Cracked boiler

Kruthers

Homeowner here with an oil fired steam boiler, one pipe if I understand that correctly.

Guess you could say I just became aware of my heating system and started researching a lot (mostly on this site). It started when I read in the water feeder manual that a steam boiler should use "about 10 to 20 gallons a year", but ours is re-filling with water all the time. Then I realized the "white smoke" coming from the chimney must be steam. So that's gotta be crack above the water line, right?

My first thought was that I must get the boiler replaced NOW. Been trying to get somebody to take a look at it but nobody will return my calls (calling smaller operations, people that seem to know about steam specifically). I don't want to be at the mercy of a larger company where it's luck of the draw who you get (been reading too many horror stories on this site I guess...) It seems like this is a really bad time because everyone is super busy and I'll have to take whatever I can get.

So my current thought then is to ride out this heating season with fingers crossed and then replace the boiler in the spring. My wife and I are pretty sure this problem has been going on for a while; we've heard the refilling and seen the white smoke for at least a couple of years. So it seems likely that it will survive one more season.

Anyway my question: What do you guys suggest I do? Is there a way to make it safer for this last season, like a temporary patch over the crack to stop the steam going up the chimney? Any thoughts or suggestions would be apprecieated. Thx...

JUGHNE

The white smoke is usually a bad sign.
However, you could be sure by powering down, cooling boiler off and slowly overfilling up to the header only. (you will feel the cold water in the risers). Or stop as soon as you hear or see a leak. Wait at least 1/2 hour to confirm.
Then see if water leaks down on to the floor. Wet floor would confirm a leak. Drain the water back down to original level.

Do you have any return pipes under the floor?.....those are suspect also.

Hap_Hazzard

The most significant thing you can do to try to nurse this boiler through the heating season is to reduce the operating pressure as much as you possibly can. Unfortunately, with a Pressuretrol, the best you can do is about 1.5 psi., but at least you can make sure it's set as low as possible and that the pigtail isn't blocked. I'm not sure if it would be worth it to buy a Vaporstat at this point.

The next thing would be to get in touch with a local steam heating professional who can advise you and be available to install a new boiler at the appropriate time.

Where are you located?

Kruthers

@JUGHNE - No pipes under the floor, and no signs of leaking anywhere in the house and never have water on the floor by the boiler. And with this much water (it's feeding at least 150 gallons a month) could it be anything else? But thanks for the info on testing it, I might try that.

@Hap_Hazzard - Does the pressure on the gauge indicate the same pressure that the pressuretrol sees? Because I don't ever see the pressure gauge move off of zero or even twitch, and I've watched it for a while. I'm assuming that if there's a crack letting out steam, that's letting off pressure and it can never build up. Could that be true?

I'm in Harrisburg PA.

Hap_Hazzard

The boiler should be able to develop some pressure. It's not a completely open vessel—yet—it's just leaking. Reducing the pressure will help minimize the leakage. The built-in gauge may not be working. They have an internal siphon that can become clogged just as the pigtail can. It's important to make sure that the Pressuretrol is working even if your pressure doesn't get high enough to trigger it. As it is you have no idea how high the pressure is getting. If the Pressuretrol is working, at least you know it's probably not going to get much higher than 1.5 psi.

Kruthers

Heh heh... that "yet" is pretty ominous. Ok thanks for that info, I will take a look at the pressuretrol and see what I can do.

Jamie Hall

If the leak is into the firebox or the fire side of the heat exchanger in the boiler -- which it most likely is -- you'll never see any water on the floor or anywhere else. It leaks into the fire side, which is really hot, evaporates, and goes out the chimney. Gone.

If you do the raise the water level test and see if it drops, it will leak... into the firebox. And again, you won't see it. You would see the water level dropping, but you're not going to get a nice puddle somewhere.

As to whether you can nurse it along... probably, for a while anyway. Keep in mind that the leak won't get any better, but it's also unlikely to get much worse catastrophically (not saying that won't happen, but it's not too likely). You should also note that you are burning excess fuel to make all that steam... best to try to find a contractor and get them lined up to replace the boiler as soon as they can. Nothing like getting on their schedule sooner rather than later.

Kruthers

Good point, I probably shouldn't wait until the season is over. And yeah, it must be wasting fuel, and maybe damaging the chimney even, from what I've read... So yeah, I'll keep calling around.

@Hap_Hazzard - The pressuretrol is set very low, just above 1 psi. I'll take a look at the pigtail and maybe will muster the courage to take it off and clean it out.

Kruthers

@Hap_Hazzard - So I took off the pressuretrol and pigtail; a little water could get through the pigtail so it wasn't completely blocked. Managed to get a wire through it to clean it out and water flows cleanly through now. It's back together and the boiler's running just as before so at least that wasn't an issue.

Thanks for the advice guys, appreciate it!

Hap_Hazzard

Best of luck, @Kruthers. Did you find a contractor yet? If not, you might give @Steamhead a call. He works out of the Baltimore area, but Harrisburg is right up 83.
https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/all-steamed-up-inc

Kruthers

Actually yes, I got a call back from Frank last night. Unfortunately he can't do an install up here because of state licensing, but he gave me a referral to a friend of his in York. And those guys are going to stop by tomorrow!

So I'm feeling much better about this all now. Thanks again!

Hap_Hazzard

That's why we're here.