Can my boiler be skimmed effectively without installing additional hardware?

heatseeker1

I had my boiler re-piped 2 years ago. One of my main concerns when having the boiler re-piped was that I wanted to have a way to skim the boiler. (There was never any skim port prior to two years ago). I have removed the plug in the picture at least three or four times (3 -4 hrs each session) since the new piping was performed, but I am not sure whether I am effectively getting any oil out while skimming. Does additional hardware as an extension to this opening need to be installed in order for the skimming to be effective? Please see my pictures.

heatseeker1

Can someone tell me how to upload my pictures?

MilanD

What you have is fine. Just do it slowly slowly, and feed the boiler from the bottom a little at the time. Point is for oils to flow off the surface of the water. Slower the better.

That said, you can use tsp or lye to clean it (as in soap making lye, tsp - I think - no longer is allowed down the drain), fill the boiler with water and the solution, heat to 180*f and let sit for 2-3 hours. It will bind oils and clean the boiler and the oils just as well as skimming. Weil McLain boiler manufacturer recommends that for cleaning, and large mechanical companies also do this after installing large commercial boilers as skimming would take way too much time.

See here under "how to clean steam boiler"
https://www.weil-mclain.com/faq

heatseeker1

MilanD,
I really appreciate your response.
I clicked on the link however, how does one raise the temp to 180 degrees without allowing boiler to steam?
"Heat the boiler to 180°F; hold at 180°F for two hours.
Do not allow the boiler to make steam."
Is this something that only a "heating professional" knows how to do?


Thanks

heatseeker1

Oh, and one more thing, does the boiler have to be a Weil-McLain in order for the boiler cleaning instructions to apply? My boiler was made by Dunkirk - Plymouth II Series.

AnthraciteEnergetics

They are all the same. I did mine after a heating cycle, so the water is hot but not boiling. It needs time (10 min or so) to settle down after boiling. Use the water feed valve to add very slowly. The flow rate will be so low it will take hours for cold water to reach the skim port. This keeps the oil at the top so it can be skimmed out.

MilanD

All those boilers are the same, more or less. You can do as described above by AnthraciteEnergetics to skim, or to clean with tsp or lye, add water mix with the chemical to cold boiler, then turn it on and raise to 180*F. Water boils at 212*F. Get a meat thermometer and test water like that for temp out of drain valve. Water does expand when heated, so don't fill the boiler all the way. It's a "good enough" approach. Your current skim port may do as access for adding chemicals and initial water level gauge (follow directions always add lye to water and never water into lye!!!!), then once the mix is in and boiler at temp, you can close the skim port and flood the system more to submerge that riser too. Then let sit for a few hours, drain and refill a few times (water will feel soapy if it's not rinsed enough so keep doing it until water is not soapy). If you can wand the boiler, that's even better (search on YouTube Gary Gill boiler wanding).

Be super careful if using lye as it's super caustic on skin and eyes - full protective gear is a must, long rubber gloves and esp. chemical goggles. You can get all of it on Amazon, including pure (soap making) lye, quite inexpensively.

Kahooli

Had it repiped two years ago, but they put a bushing on the side tap. Bad form.
I have a very similar boiler. Even if you have the smallest size boiler that is strictly against the manufacturer's minimum piping requirements.

Kahooli

http://www.dunkirk.com/sites/default/files/PSB Series II IOM Rev. C.pdf

Dave0176

Yep another improperly piped Dunkirk with the 2-1/2 by 2” reducer bushing installed in the steam outlet.

heatseeker1

MilanD, thank you for your step-by step instructions regarding the "lye soap" method. Kahooli, thank you for the Dunkirk manual.
Your comments confirm my suspicions about a lot of things having to do with the re-piping. I offered the installers the original manual during the re-piping, but they said that they didn't need to look at it! Dave0176, thank you for weighing in on the thread. I see that your telephone number is listed. I'd love to chat with you further.
As always, my appreciation to the experts on Heatinghelp.com!

heatseeker1

ArthraciteEnergetics, please forgive my oversight! Thank you for your input. Your comments are very reassuring. If I get nervous about attempting the lye-soap method, your comment regarding skimming is very reassuring. There's more than one way to "Clean a Cat" or should I say "Skim a Cat!" :-)!

SeymourCates

Your boiler can be skimmed effectively without installing any additional hardware, however, it cannot be skimmed effectively with the current hardware.The installer put a bushing in the 2" tee which reduced the size from 2" down to what appears to be 3/4". You cannot skim a steam boiler effectively via a 3/4" port. The reason is the fact that you are attempting to garner all the surface water in the boiler and direct it out of the port. This will take nearly forever out of 3/4" and might never be successful. The solution is to remove the 2" bushing that was installed and get a 2" pipe plug for the opening (when you are not skimming). Now, you have 2" of opening to potentially garner far more surface water than you could possibly have achieved out of 3/4". So, you need to REMOVE some hardware to be successful and not install anything (but the 2" plug).

Fred

It can be done @SeymourCates , but as you say, it takes forever. The only skim port I have on my 35 year old boiler is at the Pressure Relief valve tapping. Basically what I do, quite effectively, I might add, is take the 3/4" plug out, hand screw a 3" X 3/4" nipple in trickle the water supply until I get the smallest continuous stream possible, attach a garden hose to the end of that nipple and run it over to a floor drain. I let it run over night so it has to be done on a mild day. Of course, if I had the set up this OP has, I'd remove that bushing, in a heartbeat and put a ball valve and plug on there.

JUGHNE

I just want to mention that on a Dunkirk side tap, when the 2 1/2" plug finally came out I could look into the boiler push nipples.
Those nipples are maybe only 1 1/2" inside diameter.
So if you have full port skimming of even the 2", you are only flowing water out of the closest section to the side tap, if you are flowing the desired 1/4" slow stream of water.

I put a reducer down to 1 1/2 to insure that the skimming water had to rise thru all sections before passing sideways to the port.
The 3/4 port would cause the water to rise up above the center line off the small push nipples.

To confirm this I could not put a piece of 1 1/2" EMT thru the push nipples. Only a piece of 1 1/4" EMT would go inside.

Think about this and tell me if I am wrong.

heatseeker1

Thanks to everyone for these great recommendations! :-)