Short cycling hell

Trust me then, you wouldn't be any happier with a detailed answer (disassociation reactions, bases, conjugate bases, hydronium ions….aach) and, as long as it's been since chemistry, it makes my head spin a bit.

Total alkalinity is a measure of the buffering capacity, which is ability to oppose future pH changes. Carbonate, Bicarbonate, Hydroxide, and Phosphate (which is weaker) add up to total alkalinity. They can get used up eventually.

In my case where I'm using distilled water, the only buffering I have comes from the 8-way in the form of the hydroxide and the phosphate because there is no natural alkalinity in distilled water, so it's ability to buffer against the constant production of carbonic acid from CO2 in my radiators and mains and returns is limited, and my pH slowly drops from day one that I fill the boiler. The buffer needs to be replenished at some point which I'm still trying to determine in my system but should require checking the pH every few weeks or so and adding a small amount of sodium hydroxide or more 8-Way. If that isn't done, at some point the pH will drop rapidly.

Yeah OK guys. You're right. It makes PERFECT sense to ask someone who isn't a chemistry professor to try to explain complicated chemistry without getting into any chemistry. I'm sorry I made the effort. Next time use the search engine of your choice. LOL

Nicely done. What I always wanted to do to mine but couldn't. How long did you go for and what does the water look like that came out? Any oil film on the surface?

It's not "wet steam", it's just liquid water being carried up. Don't worry too much about getting every drop out of your system, it will be fine. Nice install!

just read the wikipedia pages for ph/poh and alkilinity. what one usally mens when they say alklinity is actually basicity.

Alkalinity is a measure — and a rather crude one — of the buffering capacity of a water solution. It is related to the kinds of anions and cations present in the water and their concentrations. Alkalinity has very little to do with pH, except that the species and concentrations of anions and cations will determine the pH. Now… buffering comes about when there is one or more anion/cation pairs which can accept or release H+ (or H3O+), such as the carbonate/bicarbonate or bicarbonate/carbonic acid pairs (the most common buffering pairs in both fresh water and sea water). There are many such pairs… some of them may add the complication of involving oxidation/reduction reactions as well.

pH on the other hand is simple. It is the negative logarithm (base 10) of the H* concentration in the water. Nothing more, nothing less.

Quantitative inorganic equilibrium chemistry is fun…

My 45 year old Peerless didn't have a skim port installed when new. I can only assume the original installers used the pressure release safety valve to skim. Fast forward to 10 years ago I installed a skim port where the PRV valve was. Mine was installed incorrectly (sideways) and was plugged up. Corrected that and put a ball valve on there to do some skimming.

On my system skimming wasn't needed but it is an easy access point for me to add chemicals like Rectorseal 8-way.