Bottom of the Barrel

ccstelmo

Heating season is nigh and I'm addressing an issue that has nagged me each fall in the past.

Because of the way it was installed, this boiler has no way of cleaning out sludge other than just draining the old fluid by gravity. Not good. I was able to drill and tap for 1/2" npt a plug at the bottom of the boiler and have installed a 1/2" ball valve with a hose adapter and can now pressure flush (house pressure 65 psi) across the bottom of the boiler to, through, and out the original drain fitting on the other side of the boiler. So …life is good (that is unless one of you guys rains on my parade).

But here's a question: What about the lowest piping on the Hartford Loop? That collects caca too, right?

And here's another question: If a guy got too carried away with pressure what could he expect would happen to the radiators above? There are no valves (with good reason, I suppose) to isolate the supply and the return.

Before I actually get going on this, I'd appreciate some input.

ccstelmo

ethicalpaul

Yes the lowest point of your wet return will tend to collect stuff, but not as much or as fast as you might think. We here in this forum see all the time rusted out and/or nearly completely blocked wet returns. But that is because this is a forum where people come with problems.

I have a drain on the low point of my wet return (at the bottom of the hartford loop) which I will drain a little water out of once a year or two, but it is nearly always clear…it's just distilled water after all.

And if you treat your boiler water with some 8-way to get the pH up to the 8-10 range, you will dramatically reduce the amount of corrosion or "mud" that is created.

Watch my video to see what I mean:

https://youtu.be/Bx8NryCUkng