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Build Up in Condensate Neutralizer

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bassman951
bassman951 Member Posts: 2
in Gas Heating
I'm a homeowner who installed a condensate neutralizer on my mod-con boiler a few years back.

During the heating season, this gunk (see picture) builds up in the neutralizing media that eventually clogs it, leading to condensate bypassing the media. I then need to disassemble the neutralizer and wash/rinse everything as best I can, including the condensate trap on the boiler and piping leading to the neutralizer.

I can get most of the gunk off the media, but it is harder to clean it off the trap, piping, and neutralizer body.

It is annoying to have to do this multiple times per heating season, so I was wondering if anyone had advice on how best to clean everything and maybe prevent it from coming back...or at least limit the number of times I need to clean it.

Thanks

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  • Alan (California Radiant) Forbes
    Alan (California Radiant) Forbes Member Posts: 4,016
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    That neutralizer is pretty small; you can get larger ones that have a greater capacity. But I'm surprised that the system needs cleaning so often and it could be an indication of something going on in the boiler's heat exchanger.

    What is the make and model of your boiler? Natural gas or propane?
    8.33 lbs./gal. x 60 min./hr. x 20°ΔT = 10,000 BTU's/hour

    Two btu per sq ft for degree difference for a slab
    Mad Dog_2RPK
  • dko
    dko Member Posts: 607
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    Are you only rinsing the media and then putting the same media back into use?
    Mad Dog_2
  • bassman951
    bassman951 Member Posts: 2
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    It's a natural gas boiler that is probably oversized for my house, so maybe it's not producing enough condensate flow to prevent the build up?

    I rinse the media to try to get off as much of the build up as possible and then put it back in service since most of the pellets seem to be full size. My process is:
    1. put media in small bucket
    2. fill bucket with tap water
    3. agitate
    4. pour out dirty water
    5. Repeat steps 2-4 until water looks relatively clear.
  • PRR
    PRR Member Posts: 151
    edited April 22
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    bassman951 said:

    ....most of the pellets seem to be full size. ....

    AFAICT, those pellets never dissolve. I had a bad time this winter with gunk build-up and I think I'm buying new pellets this summer. They come in pounds and diameters:
    https://www.amazon.com/Rinnai-809000114-Condensate-Neutralizer-Refill/dp/B00K86A4SY
    And yeah, I think your model is small.

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