Shutting down a boiler

Dave DeFord

I have a Weil-McLain PEG-50 boiler on a one pipe steam system. I have no heating needs in the summer months from about May to September and am wondering if there is anything that should be done to put the boiler into "storage" mode. Should it be drained etc. Just curious as this is my first season with steam heat and don't want to damage anything due to lack of knowledge.

Jeff Krawic_2

Boiler shut down

All this is just my own humble opinion so here goes! I would not drain the boiler for shutdown unless it is a steel boiler and has "hand holds". If so, these should be removed and an internal inspection done by your insurance company. Also ALL low water cutoffs should be dis-assembled, cleaned and new gaskets WITH neverseez or an appropriate anti-sieze compound. (Now if we can only get McDonnell Miller to use Neverseez from the factory.....) My reason for NOT draining the boiler is each time you refill with "fresh water" there is more oxygen and minerals brought into the boiler. These are the bad elements to a nice steam boiler. In the fall at start-up, the burner should be gone over carefully, tested and checked with an ELECTRONIC analyzer...(yup I know all the sides of this one but its my opinion I remind you) and ALL safeties and controls should be checked to see they are working properly. This only takes a few minutes but can prevent a possible disaster. Cant think of anything else to perform except all the 4-way crosses on the low water cutoff piping should also be checked. Thats why there are crosses there and FEW servicemen check the piping on the water column. Wish you luck and hope for more opinions on this post so I can learn too!!!! Be safe.

Robert O'Connor_7

PEG-50

Just shut it off. Before the next heating season, have a boiler Tech., check the safety devices. This is a very small boiler and doesn't require too much maintenence. Also read the manufacturers literature that was left with the apliance. If the paper work wasn't provided, just go to the WM web site and read away.

Dave DeFord

Been there done that...

That was the reason for my question - I don't recall any shut down instructions either in the WM lit or in the Lost Art. Thanks for the advice on the LWCO but it is a probe type and the instructions say to remove it and clean it with a soft cloth which I will do. Any other advice will be appreciated. Is there maybe an inspection that I can do for scale as I have hard water and the former owner didn't know the meaning of the word maintenance? Otherwise thanks for the help.

john_27

We also don't run from May through September, but we have a slightly different philosophical approach, and that is to run all of our boilers for an hour a month during the off season...if we have a problem, we fix it during warm weather...the extra gas cost to do this is neglible, and it keeps us in touch with our equipment...your choice!

Jonathan_4

Summer Shutdowns

"Just shut it down & have it inspected before restart."

So is this advice the prevailing opinion for all boilers? This is also our first year in a house with steam heat and I want to keep my boiler as fit as possible. I saw this article online that suggests draining:
http://www.pmmag.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2379,29710,00.html

I've also seen other people that fill the entire boiler & Hartford loop and then drain in the fall before firing up the system.

Our house has a 115,000 BTU Burham boiler that was installed two years ago. I don't think the PO did anything in terms of maintenance, but I'm hoping to end that tradition. I have a copy of Holohan's book for homeowners, but it doesn't give any tips about summer layover...

TIA,
Jonathan

Tony Conner

Leaving...

...water in a cold boiler for an extended period of time, allows the water to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere. This is what pits boilers out at the water line. If it was my boiler, and it was going to be offline for more than a week or so, I'd drain it, flush it out with a hose, and leave the water side open.

DaveGateway

Good question!

Inquiring HO's want to know. Lot's of variables here. Whaddya think, SH, BP, MD, DH, and all other steamers out there. Common sense tells me that filling to the header might not be a BAD thing but I'm like Sgt. Schultz from Hogan's Hero's..."I know nothink"

bobby7388

Layup

The standard rule for boiler layups is as followed.

Short duratation- 1 day to 3 months- Wet Layup
Long term- 3 months and up- Dry Layup

In general the summer months would fall into short term.

Tony Conner

To Do...

...a wet layup, the boiler needs to be filled right to the stop valve, and the sulphite level jacked up. The water and chemical levels need to be checked at least weekly. This will not be A/ done initially, or B/ checked regularly, in even one in an thousand small residential boilers. Keep it simple for homeowners - a dry lay-up is zero maintenance.

bobby7388

Seems as if me and you are always at crossroads as to procedure, guess we'll have to agree to dis-agree once again.

Unknown

Wet layup

There are hundreds of thousands of steam boilers that could be considered in a wet layup over the off season . Water and chemical levels are checked not at all , and I haven't seen an abnormally high number of boilers pitting at the water line . How long of an off time do you recommend before switching to a dry layup ?

Tony Conner

Do You Mean...

...properly laid-up, or just shut down for the season, with the operating water level in them? Corrosion can be caused by a lot of interlocking chemical and mechanical factors. Why take the chance? If I had an industrial boiler that was going to be off-line for more than a few weeks - as in pushing a month - I'd drain it, flush it, and leave it open, unless there was a good chance that I'd need it running in short order. With seasonal heating boilers, it's not usually a factor. How long does it take to fill a little, low water content residential heating boiler with water? Unless you need it for domestic hot water (which is a major factor in why they didn't used to pit out at the water line - they were in service year round), why not drain it? Pretty cheap insurance.

For a while, there were a LOT of posts on this site from people complaining that their relatively new steam boilers were pitting to death at the water line within a few years, and they weren't sure why. There's only one reason I know of - left with water in them, unfired, over the summer.

Unknown

What I meant was

> ...properly laid-up, or just shut down for the

> season, with the operating water level in them?

> Corrosion can be caused by a lot of interlocking

> chemical and mechanical factors. Why take the

> chance? If I had an industrial boiler that was

> going to be off-line for more than a few weeks -

> as in pushing a month - I'd drain it, flush it,

> and leave it open, unless there was a good chance

> that I'd need it running in short order. With

> seasonal heating boilers, it's not usually a

> factor. How long does it take to fill a little,

> low water content residential heating boiler with

> water? Unless you need it for domestic hot water

> (which is a major factor in why they didn't used

> to pit out at the water line - they were in

> service year round), why not drain it? Pretty

> cheap insurance.

>

> For a while, there were a LOT

> of posts on this site from people complaining

> that their relatively new steam boilers were

> pitting to death at the water line within a few

> years, and they weren't sure why. There's only

> one reason I know of - left with water in them,

> unfired, over the summer.



as I've seen it . My first 10 years in the trade was NYC work replacing residential steam boilers , 3 or 4 a week . Many were big ol' cast originals , many were newer thin cast , some were big steel . The vast majority were replaced while still in operation . Almost all were replaced with the Peerless JOT and ECT line , which I consider a thin cast section compared to old boilers . None of them are drained in the summer , and last time I checked , close to none have been replaced due to corrosion at the water line ( that was a few years ago ) .

Tony , I agree that draining a steam boiler down when not needed is a good idea , I do not agree it is as bad as you think if left filled to the normal water level .

Unknown

What I meant was

leaving the boiler as is when the season is done . My first 10 years in the trade was NYC work replacing residential steam boilers , 2 , 3 , 4 a week was common . Many were big ol' cast originals , many were newer thin cast , some were big steel . The vast majority were replaced while still in operation . Almost all were replaced with the Peerless JOT and ECT line , which I consider a thin cast section compared to old boilers . None of them are drained in the summer , and last time I checked , close to none have been replaced due to corrosion at the water line ( that was a few years ago ) . The off season , not counting the last 2 , can go on 4 months or more around here .

Tony , I agree that draining a steam boiler down when not needed is a good idea , I do not agree it is as bad as you think if left filled to the normal water level .

Tony Conner

Two Books...

...that are really good, are "Industrial Water Conditioning" by Betz, and the "Nalco Water Handbook". The Nalco book is larger, with more written detail, while the Betz book has much better photographs. I don't live in water treatment, so I tend to prefer the Betz book. I can flip through it, and see a picture - "Hey...that's what I've got going on..."

Check 'em out, and all will be revealed. (I'm not just making this stuff up...really.)

gerry gill

the dunkirk instructions

call for filling to the header during off season...