Clean out ports for new or old steam boilers low pressure

JackEnnisMartin

We have all come across the clean out on the bottom of a steam boiler and the initial contractor has left the factory plug in so you could drain it and inspect the internal parts of the boiler. We also know rust is as good for keeping things in place as a good 6010 weld. I am sure we have all gone through the lovely task of cutting and removing the plug along with some coarse language.
A much better way when you get the plug out or on a new installation remove the plug when it can still be turned with a wrench is to go to victaulic fittings on the water side of the boiler. If you use the green line victaulic gaskets that are rated for water at 212 degrees you wiil not have any problems with failure or leaking at the joint as you are in effect sealing against water not steam. The advantage is you can use standard fittings with two bolts to disconnect or if you want to spend the money get the quick uncoupler design which uses a lever mechanism. You can ,wlth a little imagination, make a very good flushing system for the bottom of the boiler where it accumulates the solids and blow them down the drain with very little effort indeed. In addition ,the boiler inspectors love it, as the full size opening allows insertion of inspection mirrors right into the boiler body for full inspection. A little note: do not ever make the bottom connecting opening less than 1/2 the size of the boiler tapping and if you do reduce in size use a concentric reducer: a normal fitting will allow crud to be left behind in difference in height of the inlet and outlet of the blow down piping. We use this system at the Winnipeg School Division and it works well. Allot of the schools are very old { 1896} and still have the original boilers installed with the school example :marine boilers dated 1911 ,it had its second retube 10 years ago -- pretty good value for the installtion dollar I would say. Tell your kids you love them they are the future we are the past -- God Bless.

JackEnnisMartin

revision for text of clean out ports for steam boilers

I had a senior moment and I said to use concentric reducers if you are going to reduce the pipe size on the blowdown---- as all of you have in all likelyhood caught the mistake: it should be eccentric reducer -- ain't getting old wonderful!!! NOT
Thanks Jack Ennis Martin Hug your kids it makes your life mean something.