How to Clean a Boiler Heat Exchanger - Video #9

[@MsckMatt]

Probably the best video I've seen on cleaning these heat exchangers and explaining everything

[@gaugegator1365]

Great video!. Helped me get our boiler going after being raped by technicians up selling. These guys were going to fix my old stuff for a hefty price to get it going while trying to sell me a new unit

[@furnacetech2581]

Gauge Gator thanks for the great feedback! I am glad it helped! I will be making better videos soon! Stay tuned

[@gaugegator1365]

@@furnacetech2581 I subscribed

[@DOLRED]

Thanks---my Crane Boiler is 50+ years old but is Natural Gas. A cellphone allowed me to snap pictures of the underside of the water jacket and it looks ugly----somewhat blocked. Does not make sense. So now I am going to remove the top to clean it out. Thanks for the tips.

[@luizzuni5567]

Great video, fantastic 👏, God bless you and your family

[@Clifford-p4s]

Awesome video. I’m gonna do this to my boiler. It’s dirty. I have those side covers under a door but they have been sealed with boiler cement ? But I can take off the chimney and remove the top cover like you did and get it from the top. But I can only spin mine to the side because there is a pipe going right through the center of it😂😂

[@velvetfoot9456]

I wish this video was out before the first time I cleaned my boiler a few years ago. Yes, I poked the target wall and wound up replacing the refractory insert.

[@bauhnguefyische667]

Very good vid my Man and you kept a dusty work area clean instead of dropping it on the floor and vacuuming it up in soot covered shoes. Thorough, professional work along with some great service tech experience. I’m a boiler guy with 20+ years as a personally licensed mechanic HVAC. I am a bit curious about the chimney as that seems to be the source of the debris, did you figure that out? I am assuming an unlined chimney, rain water and poor draft combined to start problems with condensation in the chimney and block following as draft grew weaker. Anyway, you got a sub from a fellow professional 👍 and a position on my shops tech go to sheet. It’s not a hard job, but it’s a bit tedious getting in done right. One suggestion for you, I use a pair of electricians scissors to cut gaskets, flat or round, so I’m not dulling a knife blade on the block. That technique let’s you line up your ends and corners better while in place.

[@UffDaDan]

Seriously thank you for posting this. Like others, a company wanted over $800 to clean out my boiler that's not severely dirty or blocked. I have the itch to try it myself, silly boiler top cover though for some reason has a pipe coming through it so I'll have to cut some sheet metal to remove the top but I'll be sure to seal that gap

[@furnacetech2581]

The old V1 Burnham Boiler have a pipe coming through the boiler skin at the top. These boilers have side clean out covers which can be removed to gain access to clean the boiler. If the boiler is really dirty then yes I recommend cutting the sheet metal slightly so the metal can be removed.

[@UffDaDan]

@@furnacetech2581 good to know and thanks for the reply. I'll explore that a little more. It's a 2A series the manual says but I hope the side access is still accessible with he left side being a maze of pipes and the right side being inaccessible from the water heater. I'll order some of that ceramic/wool material you linked so I can replace that. Today I needed to start it up for a day or two of cool weather so I'll keep it warm like you recommended until I get the insulation and hopefully find a good brush to also use.

[@furnacetech2581]

UffDaDan I would make sure to lookup the boiler model online just to see if you can find an instillation manual for your boiler if it’s different than the model in my video. There are a few differences if you have a gas boiler vs oil fired boiler! If I can be of any more help just let me know! I just want to make sure you are heading in the right direction. You should proceed with caution if you are unfamiliar with performing maintenance on boilers. All boilers should be tuned with combustion tuning equipment to make sure they are burning correctly and not producing carbon monoxide! Gas boilers are different than oil fired boilers! I hope this helps!

[@UffDaDan]

@@furnacetech2581 Understood. It is a gas boiler and I have performed general troubleshooting and cleaning but not exposing the heating element. When I purchased the house, the inspector did notice high carbon monoxide levels so the sellers paid Xcel energy to come out and "tune it up" which probably meant minimum clean and recheck levels because it was a ~$100 fix and the CO level are slightly high after having a free inspection 3 years later. The free inspector mentioned that if the element is dirty then the exhaust will not be able to efficiently flow through the elements and up through the chimney but rather collect down in the fire box area and that may be a reason why my thermocouples don't last more than 1 year. The thermocouples have been my main problem but I've kept a stockpile around just in case for the easy 5 min fix. I have not ever taken apart the boiler before but do know the functional pieces and the dangers of it all so I feel comfortable going in there with a nylon brush carefully and one of those "it can't hurt" cleanings. I'll double check the manual and exploded BOM diagrams just to make sure that side access isn't the better option, but I purchased some ceramic fiber blanket to replace if I get in there. Thanks!

[@UffDaDan]

@@furnacetech2581 Also I should mention the company that came out for the free inspection I think wanted $2000 to physically clean out the element and also putting in cleaning/preserving fluid into the system.

[@aliafazeli2798]

Thanks for your great video 👌

[@furnacetech2581]

Thank you for watching

[@bradc7254]

I have the same attachment foe my ash vac i use on my pellet stove except the bristles are a wire brush instead of plastic. Should work mint for doing my furnace. Isn't there a few other things like adjusting the fuel ratio and checking the co2 being released or something? And also ik you gotta use Chimney Sealant stuff, kinda like mortar around where the exhaust flue meets the actual chimney, also how frequently do i need to clean my actual chimney for my furnace? Idk if ive ever seen my plumber do that, he has however cleaned the exhaust flue that goes from the furnace to the chimney. And last question, also how do you adjust the oxygen ratio and air intake vent? Is there anything you even have to do there and if so how frequently?

[@furnacetech2581]

Yes, there are many items to check when doing service and repairs. Mortar is perfect for connecting to chimneys for sure, just depends on the application or connections needed. It’s good practice to clean the chimney annually and inspect it for wear. Sometimes you may need to hire a chimney sweep company. Every burner is different when it comes to making air adjustments. Never adjust the air or fuel pressure without a combustion analyzer. Most adjustment locations are on the left or right sides of the burner. You will see makings with numbers which represent the current settings. You can loosen the set screws and slide the air bands or shutters. Make sure to tighten them after you make adjustments to get a good reading on your analyzer and don’t forget to make sure burner covers are in place during testing.

[@ClaytonBoyle]

Excellent video, thank you.

[@CHIBA280CRV]

Wow ,that as a lot work .. is that what a Maintanence on the boiler supposed to be like every year when your paying a service contract ? Please let me know cause I never see my boiler company doing that when they show up for maintenance every year ..thanks again for sharing another informative video ..

[@furnacetech2581]

Every company is different but yes this is an annual service which is performed every year.

[@CHIBA280CRV]

@@furnacetech2581 hmmmm okay I will have to check my contract...thank you . I just saw all of your videos and commented on them ...hope to see another informative video from you soon thank you..

[@jharuni]

@@furnacetech2581 That mess you cleaned up in the video was *one year* accumulation? Please tell me no. Was this a new customer who hadn't done it in 20 years?

[@JF0913]

Amazing job thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@furnacetech2581]

Thank You for watching!

[@MC-kb6zp]

Great video I’m about to do this myself Is that a crown boiler? Mine is and was wondering if it is similar on the inside?

[@furnacetech2581]

I am not sure if the inside is the same or not. I have not seen any crown boilers in my area.

[@gyver471]

You should do a gas boiler? Great video

[@shoyrushoyru]

is that rope gasket and red adhesive going to dry up and peel off easy for the next cleaning and replacement down the line?

[@furnacetech2581]

It comes off ok! Just don’t use anymore than you need to hold the rope in place.

[@shpirt1ilir]

I’m trying to learn as much as I can about the boiler that I have and I wish you had done it step by step from the beginning. I’m wandering if the water in the boiler should be drained or not.

[@furnacetech2581]

You do not need to drain the boiler for annual maintenance.

[@shpirt1ilir]

Furnace Tech Thank you!

[@Ratman_Bejo]

how many doses of chemical for scaling and cleaning for maximum results, thank you

[@furnacetech2581]

I am not sure. I would go by the directions on the chemical you are using and how much scale is inside your boiler to clean out. Sorry this is not much help.

[@أحمدمصطفي-ذ9ج]

Very good

[@furnacetech2581]

Thanks for watching

[@carlb1409]

OK question from an average homeowner - why was there not a liner in the combustion chamber? I've got scraps left in mine and was going to replace it with a new one, per other videos saying that having no liner in there eventually damages the boiler from all the direct heat.

[@furnacetech2581]

Some of the newer models come from the factory this way.

[@shelby50411]

Good video..i have a utica water boiler and one of the heat exchanger plates was raised up not even with the mating plate ...what would casue this?...i knocked it back down .to make it even...

[@furnacetech2581]

der ddd I would suspect that it was installed like that or was no tightened enough and shifted. Hard to say!

[@jrc630]

Awesome

[@arthurdent6447]

I have been told that a condensing boiler must go onto condensing mode to keep the heat exchanger tube Externally clean, as it flushes off soot etc. deposits. My boiler goes into ‘ super condensing mode every morning when it first fires up, for about 1/2 hr, then during the day for 10 minutes each time it restarts after the room stat has been satisfied for an hour or two. Also when someone has a shower, it goes into condense mode for 15-20 minutes. So the outside of the heat exchanger is flushed, albeit not all the time, typical return temperature is 55oC with an outlet of 64oC.....should this be sufficient to keep the outside of the heat exchanger clean ? Thanks

[@furnacetech2581]

To be honest, I don’t have much experience with condensing boilers. My understanding is that the boiler will still run at higher temps but in order to get the extra energy savings, it needs to operate at low temps! Which also helps to keep the heat exchanger cleaner I hope that helps.

[@arthurdent6447]

@@furnacetech2581 so difficult finding anything about deposits on the exterior of a heat exchanger, every reference is for flushing the inside tubes. I think that as it goes into condense mode every so often should keep the HE clear as the condensate should flush it, surprised that so much can accumulate on the exterior of the HE, the gas should be very clean

[@davidj.mcdowell5382]

Hope this finds you well..I have a oil fired 4 section Burnham H8..With the oil company I have a premium service contract...They never cleaned the exchangers..Just vacuum chamber and flu...Its 9 years old..I started blowing the relief valve...They changed the water limited valve..Increased the relief valve to 40 from 30 and and put a 60 lb expansion tank from a 30..ALL AT MY EXPENSE..as it doesn't cover plumbing...Relief valve still blowing water at 171 degrees at 40 lbs....With a inferred gun I am getting 225 degrees and 215 on top ...160 to 170 on sides....My thinking is its clogged and only a small portion is getting heated unevenly...Another service call coming..$1,500 already....Could it be it was never cleaned outside?? or could it also be clogged inside...Opinion please..Its 2 months of trying everything but a good cleaning...

[@furnacetech2581]

1st - Do you have a domestic hot water heating coil? If you do, try isolating it and see if the pressure stays normal. 2nd - check the makeup water pressure regulator. Make sure it’s not stuck open and leaking water into the boiler. 3rd - these boilers should only have a 30psi safety valve. 4th - drain off the system pressure and verify the expansion tank is precharged to 12psi or what ever you need for your system if it’s multi level. These tanks come factory charged at 12psi. Hope this helps

[@davidj.mcdowell5382]

@@furnacetech2581 Thankyou for your reply...The service technician from oil company changed relief valve to 50psi and removed check valve from Taco pump...No domestic hot water...His reasoning for check valve was the expansion tank was after pump..But as I think about it steam would open check valve ... I had a little water this morning..So its still making steam.. Still think exchanger is dirty and making steam where heat is forced through...

[@OMotoristaJacobMonteiro]

Hey. I have a question. My steam has boiler was cleaned 2 months ago, due to high soot level, that was causing the fire to blow a little off the fire area, and blowing that thermic sensor. But now, my boiler still have the same problem again. What do you think it would be. Thank you very much.

[@furnacetech2581]

Do you have an oil fired boiler system?

[@OMotoristaJacobMonteiro]

@@furnacetech2581 no. I have a gas boiler. I was trying to type "steam gas boiler" at the top of my question. Sorry. So. Only one side is building up spot (the left side). Could. It be some gas pressure/gas mixture issue?

[@PanamaSticks]

This may be a dumb question, but do you have to drain the system first? On my Iron Fireman boiler, there appears to be no way to remove any panels without unscrewing the pressure gauge and overpressure relief valve. I have no manual.

[@furnacetech2581]

Great question. Some boilers do not come apart like the one in this video. You may only have a side panel or you may need to remove the flue pipe to get access to run a brush and vacuum inside.

[@PanamaSticks]

@@furnacetech2581 Thank you. You didn't show draining the system in your video. Do you generally have to drain the system to clean the carbon and rust out of the heat exchanger?

[@furnacetech2581]

@@PanamaSticks no draining!

[@PanamaSticks]

@@furnacetech2581 No removable side panel. Hard to believe you could clean the thing through the flue pipe hole. Would all the water be forced out if I DID remove the pressure gauge and overpressure valve?

[@furnacetech2581]

@@PanamaSticks yes water will drain if you remove the pressure gauge or safety valve. There are a few older oil fires boilers which you will need to access through the flue pipe opening at the top. They may also have side clean out ports as well. You can get a flexible brush which you can get into most boilers. I hope this helps

[@jermaineb3202]

Good

[@BooglesJohnson]

Quannkakpuk (thank you in Inupiaq) for sharing this video.

[@richboro1]

Isn't there supposed to be a blanket on the bottom or is that not necessary? @12:15

[@furnacetech2581]

Some of the newer Burnham boilers do not use them

[@furnacetech2581]

Thanks for watching the video! Click the link to SUBSCRIBE: kzbin.info/door/-ZPTqzkJujjUouZZohAvDw

[@MWood-ry8uu]

The video is only half the size