broken boiler, pulled apart pipes = mystery

Pat Clark

I would check the gas valve. when a gas valve sticks open
(usually intermittent) the boiler can overfire and create temperature and pressure problems. I have seen systems blowing steam and literally jumping up and down and the burner was still burning even though power had been turned off.

Pat

SPL_3

BROKEN BOILER, PULLED APART PIPING = MYSTERY

We were called to a customer's vacant home today because the winter watchman light was on (it was set too low). However, the six year old slantfin hot water boiler was leaking water, and the piping in the supply was pulled apart at at least 3 locations. The solder was on both the pipe and the fittings, and there was no deformation otherwise. The water was pouring out of both the boiler and open header, and the water feeder was working fine, as evidenced by the 2 inches of water in the basement. The pressure relief valve was also easily moved by fingertip.

We removed the 8124 control, and tested to see if the burner circuit opened upon temp rise. (we boiled some water in the microwave and measured its temperature). The high limit seems to work as designed.

There is (was) antifreeze in the system, good for -30. Strangely, there seemed to be evidence in 2 locations on the first floor where the baseboard might have leaked, but there were no apparant splits or pulls. We will not know for sure until the system is either air or water tested.

We have to put in a new boiler, but do not want to do so until we come up with the answer. Pressure and temperature are obvious culprits, but how? Also, there have been no lightning storms of late.

Open for ideas. Thanks in advance.

SPL_3

oops, I forgot to mention that is was an oil boiler

Thanks anyway

Unknown

Here's one that froze up

It was in a vacant home . Copper pipes popped out of their joints . Flowvalves expanded apart . The coil was slowly pushed out of the boiler . The power of ice is amazing .

SPL_3

yes, it is amazing, but mine did not freeze

I can't figure it out

Mellow_2

did the releif valve work?

If this did not freeze or over heat maybe it had to much psi. It has to be one of the three. Some joints look good but do not hold full psi cause they were not heated right when they were made. Can the relief open? Is the hi limit stuck? Did someone hit the pipes? good luck

Larry Weingarten

Freezing...

sounds like it's worth revisiting. It takes something with serious force to pull/push apart correctly soldered joints. Only ice (or water hammer)has that power. What else would explain three breaks in the same line? It's my understanding that water and antifreeze can become un-mixed as ice crystals form. If the breaks were at 90 degree bends, the scenerio of being pushed off by ice fits even better. One other question. Were they lead soldered? That would be a weaker joint than lead free solder makes. Just random thoughts.
Yours, Larry

Unknown

It's pretty clear it froze

It happened while the antifreeze was diluted from the water being left on?

Who in their right mind would trust antifreeze in a system with no low water cut off, and the water left on?

The tiniest leak (air vent, expansion tank bladder, drain valve with no cap, etc.) will bring in fresh water, perhaps before the building became unnoccupied.

All you need now is a no-heat (even a brief power failure) situation, and your precious dilited antifreeze will freeze solid.

Go ahead, see if the tubing has swelled from freezing. Try to slip a fitting on it. If it pushed three joints apart, the pipe has swelled, too.

The lack of a complete control system is due to a lack of education, or a desire to cut costs on an installation. Or both.

Both the installer and the customer have a duty to understand what is being installed.

Joe

SPL_3

It is clear that ice would be the obvious answer, but there have only been a couple of nights where the temp. was below 25 degrees, and this is in the middle of a below grade basement. My guess is that the ambient temp. here is about 55 degees. Therefore, ice is not the reason, in my opinion. The system was working fine 3 weeks ago, and the winter watchman, put on the first floor, came on for the first time Saturday morning, according to the neighbor. It was set at 40 degrees.

The system turning to steam and flashing was a thought, but the water feeder is working fine.

The boiler naturally cracking, and leaking more water than the feeder can recover may cause steaming, I guess. The feeder feeds into the return.

If this is true, it would be the sheer mechanical force of pipes snapping that may have caused them to come apart. It is hard to believe that the pipes got hot enough to melt solder. The solder is a silver brite, or other 95-5 brand.

More ideas will be appreciated, as this will be an insurance engineers' nightmare come tomorrow morning.

m dewolfe

freeze up

was this system on city water or well water?

SPL_3

well water.....40-60 psi

Robert O'Connor_6

LWCO

Did it have a Low water Control?

Regards

Robert

ME

SPL_3

No, it did not.