Dirty site glass

General

We have a Slant fin boiler 1 pipe steam. I emptied the boiler in the spring but didn’t clean it until this fall. When I cleaned it there wasn’t anything unusual. I filled it up then and when it was running I didn’t notice anything unusual there either but I have attached pictures of what happened a week later.. I cleaned out the site glass and started skimming it every few days as well as checked it yesterday. When I went down this morning It had the red film on the glass that requires a Brillo pad and a Chop stick to get off. Any ideas on what could be going on?

EBEBRATT-Ed

Your better keeping the boiler filled at all times instead of draining it during the summer. I would continue skimming and running the boiler it will likely clear up.

General

I know there has been much debate on draining in the spring. I drained the boiler from the blow down valve and also hardford loop and refilled. The water bounce is gone and the water is not running down from the top of the site glass.

Intplm.

Never liked a dry lay of a boiler that size. Usually that's a practice that some use for large commercial boilers.
I would not empty the boiler. Keep water in it.
Skim the thing. Proper skimming takes patients and time.
Do this and over time the boiler should clear up.

Fred

Did you put any chemical additives in the boiler when you filled it? My guess is cleaning it with a brillo pad has scratched the interior walls of the glass and that surface now is susceptible to staining. Try a new sight glass.

General

Thanks Fred...I couldn’t think of any way to get it clean. No additives

Daiel1J

Do not be discouraged is all experience. I hope the new glass lasts much longer.

Gsmith

Next time try a baby bottle brush, or a long pipe cleaner doubled over, or a folded paper towel pushed by a wire so as to not scrape the inside of the gage glass.

General

I tried rolled up paper towel and cotton balls first. It was baked on after just 2 days. I thought about using oven cleaner.

KC_Jones

If you add a sight glass blow down that will give you the ability to steam clean the sight glass. I haven't taken mine out since installation in 2014 and it's crystal clear.

I also run water treatment which, IMHO, makes a huge difference in water quality.

I would agree with others saying don't drain the boiler, I actually overfill mine to the riser pipes and close my king valves for summer lay up. The idea is to limit the oxygen exposure, remember water doesn't corrode, oxygen in the water corrodes. With no water you surely have plenty of oxygen.

General

Good advice..thanks

EBEBRATT-Ed

they used to make "percolator brushes" for coffee makers that were just the right size..........of course now we have Keurig......

You could probably clean the glass by soaking in a water and vinegar mixture.
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ethicalpaul

KC_Jones said:

I actually overfill mine to the riser pipes and close my king valves for summer lay up. The idea is to limit the oxygen exposure, remember water doesn't corrode, oxygen in the water corrodes. With no water you surely have plenty of oxygen.

I like this procedure. Do you also boil the water once after overfilling it, @KC_Jones ?

KC_Jones

ethicalpaul said:

KC_Jones said:

I actually overfill mine to the riser pipes and close my king valves for summer lay up. The idea is to limit the oxygen exposure, remember water doesn't corrode, oxygen in the water corrodes. With no water you surely have plenty of oxygen.

I like this procedure. Do you also boil the water once after overfilling it, @KC_Jones ?

I fill it while it's firing, so get it up to steam, start filling, then when I'm satisfied I shut it down, cool, then close the king valves. I figure closing the king valves does the most as it eliminates any exposure of fresh oxygen to the actual boiler.

It's all theoretical, but it makes me feel good.

ethicalpaul

Cool, I like it, but one more bit of clarity, do you boil the fresh water at all, or do you stop the fire when you start filling? (I ask because of item #1 below)

I would copy your procedure, but with these changes:

- I would make sure to boil the fresh water even a little (unless I've been reading things on this site wrong about unboiled water)
- I would leave the king valves open for a day or so before I closed them (not sure this matters)
- I would add enough steam master or 8-way to get the overall ph level of all the water up to 10 or 11