Rusty boiler drain line

Wcurtis

need to drain and flush the mud drum from boiler, bought house and boiler is Smith G-12, water is dirty however the pipe to drain is very corroded and concerned about breaking pipe when removing valve, any ideas?

Long Beach Ed

Wait until spring.

Post a picture and we can see how bad it is...

Wcurtis

that was the first plan but is there a non-evasive option with a 90 degree elbow drain, unable to get past the elbow with a coat hanger, cable tye or mechanical fingers?

Long Beach Ed

If it's as bad as you say, I wouldn't drain anything. The mung may be sealing a leak in the boiler which you don't want to find until spring. Otherwise you can blow the line clear with compressed air.

Jamie Hall

As siad, wait until spring when if something goes wrong you aren't freezing. There's nothing to be gained by draining the boiler now.

Then, come spring, you can have at it (no, there is no easy way to get around that type of drain valve, although @Long Beach Ed 's idea of compressed air works if you can get a good connection). When you do have at it, you can probably get it out if you are careful and use a crescent wrench as a backup to hold the hex on the drain bushing into the boiler. You don't need to take that out -- just the angle valve. You will get wet, but if you have a prepared nipple and ball valve handy you can thread that in temporarily until you finish draining, then take it back out, clean the threads, and put it back in properly with tape.

Wcurtis

this is the one I am buying after adding an extension to the existing connection

Wcurtis

Thanks for the additional ideas, I knew I should wait in case something goes south this winter...my wife wouldn't like it 

JUGHNE

If the hose bib drain will not pass water, you can reverse flush it with a hose connected to water heater drain or laundry. Washer hose or double female adaptor.

You may have to chase the sludge back and forth a few times to get it to flow out.
This may contain the mess of just unscrewing the drain.

Also I would soak the threads several times with PB Blaster or Kroil before unscrewing.
I use a dental pick to cut into the old rust/pipe dope at the threads.
In my experience there is little chance that the bushing will come out, it is steel the brass drain valve will usually unscrew.

Then use brass or stainless steel nipple for the extension. China black nipples can be really cheap.

Wcurtis

Like the dental pick idea, will purchase brass nipple and soak all threads very good before picking them...thanks guys

Long Beach Ed

Wire brush also.