Still oil in boiler

WillV

So I just finally got to giving the boiler a good long overdue cleaning, blew it out 3 times, filled and drained several more and finally got to where I got clear water. I wanted to get rid of the oil at the surface as well and skimmed the system on 2 seperate days, each day for about 3-4 hours totals. ( skimmed through the skim port, after the system had finished steaming so there was still the white foam at the top, and skinned at a slow trickle - less than the width of a pencil water stream flowing out). Yet I cleaned the gauge glass and ran the system and there seems to still be oil in the sytem! What else can I do to get rid of it? Any other ideas or techniques?

KC_Jones

Are you using steam master tablets? If so how many did you put in and what is the BTU of that boiler? You could need more skimming. If you had foam while skimming you have WAY too much water treatment in that boiler, that's why I ask how much you put in. You may need to drain some water and add fresh to dilute the water treatment. If you followed the directions on the bottle you definitely have too much.

KC_Jones

I forgot to mention it is entirely possible you still have to skim more. The amount of skimming depends on how much piping was replaced. I did a total of about 12 hours on mine to date.

WillV

I added two tablets, but that was after I had called it a day on the skimming for awhile. This was a new boiler install, but not much new piping total, maybe 10feet of pipe. The rest of the piping is about 50 years old.

KC_Jones

You probably still have more skimming to do and I would guess too much water treatment. The color is fairly vibrant and you mentioning foaming which indicated too high of a PH. How is the water level while firing? It should only bounce about 1/2-3/4" and stay fairly close to the middle of the sight glass or go up from being cold. I would skim again which will help if there is any more oil and will help dilute some of that water treatment by bringing in fresh water. I put 2 tablets in mine the first time and it was way too much.

WillV

This is a 100,000 BtU boiler

KC_Jones

Definitely too much water treatment. 1 tablet would have done it. If you don't have them already you need to get some PH test strips and monitor the PH since you are using water treatment. You want it high, but not too high. Too high causes foaming which will affect boiler performance. I have the EG-40 boiler which is bigger than yours and 1 tablet was plenty. It does depend on what the water is like you are starting with though. That's the reason to test it.

BobC

I have a Smith G8-3 that is rated for 105,000 BTU's. After adding one tablet I let the system steam for a day or two and then checked the PH, it was over 11. I drained half of the boiler water out and refilled it to the normal level. The PH was then about 9.5, you want the PH around 9 for good protection and to prevent foaming which occurs at high PH's.

I suggest you drain about half that water and replace it with fresh water. Then I suggest ypou skim that boiler a few more times to get the water out.

Bob

WillV

Ok thanks for the tips. I'll drain half out and fill with fresh water and skim it again. After skimming and losing that water should i add another tablet or will the residual still be in there? Also was the way I was skimming correct? Should I alter it in any way?

BobC

The residue will still be in there and the sight glass should have a very light violet tinge. If it's really violet you have too much and your PH is too high.

Bob

nicholas bonham-carter

Why not try the displacement skimming method?
Boil the water, turn off the boiler, and then open the skimming valve, and slow fill with fresh untill all the old hot dirty oily water, has been displaced with fresh cold water. When the skimming pipe is cold, then you know it has all been displaced.
A floor drain is very helpful with this.--NBC

wogpa67

New to posting on the site. Not a steam Pro. More controls, wiring and hot water heat. My Peerless Rep showed me the arm & hammer super washing soda deal. And that is awesome.

wogpa67

page 34 of the IOM for a peerless 63

Fred

Washing a boiler out is not the same as skimming it. Washing it out gets rid of the crud and some of the oil but residual oils will float on the surface of the water in the boiler and not drain out of a lower drain valve. It still needs to be skimmed off of the top of the water using a skim port above the water line. All those water droplets on the top half of your sight glass is a good indicator that there is still oil on the surface of the water. forget about using any Steamaster tablets until you get it properly skimmed.

icesailor

Its like skimming the grease off the top of a stew.

Or the juice from roasting a turkey so you don't get greasy gravy.