tablet.



Good news is 4 tablets works great at cleaning the boiler, no harm is done.

rmoore007ri

Adding MUCH less steamaster than than they recommend

Thanks for the recommendation. Exactly what I will do in the morning. (After repiping my pressure valve with a T so I can have a place to add the tablet.) Plus only have a 3/4 tapping so have to dissolve the thing in water . . . I'll report back here on how the level behaves after that . . .

rmoore007ri

flush then add one steamaster tablet :-)

Progress:



- I had added 4 steamaster tablets to my Burnham IN5 which resulted in wet steam and a water level near the LWCO

-As suggested , I flushed the boiler and ran the system. The water level dropped an inch with less than one inch fluctuations.

-I let the boiler cool down completely, added an access at the 3/4 inch safety valve tapping, added one steamaster tablet dissolved in water, and fired the boiler cold.

- at 10 minutes I had 0.3 psi

- at 10 1/2 minutes the 28 foot main had heat at the new Gorton #1.

- at 12 minutes the 12 foot main had heat at the Vent-Rite #35.

- everything is heating :-)

- From 27 minutes to 34 minutes the gauge climbed from 0.5 psi to 1.4 psi.

- Then shutdown on Hi Pressure and kicked in again at 0.4 psi.

- The boiler water level dropped by about two inches with less that one inch fluctuations. Color me happy. Tomorrow tackle individual radiator vents.