Will the black sediment in the water ever stop?

Doone

The new W-Mc EG 55 has been in since February and it still throws metal particles into the water. The water in the sight tube turns dark during run cycles and then clears after about an hour or two.

All summer I 'd drain off a qt or 2 of water once a month and let the sediment drop out and reclaim the water and then add it back into the system when I had accumulated a few quarts. Essentially I use the same water over again but after the sediment clears so it is basically water that has been distilled by the system. The system has been running about a week now, no surging, good fire up and pressurizes to 1.5 psi after about 45 min (normal for my system).
I let it run for a week and then drained off the black stuff at the bottom again, this time about 4 quarts and letting the sediment drop out by use of a magnet. It dropped out much quicker and stayed at the bottom of the take out soup container with the magnet holding the sediment to the bottom. I use one of those harbor freight magnetic round metal trays because the bottom of the soup container fits right in.

Once we get to regular heat demand temps I will add 1 pint of Hercules boiler treatment. ( There's 10 gallons of water in the system)

The only new black pipe is in the Hartford Loop and the steam distribution piping directly out and above the unit. My question is: will this system ever stop throwing off these metal particles?The old unit used to throw off red-ish water and then rust scale as it got older and the aforementioned new black iron had been copper on the old system.

If this sediment is normal then I will live with it using the regimen of drain and reclaim. If it is short term no problem, I just want to know how long this will go on. Thanks.

New England SteamWorks

It's next to impossible to flush it out with regular water pressure. That's where installs with King valves shine. You can close them up, build some pressure, -and let 'er rip. Black sediment through a goose, so to speak...

Younger and more patient folk (unfortunate enough to have King valves) can use Gerry Gill's wand technique, which by almost all accounts is quite successful.

Though it does strike me as tedious...

Hap_Hazzard

It's probably magnetite (Fe₃O₄), hematite (Fe₂O₃) or ferrous oxide (FeO), which are oxides of iron. Their formation is normal under specific conditions (e.g. oxygen availability, temperature and pH) in the presence of oxygen. If the amount that's being produced seems excessive, you might want to check your water chemistry. There is an article on pH in the Help Center, and it has also been discussed in the forum on several occasions.

Ironically, you might be accelerating the oxidative reaction by adding back the water you've drained, because as soon as it's cooled, oxygen will diffuse into it unless you keep the air out of the container, but at least you're using water that's already saturated with iron.

Adding water at the beginning of a heating cycle can minimize oxidation by eliminating the oxygen from the added water and forcing it through the radiator vents along with the rest of the air in the system.

ChrisJ

Wash the boiler out the best you can and skim it really well.
After the water is 100% oil free add 1 or 2 Rectorseal Steamaster tablets in via the skim port.

Your water will stay clear and a nice purple color.

Doone

Its about a teaspoon of these particles out of the half gal I drain from the 10 gal in the system. I drain only when the system is room temp. There is no grease or oil in the drainoff. I stop the drainoff as soon as it begins to run clear. The sediment is only on the bottom of the tank. Am I better off just draining this off once a month when it is the peak of the heating system or just leaving it until heating season is over? The lwco is probe type. Thanx for your responses.

Doone

Draining off sed 2 pints once a month for a year now and sight glass nice and clear these days.

nicholas bonham-carter

Check your Ph, and see if it is within the manufactures limits. Over time, the system water can become acidic, causing more rust particles to float around, especially if your pressure is too high.
You won’t find any of the oils which may be on the water surface in the water you drain off, and only skimming will remove that.—NBC

Doone

I used hercules cleaner 1/2 bottle when started up in Oct. Pressure 22 oz c.o., 6 oz c.i.

BobC

I hope you drained that out and flushed out the boiler to make sure it is all gone. You might want to try using a wand to wash the inside of the boiler out.

Bob