How soon can I skim after a boiler cycle?

adamfre

Good morning!
Been heating the house with the boiler this morning, went down and noticed the water in the sight glass is really dark, with oily water on the top. When the boiler starts to cool off, the water starts to clear and for whatever reason a lot of the oil dissipates and I don't get good results when I go to skim. So if I could skim an hour or so after the boiler shuts down after a heating cycle I'd get pretty good results, but I'd be afraid the boiler is still too warm. My makeup water is fed about a foot away from the boiler, down in the wet return, would that distance be far enough for me to add water to skim with the boiler still being pretty hot?

thanks.

BobC

As long as you just allow the water to trickle in you can skim even when the boiler is running but that is not effective because you want the water surface to be very calm so you can let any oils float out the skim port.

If you have had some work done on the pipes or on the boiler itself it may take a good many skims to clean things up. Think about adding some washing soda to the boiler and letting it steam for say a half hour or so. Then shut the system power off and drain all the water out. Let the boiler cool for several hours and then slowly refill it to the normal level at which point you can turn the power back on.

That should get rid of a lot of crud, see how things look then do a skim if you think it's needed.

Bob

adamfre

Thanks!

Bio

While watching the whole video is a good thing, is at minute 14:30 where you can find good tips on skimming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIQSoBysQq0

ChrisJ

When you're done skimming, close the skim port and run water up to the top gauge glass connection, close the bottom valve on the gauge glass and open the drain on the gauge glass. This will rinse oil out of the gauge glass as well. Before closing the drain on the gauge glass open the bottom valve as well.

I've also closed the bottom valve and opened the drain while steaming which basically steam cleans the gauge glass.

adamfre

Here's a pic of my sight glass this morning, while heating. It was currently cut out due to intermittent level test. I guess each day I'll pull 5 gallon off the bottom, skim 10 off the top, until it clears up. I thought I had done a good job keeping everything clean while assembling, obviously not

Fred

No matter how well you clean piping/fittings up, as you install it, it still leaves a lot of oil residue that has to be skimmed. I don't know that you'll get much benefit pulling 5 gals. off the bottom every day. Just pull until the water doesn't have any sediment coming out. That's all a bottom flush can do. Try skimming even slower than you might be now.

neilc

why havn't you removed that label?

BobC

Careful! Removing a label can earn you a visit from the mattress police.

Bob

adamfre

Lol! @neilc great you caught that.

Thanks for everyone's help with this!