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Duct work tape for steam boiler

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CamAid
CamAid Member Posts: 12
in Strictly Steam
Hi I had my steam boiler serviced a couple weeks ago and notice the duct work has a hole in it with some tape over it? I assume it was to to stick some kind of probe In it. The tape to seal the hole looks like it’s bubbling or melting. Do you know of a good tape to buy for whatever temperature comes out of a steam boiler ?

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  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,286
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    Good grief. Take the tape off and find a sheet metal screw the right size to go into the hole and screw it in. Do it right.

    Makes me wonder just a smidge what else they cut corners on...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,061
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    Could you back up from the same angle and show more of the boiler?
  • CamAid
    CamAid Member Posts: 12
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    The hole is about 3/8 big. Not sheet metal screw. My other boiler is forced hot water with the same size hole .
  • Leon82
    Leon82 Member Posts: 684
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    Pictures a little blurry but it looks like you might be able to replace that vertical section of pipe. I wonder if they drilled a hole to check the combustion and then put a piece of tape on it
  • CamAid
    CamAid Member Posts: 12
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    I know they have high heat all metal tape . You thinknifninput a real short 3/8 bolt and even covered it with high heat tape it would be good ?
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,061
    edited November 2018
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    IIRC, that is not where you do combustion testing.
    CamAid, when the boilers are cool, you can reach under the draft hood box that that pipe sits on top of and stick your hand up into the round pipe.
    The draft hood adds dilution air from the basement which will affect the testing results drawn from those holes.
    IMO the probe should be inserted into the draft hood to draw the exhaust gases before dilution.

    Does anyone else here see it that way??

    Or does this question open the can of worms that the pipe dope/tape controversy does? >:)

    CamAid, maybe some aluminum foil duct tape will look better, however nothing should come out of that hole unless you have a blocked chimney issue, which then exhaust would roll out of your draft hood. There may be a "blocked flue" safety button that would shut your burner down.
  • CamAid
    CamAid Member Posts: 12
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    Ya the chimney is good I do a mirror check up from the clean out often(today) and no obstructions . Thoughts on a short bolt or that over kill will my high heat aluminum tape?
  • Dan C.
    Dan C. Member Posts: 248
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    Wouldn’t check combustion from that hole because of the draft hood but you would need to check draft through that hole.

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