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shutting down steam boilers for summer

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JoeC
JoeC Member Posts: 43
in THE MAIN WALL
In regards to the newer cast iron sectional steam boilers, what is the proper procedure for shutting them down for the summer? I suspect that it would be best to ensure that they are left flooded? It seems that 'letting a hundred or so steam boilers' run 24/7, even when it's 80 degrees outside, is the norm around here.(

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  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
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    most residential steamers

    are just left in ready standby,,kept off by the t-stat..that said, Dunkirks manual states to flood the boiler to the header during the off season.
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • Tony Conner
    Tony Conner Member Posts: 549
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    If It...

    > In regards to the newer cast iron sectional steam

    > boilers, what is the proper procedure for

    > shutting them down for the summer? I suspect that

    > it would be best to ensure that they are left

    > flooded? It seems that 'letting a hundred or so

    > steam boilers' run 24/7, even when it's 80

    > degrees outside, is the norm around here.(



    ...was my boiler, I'd drain it, flush it out with a hose, and leave it open for the summer. The water in steam boilers that sit for several weeks or a few months without being fired will absorb oxygen from the atmosphere, and this will cause pitting at the water line. The other way to prevent this corrosion problem is to fill the boiler completely. But all you need to screw that up, is for a valve not to hold, or a small leak to drop the water level. You should check the level periodically to make sure that it's where it's supposed to be. My experience is that this doesn't nearly always get checked. With the drained and open route, there's nothing to check.
  • gehring_3
    gehring_3 Member Posts: 74
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    Question


    All other things being equal - is it better when a steamer is fitted with a tankless and aquastat so that the cast iron maintains a certain temperature all year long?? I always thought it was bad to let the cast iron cool down, re-heat, cool down, re-heat, etc. Any opinion from the pros on this?
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