Alternative Skim Port

markmarlatt

Technician was unable to remove the slim port plug today (without risking damage to heat exchanger). Is there another port on the boiler I could use for skimming?:

I was thinking maybe the top site glass port, remove the knob while skimming then replace?

Technician asked me to apply penetrating oil every other day to the skim port plug and then try again in a month to remove the plug. Thoughts?

mattmia2

find a better tech. it can be cut out.

usually you cut most of the middle out with a hole saw then cut 2 slots almost to the threads to make a pie shaped wedge then you break that section out with a caping chisel. once you take that section out the rest of it will be loose and you can unscrew it.

EdTheHeaterMan

It appears that your HB Smith boiler does not have a dedicated Skim tapping according to the manual. The closest thing that manual shows is what appears tp be a 3/4" plug that has no access thru the boiler jacket in your photo.

That plug is not even labeled in the diagram on page 24. The skim tapping should be centered over the boiler’s widest top openings where the push nipples or gaskets connect the sections. This allows the water level during skimming to be positioned at the widest part of the top section connection. In the diagram you can see the location of the top opening gasket (17).

If your boiler repair technician is not referencing that opening, then you should not have them perform the skimming. They do not understand the purpose of the skimming process. Otherwise, you may end up paying someone to skim only the end section of the boiler rather than properly skimming all six boiler sections.

EDIT:

Your skim tapping is behind this knock out on the boiler jacket:

RED ARROW indicated skim tapping location. I might even consider getting a machinist in there to drill and tap a larger hole for 1" or -1/4" pipe and a cap for future use.

ChrisJ

If it was mine……….

I'd be tempted to close the lower valve on the gauge glass, open the drain on the gauge glass and attempt to skim it through that, slowly.

It's certainly close to the top of the boiler, and it would probably get the job done. Slowly. Just a trickle…….

ethicalpaul

Hiring a machinist? I think I'd try a can of Squick first

ChrisJ

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1894289#Comment_1894289

Ahem!

ethicalpaul

These cleaning instructions are wild. They want you to blow the oil out the top via the PRV port along with water and steam until the water is clean.

ethicalpaul

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1894290#Comment_1894290

Well nothing against machinists but that's gonna be a steep price to pay!

mattmia2

i don't know that the firing is doing anything other than mixing up what is in the boiler and splashing the detergent on the sections above the water line. sounds like they are trying to emulsify the oil and drain it with the water.

ethicalpaul

The firing/steam generation is basically forcing steam, water, and oil out the top PRV port until the water is clean enough that this sort-of "carryover" no longer occurs, then they say you can stop (might take 3 hours they say and I believe them). It's a lot of effort just to save them machining a real skim port.