flushing vs skimming new steam install. is there better thread paste to reduce contamination?

archibald tuttle

most skimming i've seen is related to oil from manufacture (and for that matter flushing see, e.g. gerry gill flushing brand new boiler with wand in the return) and maybe later flushing sludge esp from wet return or skimming if some newly threaded piping might have introduced oil to the system. I admit I never flushed a boiler the way he is and I'm usually not as fortunate to have a floor drain for such a wide open process as Gerry employs.

Seems unfortunate if this is a useful practice that manufacturers don't offer a tapping that would allow you to send a wand across the top row of push nipples to spray down and then you could leave a T at the return with a hose outlet for draining what is flushed down. (generally such a tapping would be higher than a skim port based on standard water level but if it were a good sized tapping you could raise the water level a bit above its weir to skim). using the low tapping, maybe a rube goldberg with a tee for the return pointing down into bucket if high enough or to hose outlet and then a bushing with some kind of gland fitting that could be fitted over the wand would be an alternative with no floor drain.

That said, i've skimmed but have not flushed new boilers and haven't had a lot of trouble. And there are plenty of testimonials of those who use a treatment for a week after install and then drain and refill.

To minimize threading oil I get into the system I've been wiping the nipples i thread and then spraying with green brakekleen but folks seem to say boiler it is likely loaded down with oil anyway from manufacturing. Still seems like a reasonable caution to me and because the brakekleen evaporates I don't think i'm going frying pan into the fire with what emphemeral traces it might leave behind.

As an aside I do get to wonder if there is any industry standard for internal flushing machined castings to reduce the remnant manufacturing fluids. But from the sense that that is the main source of contamination maybe worrying about the chemistry of thread paste among modern PTFE alternatives is angells on the head of a pin comparatively. Just thought I would ask if anyone has experience that some brands or chemistries are better than others for steam.

I suppose I'm also asking about emperical results with the paste for assembly of the larger joints in near boiler piping–whether any paste performs better in your experience (I admit I'm a tape and dope man although of course I could pretty much avoid chemistry if I just used blue monster tape alone).

thanks, brian

ethicalpaul

I like the TSP/washing soda start for a new boiler. I have seen a good number of boilers from 1-5 years old that still look like they have oil in them.

I think if you get the water clean on that first week and get the pH up a little, then you will never need a wand.

For an unmaintained 15 year old boiler that's been collecting layers of mud all bets are off

bdl

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1876242#Comment_1876242

How much of each? I have a new boiler and it's generating a boat load of wet steam. Knock city right now. Been skimmed twice and it's still pretty atrocious. Cold start is throwing tons of water. I have TSP and washing soda on hand, just have no idea how much one would use.

ethicalpaul

You don't need both, you just use either one to break up the oil, or you can just plain skim but I find the detergent helps.

Here is the Peerless manual with good cleaning instructions on page 33:

https://www.peerlessboilers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/TT8066-R20_63-64_IOM_web0324.pdf

It's best to do this before the boiler is put into service because then you avoid having oils spread throughout your main, but in your case that ship has sailed. But you can get it clean.

EBEBRATT-Ed

The ratio of cleaner to boiler water is 1 lb of TSP for 50 gallons of boiler water so for a small boiler you don't need much. When I have used it I never had to skim more than once. A couple of hours at the most.

You just need to find out how much water your boiler holds and get it close. If you cant look it up drain the boiler into a 5 gallon pail and figure it out from that. Mix it with water pour it in to the safety valve opening. Run the boiler until it is hot but not steaming and shut it off and skim. Skim the slower the better

patrykrebisz

If seeing is beliving, ethicalpaul has extensive videos on his YT channel that show how just a little bit of oil in the system causes the water to behave wildly.

Don_175

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1876809#Comment_1876809

After skimming with TSP added, do you just drain and refill once, or does TSP need to be cleaned out more thoroughly?

ethicalpaul

I would probably do it twice since you're right there