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Skimming Sump Setup

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markmarlatt
markmarlatt Member Posts: 96
in Strictly Steam

I am getting prepared to skim my boiler once the tech installs the skim port which was never tapped on my boiler. My basement has no floor drain currently (another long term goal) so I was curious about setting up a bucket with a sump pump to evacuate the water from the skimming process up and out my basement stairs. Curious if such a setup already exists?

I have a manually operated sump pump already, however given the skimming process can take a good deal of item, I wanted to build an assembly which would kick the sump pump on once water reaches a level in the bucket.

I plan to put the bucket into a pan which then has water sensors from my Ring security system. This way, if I have to step away from the boiler while skimming and water gets out of the bucket (say pump failed), I get alerted to matter. I am a IT Engineer and have a love for gadgets, but I'm short on knowledge regarding sumps. Any ideas?

Comments

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,817

    it should just be a thin stream of water, probably easier to just have a couple buckets and dump them.

    you can get a sump pump with a vertical rod type float switch already installed on it that you could put in a bucket. there are tilt type float switches that piggyback on the plug for the pump but those might be hard to get to work right in a narrow bucket.

    ethicalpaul
  • markmarlatt
    markmarlatt Member Posts: 96
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1893522#Comment_1893522

    Awesome, I found a sump with a built in float that engages pump at 4" of water and off at 2" of water, so that should work nicely. I'm guessing the skim will take several hours and/or days given its never been done given the skim port is still plugged/capped. Fun stuff….

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,817

    you probably will have to do it multiple times. As the system runs the steam and condensate bring more oil back to the boiler so it isn't a one time thing but once you get most of it out you don't need to do it again, it is just a new install/new piping thing.

    Probably an hour or so at a time is what makes sense, if you keep doing it for hours you aren't really getting more oil off and more oil is going to work its way back to the boiler. it will help if you fire the boiler to keep the water just below boiling as you add more water and cool the boiler.

    ethicalpaul
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 20,187

    Never had to skim one longer than an hour myself. I would check to make sure the sump pump can deal with 190-200 deg water.

    ethicalpaul
  • markmarlatt
    markmarlatt Member Posts: 96
    edited 1:38AM
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1893546#Comment_1893546

    good point, the sump temp limit is 140 degrees. Seems I’m destined to babysit the bucket. Will target each skim for 60 minutes then run system a day then skim again. My goal is to stop or reduce the surge and get the water in the glass less oily.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,817
    edited 1:45AM

    you could just run it in to a condensate pump too

    you can probably fudge the temp a bit if you're just using it like 5 times to skim a boiler vs every day for 30 years

  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 17,390

    I just took several 5 gallon buckets, did my skimming and then let them sit and cool down.

    I did that many times. You can then either dump them into a sump pump or use a pump in them. Or do like I had done and carefully carried them all up out of the basement.

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 8,812
    edited 2:31PM
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1893523#Comment_1893523

    Just use a couple buckets. Just skim a half hour or so at a time (I do it until the water starts to run warm—I didn't say "cold", that would take hours). Anything more than that is wasting your time. Then as @mattmia2 said do it again if needed after a couple days which gives the oil a chance to break loose or return to the boiler/wash down from any new piping.

    I know others said this, but you seemed to really be set on setting up some kind of sump pump so I'm repeating to try to get you away from that idea.

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

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