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What is this?

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iPipefitter
iPipefitter Posts: 21
in Strictly Steam
IMG_4385.png IMG_4383.jpeg

it is off a steam radiator. Boilers are running about 6psi. This crystal like substance is all over steam and condensate pipes everywhere.

Any help? Thanks

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Posts: 27,805

    First thought — unless you have some kind of air handler system, get the pressure down where it belongs — less than 2 psig, or even lower for some systems.

    Now… that white stuff is from something — probably some kind of dust — in the air. Without doing a chemical analysis it would be quite unwise, in my opinion, to say what. That said, it is very unlikely that it has anything to do with the heat source, just with the movement of air through those grilles.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Posts: 7,542

    radiator or forced air blower?

    Can we get a picture it the unit?

  • iPipefitter
    iPipefitter Posts: 21
    edited 8:21PM

    it is a radiator. The boiler chemicals have been quite high on sulfite lately. The radiator also has a chemical stench coming from it and it’s not leaking. All the steam piping is ran in copper. (Condensate as well) very old plant over 100 years. We have 14” copper steam mains. Also it’s not just the radiators the steam mains also have this build up as well as condensate return lines.

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Posts: 7,682
    edited 8:32PM

    Is that the top of the radiator we see through the grill? It's not a hard connection so I wouldn't think the heat would directly cause whatever that is. Maybe high moisture from venting? Biological growth? Do you know if the grills have been cleaned and it returns? If that's known, how long before it returns?

    I searched snowflake growth on HVAC grill and one of the results was this.

    Screenshot_20260929_162339_Samsung Browser.jpg

    White mold. Similar?

  • iPipefitter
    iPipefitter Posts: 21
    IMG_4388.png

    when I took a sample of it to send to the lab, it’s very flakey and as soon as I touched it most of it turns into small crystal like particles. Looks like a spider web, but it isn’t. And it isn’t dust, the lab is going to test it tomorrow should get results by the end of the week.

  • iPipefitter
    iPipefitter Posts: 21

    also, to answer your question hvac nut. We have cleaned the pipe and it’s back the next day. So within 24 hours.

  • pumpcontrolguy
    pumpcontrolguy Posts: 79

    Definitely look like some sort of crystalline deposit over dust or mold to me. Seems like something is getting carried along and deposited once it cools down.

    Don't know how expensive it would be to do, but someone with a Mass Spectrometer should be able to help ID the compound or compounds. It could be some sort of sulphate salt or something like that

    iPipefitter
  • iPipefitter
    iPipefitter Posts: 21

    thank you, it’s also only on the Steam/condensate lines.

  • TheUpNorthState88
    TheUpNorthState88 Posts: 133

    Can you take a picture of the entire system? I just want to see your 100 year old heating plant. This from someone with a 90 year old system.

    Lifelong Michigander

    -Willie

  • iPipefitter
    iPipefitter Posts: 21

    I can take a picture of the boiler room. But the plant is massive it’s on over 30 acres. Large steam mains run throughout the inside of the plant.

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