Overfiring the boiler

gchalfant

I'm in process of cleaning new installed Burnham 5B 5012boiler. I'm skimming for two hours just cold boiler not running, then running with about one cup of TSP for 8-10 hrs. on page 142 last paragraph Dan's Pocketful of Steam Problems how does one "overfire" the boiler , my vaporstat kicks gas valve into lo at 1/2# boiler keeps running and pressuretroll shuts it off at 1-3/4#. If I'm overfiring what does "firing only to the connected load mean".

Jamie Hall

Overfiring simply and basically refers to firing the boiler at a rate greater than it's meant to be fired. Unhappily, it's hardly a precise term. It could mean firing at more than the design capacity of the boiler -- which really isn't that good an idea. Or it could mean firing at a rate which is greater than the system as a whole can handle -- which is the rate referred toby the idea "firing only to the connected load".

In either case, when one is skimming a boiler (and trust me, ask five people and you'll get six different answers) you want to fire it just hard enough to simmer -- not boil. The idea is to get the residual oils to quietly float to the top and not be all mixed up by boiling.

TSP will release the oils from the metal. Unfortunately, it will also hold onto them pretty well. After the TSP treatment you may find you need to drain and refill with clean water -- and skim some more.

gchalfant

Thanks, makes sense. I'm going to use TSP and skim every other day until clean. After each 8hrs of cooking with tsp I drain, use wand to clean inside boiler, then fill and skimm for two hours.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Jamie Hall said" (and trust me, ask five people and you'll get six different answers)"

hahaha, LOL I must disagree. Ask 5 people get 20 different answers. Personally I follow @Dan Holohan method in LAOSH. But I usually skip the lye and just use tsp

Gordy

The skimming port adapter that @Hatterasguy made looked like a nice asset for the skimming process.

gchalfant

Thanks looking for skimming port adapter but haven’t found yet