old boiler question

Shannon_2

When a boiler is not in use like in the summer, Should you keep the water in it or should it be emptied?

The boiler in question is a 1928 Red Flash Ideal No 1 made by American Radiator Co. converted to gas.


PS. the boiler is in great working order 76 years latter!!!

Geno_15

No way drain,

when you fill your boiler and the oxygen is depleted it's is dead and will not rot. Drain you're boiler and expose it to the air and then introduce fresh water with oxygen and say by-by to that boiler. And everything attached to it.

tommyoil

Not a pro, but,

All my steam boilers in the summer are overfilled. That is to say I fill them up out of the gaugeglass so I know that the boiler block is completely full. Then I run the unit for a half hour or so or until the water just begins to boil. At that point, I've been told by my boiler service man, the oxygen in the water has dissolved since the water temp. has surpassed 180 degrees. The boiler is then protected from oxidation since all of the corrosive oxygen is now gone. I have several properties with several models of weilmclain boilers from the 66 series (about 20 years old) up to the gold series which is the current model. All the water in all of them is clean as can be without the usual mud build up which most people with steam heat have come to expect. You just cant forget to drain it down to operating level before you turn it on in the winter. I'm not sure if the pros take this route but I'll tell you what, it certainly has worked for me. Any comment from the pros here??? And by the way, I use this approach on even older units. I haven't had a leak or boiler go bad since adopting this approach. Your boiler may be working like a charm but I'm sure that your fuel bills are enormous. You'd probably cut between 35 and 50% of the bills if you upgrade. I regret not changing mine sooner. Now, with the fuel $$$ I saved, I can stay in the islands an extra week every year. I dont need the heat there.

Ken D.

Boiler

Keep it filled. The fresh water will increase the concentration of oxygen, minerals, etc. causing corrosion. Be sure to inspect at the beginning of season and tighten any thing leaking.

Steamhead

Redflash Boiler

Is this a steam or hot-water system?

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Shannon_2

it's a steam system

ScottMP

Shannon

The large majority of boilers, be they steam or hot water, live long lives with out draining. How old did you say yours was ? Do you think anybodys been draining it .

By the way, if you were my client, I would be telling you to replace that boiler. It has lived a long good life and the odds are that it will fail sooner than later. Why not change it on your time schedule rather than its.

Take the time to find a pro who KNOWS steam systems.

Good Luck

Scott

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Steamhead

I wouldn't drain it

Not only would doing so introduce fresh, corrosive water in the fall, but if someone forgets to refill it and turns it on, and the low-water cutoff doesn't stop the burner, the boiler will crack.

I agree you should look at replacing that boiler. Its annual efficiency (AFUE) is probably somewhere around 50%. That said, it may be possible for a pro to make it run a bit more efficiently, and also to increase the efficiency of the system's work of getting the steam from the boiler to the radiators. This might help you save for a new boiler. Try the Find a Professional page of this site. If you're in the Baltimore area, e-mail me.

Also, keep in mind the Redflash boilers have asbestos insulation in their jackets, and this must be removed and disposed of properly when you replace the boiler.

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John Barba1

redflash boiler

Hey - if you replace it would you let me buy the old one if it matches the redflash boiler I heat my home with?

Unknown

Words of wisdom

from Scott . With old steam boilers it's a matter of when , not if , they will leak . And they usually go at the worst possible time - when all the heating contractors are booked solid for weeks .

Coincidentally , we had a leaking steam boiler this Friday . The saleman was there the night before and failed to notice the asbestos . Of course we wouldn't touch the boiler till it was removed , but we also didn't want to leave them without heat . So we placed the new boiler to the right of the old one and temporarily piped it in to the system . This was one of those very rare situations where we had the room , and piping it out was not too bad . We're going back Wednesday to do it right .