The case of the boiler that wasn't a boiler, this weeks case.

RayWohlfarth

I didnt get a chance to send a a preview this week. I was asked by a contractor to look at the boiler rooms in a sewage treatment plant. When done, they asked me to look at a boiler in another room. This one looked much different than a traditional boiler. They were having intermittent problems ever since it was installed. That was when I learned this boiler was not a boiler, it was a sludge heater. Yikes!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz4vt9z9DxM

retiredguy

@Ray, where was this sludge heater? This may be one I worked on. Every sewage treatment facility has a sludge heater to keep the "bugs" warm in the sewage so they eat more stuff. They can't be too hot or too cold.Too hot and you kill the bugs, too cold and they go to sleep. I worked on a few of these poop heaters. There is no magic hat. Just don 't make a mistake and open the wrong valve. The Ebensburg sewage treatment plant had a gas/oil unit that burned it's own methane when it was available. The one thing you never get used to is the smell! Have a great day.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@retiredguy

I can relate to that smell. It gets into your clothes and everything. I spent several weeks doing a control job in a sewage treatment plant pulling 1000s of feet of control wire. Funny once you're in there for hours you get used to the smell. We also had some burners that burned the methane it was wet nasty gas. I don't remember any sludge heaters though maybe they did it with a steam coil or something.

EdTheHeaterMan

Ray, I thought that was the reason that plumbers were licensed. So they could work on that s#it. Literally! You know... S#it rolls down hill, Payday's on Friday and Don't Bite your fingernails. First three questions of the test Right?

RayWohlfarth

@retiredguy It was in southern WV I never knew whey they did that. Thanks
@EBEBRATT-Ed That smell gets into everything. I worked on one methane heater in a sewage treatment plant and couldn't get that odor out of my clothes. The wife made me go to laundromat to clean the clothes LOL
@EdTheHeaterMan I know those rules but you see Im not a plumber and gladly refer these types of jobs to plumbers. I could never be a plumber and I respect them for doing stuff most people wouldn't

EdTheHeaterMan

@RayWohlfarth I also never took the plumbing exam, or ever wanted to. HVAC is where it's at. Especially boilers!

EBEBRATT-Ed

@RayWohlfarth & @EdTheHeaterMan

"I know those rules but you see Im not a plumber and gladly refer these types of jobs to plumbers. I could never be a plumber and I respect them for doing stuff most people wouldn't"


I agree. I wouldn't have minded having my plumbing license but WOULD have minded doing the work LOL

I had about 14 different licenses at one time in different states and am down to 4 now that I should dump if I had any brains since I am retired. electrical, sheet metal oil burner gasfitter and pipe fitter was to much for me to have had anyhow. It kept me busy and employed but I don't know if I would go that route again.

I was in the plumbers &pipefitters union for the last 20 years and could never understand why the plumbers and fitters fought each other all the time, but that is slowly changing.

I have the upmost respect for plumbers.

RayWohlfarth

@EdTheHeaterMan Ed I agree I would rather work on a boiler anytime
@EBEBRATT-Ed I do too. I asked a plumber friend how he put up with the smell and he smiled and said, Smells like money to me" I said No it doesn't LOL

Lance

While this topic smelled a little funny to me, I thought I'd chime in. Being a master of many trades including plumbing and hvac I can say with absolute conviction all trades have some really bad points and really good points. But the helper's apprentice position is usually the worst place to be for any length of time. But like boot camp, once you done it, you can't be fooled, and you will mature. At least for most of us. I started in a manhole, graduated to an open sewer trench with constant flushing, then onto grease trap maintenance where bleach is your best friend. Crack that lid before bleaching it and you will want to vomit.
As I moved upward into the attics with hvac in august I was reminder of my hay days in 140F barns. Can't do that at 69 years anymore but i was at 68 in august this year. Came out of the attic and those who saw me thought I was dying. But all trades people are the real tough and great ones. Without us nothing works but the Shepard's crook tending the sheep. Oh, my master plumber taught me; Hot on left, Cold on right, **** runs down, and pay on Friday. My wife said strip outside before you come into my house. I did.

Lance

Saw my ****, is feces ok to use?

Erin Holohan Haskell

Lance said:

Saw my ****, is feces ok to use?

Yes.

hot_rod

I have seen it done with electric immersion heater rods also.

A1Boss

60% of my work used to be this Market Burning Azz Gas to heat Sludge

RayWohlfarth

@A1Boss I salute you sir You are way tougher than I could ever be LOl
@Lance The apprentice does get all the nasty work.