Extended Down Time For The Boiler

Dave/Matt,

I'm shutting down for a week or two and draining my system. I can put a light in the fire box and coat everything with WD 40, but is there something I should do for the wetted areas of the boiler? A rust inhibitor perhaps, and then fill it back up with water while I work on it?

Thanks for the advice,

For a week or two I wouldn't do anything beyond a brush down and light bulb in the firebox.

You could use deionized or distilled water but not really necessary.

kstills wrote:Dave/Matt,

I'm shutting down for a week or two and draining my system. I can put a light in the fire box and coat everything with WD 40, but is there something I should do for the wetted areas of the boiler? A rust inhibitor perhaps, and then fill it back up with water while I work on it?

Thanks for the advice,

I agree with other posts. A week or 2 doesn't require any real special treatment. Can you leave the pressure vessel of the boiler under pressure and just drain the area you need to work on? If not I wouldn't worry too much.

Flyer5 wrote:

kstills wrote:Dave/Matt,

I'm shutting down for a week or two and draining my system. I can put a light in the fire box and coat everything with WD 40, but is there something I should do for the wetted areas of the boiler? A rust inhibitor perhaps, and then fill it back up with water while I work on it?

Thanks for the advice,

I agree with other posts. A week or 2 doesn't require any real special treatment. Can you leave the pressure vessel of the boiler under pressure and just drain the area you need to work on? If not I wouldn't worry too much.

I need to drain through the boiler, however I can re-fill it once it's drained (I'm pulling out the plumbing and the boiler is valved off) and let it sit.

Wish me luck.

I read in an old heating book that it's best to NOT refill a boiler unless you plan on firing it. Fresh water contains a lot of dissolved oxygen which is driven out when the water is heated the first time. Leaving a boiler full of "used" water is the best thing for it, and filling with fresh water and leaving it sit is probably the worst.

Chris

europachris wrote:I read in an old heating book that it's best to NOT refill a boiler unless you plan on firing it. Fresh water contains a lot of dissolved oxygen which is driven out when the water is heated the first time. Leaving a boiler full of "used" water is the best thing for it, and filling with fresh water and leaving it sit is probably the worst.

europachris wrote: Leaving a boiler full of "used" water is the best thing for it, and filling with fresh water and leaving it sit is probably the worst.

Chris

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