The Off Season

jmob77

As I exit my second winter as a one-pipe steam owner, I wonder if anyone recommends particular off-season tips. I've heard some say you should fill the boiler almost completely to inhibit rust; a good idea? Anything else, besides maybe cleaning out the pigtail?

Erin Holohan Haskell

Here are some thoughts about what to do with boilers during the summer: https://heatinghelp.com/systems-help-center/what-to-do-with-boilers-during-the-summer/

PMJ

Interesting article. I suggest it is worth a question though about how much air is absorbed by perfectly still water covered by perfectly still air in a steam boiler(or anywhere else). It is notoriously hard to get air into water(or water into air) without agitation. Much effort goes into mechanical agitation of bodies of water even with very large surface area/volume ratios and much moving air over their surfaces because air just won't go in without it.

The water in my boiler which I have not drained in 25 years looks like the great stuff described in the hot water systems in the article. It has that clear greyish look. I have never seen rust at any time - start up or otherwise. My system is completely closed to the outside all summer with not one open vent anywhere. Air and water both perfectly still, no new additions of either. If somehow just sitting there that water could possibly absorb even a fraction of the air that is in fresh water my boiler never would have made it to 60 years.

Everyone seems to agree that fresh water is the real enemy. That being the case the goal should be keeping the total fresh water add over the life of the system to the smallest amount possible. The manual that came with my boiler advises this. Any amount of annual overfilling or draining would have increased my total fresh water add by an absolutely enormous amount.

MilanD

Seems like there is no one answer to this. With a seemingly degrading water quality throughout the country, some use of chemicals is common, like 8-way or Steamaster, both by Rectoseal.

Then, a variety of approaches. See this for a recent discussion on this very topic:

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/162034/seasonal-shutdown-procedures