Relief Valves?...We don't need no stinking relief valves!!!!!

AdmiralYoda

Wow.  So for a weekend project I was going to replace my pressure relief valve with a new one just for the heck of it.  

The current one is installed horizontally which is wrong so the new one will be installed vertically.  While I'm at it I'm going to install a ball valve and a skim port.

Well today my Rectorseal 8-way came in and I wanted to add it to the boiler to give it a couple days and flush/skim it over the weekend.

WOAH!!!!  I took the elbow off of the nipple and the nipple and elbow were plugged solid with sludge!!!!!  So was the relief valve!!!!

Cleaned it out, added the Rectorseal and installed the new relief valve.

Moral of the story....take apart your relief valve and clean out the fittings once in a while!!!  Or at least more than once every 37 years which is how old my boiler is and I'll bet this is the first time!!!

AdmiralYoda

And on the topic of Rectorseal...I added 8oz.  Still way too much.  The pH was 7.25 to start and was shooting for 8.5-9.0.  well 8oz sent it to about 11!  

No surging yet.  Site glass still only moves about 0.75".  After I flush and skim this weekend I'll try 4oz.

pecmsg

So
lack of maintenance causes sludge?

they should be exercised 

AdmiralYoda

I had tested the relief valve a couple times a season .  Worked.  There was probably just enough room for a little air to get through.  Now that this will be my skim port it should remain clear.

STEAM DOCTOR

This is why I prefer when pressure relief valve is coming out of top of boiler.  Less likely to plug. Moisture will drop down in vertical piping. Lets say relief is coming from side of boiler and boiler is slightly tilted toward that side. Moisture that enters,  will stay there. Over time, that moisture will lead to sludge. Not sure why brass piping isn't used but that's a different story.