boiler sealants

S.A.

I have a cust. Called me this morning. His burnham V-1 series boiler has a crack. His system is hot water with a coil and baseboard. He wants me to use a boiler sealant to "get him throught the holidays(yeah right). I told him I would not recommend this( I have never used one).The boiler is out of warranty. I don't want to lose him as a cust. But I don't want to create more problems with the system. Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I am heading over there in an hour.

Ken_8

The biggest problem with boiler sealants..

is not so much the fact that they work at small leaks only - for a few months about half of the time - but the user assumes that if a quarter of a can is recommended, the entire can will be four times as good!

This then results in the very nightmare you have rightly envisioned; namely, the blockage of the entire system in some manner - and maybe the point where the leak actually exists.

Fortunately, TSP and probably other detergents as well, can and will dissolve the stop-leak compound buildup where it is not wanted. Especially if persistence is invoked. Circulators are very susceptible to damage from stop-leak compounds as are all tight passages within the system.

Unfortunately, the fact that adding a stop-leak compound takes time, compromises the entire system and has only a 50% chance of actually stopping a pinhole leak or fracture bodes poorly on the outcome. Add to that the cleaning nightmare that must be done after the new boiler is installed and the cost for TSP'ing and rinsing the crap that results from the stop-leak soup created, adds even more time and labor to a 50% result - and one quickly sees the red flags waiving in your face.

As long as you underline the "iffy-ness" of the stop-leak, and the ensuing problems that will be present afterwards to the H.O. (and I urge you to put it in writing), then proceed and hope for the best - all the while assuming the worst.

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Leo

Sealants

My boss is a great one for wanting us to use these chemicals. Stop leaks work only part of the time. He also has us use additives to finicky steam systems and they rarely work. He even got one for a system that kept getting airbound because he doesn't believe in pumping away.

Leo

oil-2-4-6-gas

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we use I.P.C. Liquid plug --a lot for this situation--as long as they are advised of the risks --the boiler is done anyway -it just buys you time to order and set-up for replacement --and no it does not plug up systems --except for vents i've had to do more boilers this way than i can count --some have lasted for years --some do not seal at all,some slow down,some get worse,some hold for the week while we set-up for replacement after replacement is done the system gets a cleaning