Green stuff in copper fins?

[Deleted User]

AKA copper oxides.

Not good for you, but not on the A list of know carcinogens.

Should wear full NIOSH mask ANYTIME you have small particles in suspension, just to be safe.

THe only GOOD method of removal is to pull heat exchanger and take to car wash and POWER blast that crap loose. Then, as Weezbo said, fix it so it doesn't happen again.

Or consider replacing it with a condensing boiler, and watch your fuel bill drop by 30 to 50 %...

YOur money, your call.

ME

Brian Brockman

Green Stuff in the copper fins of a boiler??

Hello Pros,
I was helping our serviceman while he was cleaning our copper finned tube boiler. Our flue gases have been condensing in the top of the boiler and had completely plugged up the top tubes and fins. He spent a LONG time poking, scraping and brushing this green/white caked on stuff off all of the tubes and fins. After scraping and vacuuming and sweeping, the dust from this stuff was causing both of us to cough, sneeze, and run at the nose uncontrollably....
My question is: What is this stuff? I suspect Copper Sulfate...? Is this correct? Is it hazardous? I had a nasty headache and cough for the rest of the day!
Is there any thing that disolves this stuff - rather than scraping? Any wisdom on this out there?

Tks, from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Weezbo

increase the heat and or increase the return water temps.

if the combustion temps are higher then it will carry the moisture away better, increasing the return temps will keep the temps up by not swamping the boiler.

from North Pole ,Alaska *~/:)

hr

VERY bad stuff to breathe

you really need a good respirator, safety glasses and gloves. Also vent the vacumn cleaner outside so you don't send all that stuff airborne.

hot rod

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Dave Stroman

You mean like this one?

I have replaced many copper boilers that have been ruined due to too cold of return temps., not vented properly ie vented directly into a brick chimney, or it simply short cycled itself to death. If you are going to keep this boiler in service, you will need to handle one or more of those problems

Dave in Denver

Plumdog_2

rusted vent connectors

Even with a proper B vent, these conditions cause the single-wall vent connector to rust thru; then you got more trouble.

tim smith

Cleaning green stuff

Yes that stuff will make your nose bleed, hack hack etc. Always wear masks. We clean a lot of these units especially for pool heaters every year. We always try to wash out the unit, pull burner rack and as long as there is a floor drain, we use a hose off the water heater and spray nozzle. Works great. If no floor drain, we will some times make a burm around it and put our shop vac in the containment and just suck it up. If you have refractory sides then you need to be cautious about spraying water on the walls.