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You find a leak in a cast iron sectional boiler. Do you replace the section?

RayWohlfarth
RayWohlfarth Member Posts: 1,847
in Industry Classes

I had a friendly disagreement with a building owner. One of the boiler sections for his 15 year old steam boiler was leaking. I suggested a new boiler because I thought if one section is leaking, the others can't be too far behind. He chose to replace just the section. It's been my experience the boiler starts leaking again in a year or so. I replaced sections as an apprentice and it was tough work.

Just curious what you tell your customer. If you replace a section, how much longer before another leak develops?

Thanks

Ray Wohlfarth
Boiler Lessons

Comments

  • retiredguy
    retiredguy Member Posts: 1,067

    I almost never saw a residential boiler and serviced even less so my comments are for commercial and industrial boiler systems. A lot of the low pressure steam boilers my employer sold were H B Smith 350's 450's and 650's. When a section cracked you only replaced the leaking section. On this type boiler you could replace any intermediate section without moving any other section. If it were a push nipple boiler I would recommend and price both ways; the leaking section or the whole boiler. I rarely saw more than one section in boiler leak at a time unless there wee mitigating circumstances such as a boiler explosion or complete freeze up.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 18,828

    I would want to know more about the general boiler condition and what caused the failure.

    If the failure was due to excess MU water and the section is rotted then its a lost cause replace the whole boiler. I would only change a section to get through the winter.

    For other failures I would look at flue gas condensation, sludge in the boiler etc and also the boiler age to decide. Also is the present failure the first failure?

  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 4,149

    I replaced three sections in an 8 section Peerless 211A a few years ago. We could get the spare sections (all coming from different places!), but a new boiler was IIRC 16 months out. Not quite the same situation as you I guess.

    In any case, as it turned out the leaks were caused by improperly installed gaskets between the sections. In fact, I pulled another section because I could see the gasket popping out of the groove. I spent several days(!) cleaning the sections we were reusing, & to my utter astonishment it didn't leak. I heard they shut down that facility a year or three later, but I didn't hear about any more leaks, so I'm leaving that one in the win column.

  • RayWohlfarth
    RayWohlfarth Member Posts: 1,847

    @retiredguy There was an advantage to those types of boilers.

    @EBEBRATT-Ed I believe it was from makeup water

    @ratio Good for you. I guess the installer didnt know how to do it

    Thank you all gentlemen I appreciate it

    Ray Wohlfarth
    Boiler Lessons
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 7,080

    Its not black and white. The younger the boiler, the more likely they'll only warranty the section(s), not the whole block. I've done a few on 78 series Weil McLain and early Weil McLain GO blocks didn't play nice. It's definitely not fun replacing sections. Keep the draw bolts and rods loose but in place while prying sections apart.

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