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Steam Boiler Cleaning Interpretation

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Nardo23
Nardo23 Member Posts: 2
in Strictly Steam
Instruction says: Fire boiler and raise water level until steam and or water flush oil and floating contaminants away through hose. When water run clears, shut-off water and heat source .
Does this mean continue adding water to boiler while its firing and stopped only when water clears out. Will it hurt the steam boiler.
Note: Relief valve is removed to introduce chemical and also where hose is connected to discharge into vessel.

Thanks All

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  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
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    That's what it is telling you to do but I would not run the boiler with the relief valve off and a hose connected to that opening. If it heats to steam, that will be a burn risk to you. I assume the relief valve is mounted on the side or back of the boiler. If it's on the top, you are not going to get the oils off of the surface of the boiler.
    What you are being instructed to do is called "Skimming the boiler" to get the oils off of the surface of the boiler water. That oil can cause the boiler water to be very unstable and bounce around as well as throw some water up into your header.
    What you want to do is heat the boiler up, to a point where the water is hot, but not steam. Using a skim port or side mounted relief valve tapping on the boiler, slowly fill the boiler until water starts to trickle out of the opening (a trickle should be less than the diameter of a pencil). Allow that water to trickle out for two or three hours. The reason for a slow trickle is so that the oils on the surface of the water aren't disturbed to a point that the turbulance causes it to mingle with the water. You want it to stay on the surface so that it can flow out of the boiler opening/skim port.
    Bob Bona_4
  • Nardo23
    Nardo23 Member Posts: 2
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    The Boiler is Weil Mclain EG 45, 30 years old, where the relief valve is on top left end side of the boiler.
    This is what I intend to do based on your comments:
    Will remove relief valve but be on guard to fire the boiler on and off just to keep water hot and use relief valve pipe opening as a skim port. Will follow the details of the rest.
    I hope I am not missing anything.

    Thanks a lot Fred.

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