Neglected Plugged Up Steam Boiler

I am on a service call where a fire alarm went off the night before. I was asked to clean up and maintain this steam boiler. The boiler was installed 2 years earlier and never serviced. Therefore I start by draining and flushing out the boiler. I remove the steam controls and find pipes/ pigtails that are plugged almost closed if not closed. Also, I remove the sight glass. Due to the glass being dirty the boiler was overfilled. After cleaning out the boiler I put everything back together and test out the boiler.

[@renatoespinoza1066]

Found this channel while searching for "boiler maintenance" lucky for me in one of the comments I see Bill services in my area, Passaic County. He came over and serviced my central air unit and boiler. Great service, no BS, knows what he is talking about.

[@APortaA1]

How did you contact him? I am in Garfield NJ and his contact info is no where to be found on his channel and even facebook pagw

[@mhadlock78]

"Do you have an idea of when it it's gonna be done?" "When it's done." LMAO I work in IT and have said "When it's done." so many times to similar questions. I also love the "It was working fine yesterday!" my stock response is "Everything works... Until it breaks."

[@thehvachacker]

I wasn't too much an ass with that response? I didn't know any other way to answer

[@mhadlock78]

The HVAC Hacker No it was fine. You got the heat back on pretty fast too.

[@SuburbanDon]

@@thehvachacker Not a good way to keep customers. I wouldn't have you back. She wasn't nasty about it.

[@danielwilliams3978]

People do not realize it takes some time to take all this stuff apart and clean out the fittings. This all necessary for the safety of the residence and the occupants. The efficient operation of this equipment is all dependent on the Maintance. Steam systems are open to the atmosphere which means these system are forever rusting on the inside. The rust mixes with the water and becomes sludge which ultimately ends up in the boiler and all the controls of said boiler. Not cleaning properly can cause equipment failure and very possibly deadly ramifications. Yes, all Heating Companies have Insurance, the goal is to never need to use the Insurance for any reason. I do not like to be rushed by the customer. Yes, we all know time is money however, the tech needs to be left alone to properly do their work. You cannot leave any stone un-turned. This stuff all needs to be checked.

[@zekenzy6486]

Great Video. In my area we don't have boiler. I love to see you troubleshooting on Boiler. Thank you for sharing ^_^

[@thehvachacker]

I would be bored without boiler work. Lately it’s either boilers or rtu’s

[@paulmurphy5964]

I purchased a home w a steam boiler years ago. Previous owner had much difficulty with getting heat in house. Unit had a service tag w yearly inspections performed, but only the gas side of system was serviced. Discovered The drain/flush valve clogged. Unscrewed it from boiler, and nothing came out. Probed the rust and corrosion to clear it , and flow started. Later removed 3” plug and flushed boiler. Lots of rust and sediment. It’s been working fine for 8 years now. Builds steam in about 10 minutes. I think it’s a 450k btu unit...about30 years old at least . Weil- McLaine . Why the Svc tech never flushed water side is a mystery.

[@zeroheat5787]

The installer did a nice job leaving clean out ports on that return line. I dislike how the existing returns from the mains are tied into the tee on the runs. This gives no direction of flow back to the boiler and a spot where soot will accumulate. Nice work on the service. Way to be, Sir.

[@realestateservicessaleshea99]

It's a good thing the fire alarm went off ! 🤣 That boiler needed service if that had an old school float that would be crisp ! When you see the spill switch tripped and the site glass full be careful !!! JS Stay safe. 1 year & 2 months in.🤔 Wear you safety glasses !

[@BleedCubbieBlue]

I just got the same model installed and this video is a life saver.

[@biceptaper]

It has been a long time since I read my Dan Holohan books, but I have a feeling that whoever installed that boiler did not follow any of the piping instructions that came from the manufacturer. Let's not even talk about the total lack of any insulation on the piping on the boiler and throughout the boiler room and most likely, the rest of the steam pipes. I bet they keep pushing up the pressure to get the steam to all the radiators. If the insulation was installed properly there would be no need for anything more than 14 ounces of pressure. Using a vaporstat instead of a pressure-trol will make a world of difference as well as save fuel. All there in the "Lost Art of Steam Heating."

[@zeroheat5787]

Insulation is important, I agree there. The piping is fine. Hartford loop, close nipple, feeding water on the return side is correct, equalizer is perfect, clean out ports everywhere on the return. Brass pigtails are correct, near boiler piping looks longer than 18”-24”. Depending on jurisdiction, backup low water cut off is mandatory. He does have a manual reset pressuretrol so I’m assuming a manual reset lwco is required. Only thing I see wrong is the existing returns from the mains are tied into a tee on the runs and the bull piped to the boiler return. This doesn’t control the flow and will allow soot to accumulate. A big no no is having two safety/operating controls on a single boiler tapping. That’s complete ignorance. Steam travels 56 mph. 1 lbs of pressure is enough for this system. It means the system is filled. If the main air vents aren’t piped in properly (minimum 15” away from ends of main), and the air valves aren’t sized properly, then they’ll be hammer/knocking. Insulation won’t help that much. Lost art of steam heating is a gem. The “dead men” were a gem too for our industry. I’m grateful for having them school me when I was green, and surely they were grateful for me grasping that knowledge and making their lives easier at work. Also knowing that the knowledge they passed down was respected and passed down to future greenhorns. Be safe. Have a prosperous 21,Sir.

[@nsaglian]

20.00 - The shrubs are getting their iron supplements - no extra charge!

[@tucobenedicto109]

and copper for the evergreen!

[@thehvachacker]

Good stuff as long as I’m not burning the grass

[@LindaHutchings]

thx for tips... on breaking pipe dope seal first with gentle wrench movement. Very useful tip on the time delay in the LWCO before it starts filling so that the condensate can catch up and come back to fill before the lower water feeder starts adding water to replace water lost due to steam release in radiators.

[@jimvincent6408]

Good thorough video! Thanks!

[@Kevin-wj4ed]

Water looks so clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@throttlebottle5906]

what a cute little water heater, for such a large building :))

[@thehvachacker]

It's a library so hot water is mostly for bathrooms

[@Eddy63]

Nice service job Hackster ...

[@thehvachacker]

Thanks Eddie, It was a good workout lugging around many 5 gallon pails of water

[@dmitrinachumovhvacapplianc1597]

Always a good job

[@thehvachacker]

Thanks hope everything been good it's been awhile

[@Kevin-wj4ed]

That boiler should last 50 years!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheGhettoLobster]

Now it'll be 4 years before they call you out again

[@thehvachacker]

Possible, yet at least it will be ok for the rest of this season

[@mikeg3888]

That thing is a monster of a boiler! 16 burner tubes compared to the 4 burners on my Peerless steam boiler

[@ivemovedmountainswithless1571]

I jut quoted to replace all burners on a Peerless... 27 total. 🥴

[@throttlebottle5906]

@ 55:53 water line above it had the drips, rusting it outside in. I seen the green corrosion snots shortly before :) ** and then you pointed it out lol.

[@watermanone7567]

On big boilers we always turned off the site glass unless an operator was on duty.

[@jerrynick9605]

I don’t know where you worked. You should never close sight glass valves.

[@hvac01453]

If the controls are mercury, you need to rotate those pressure tools 90 degrees. If and when those pigtails grow from the heat, the controls will tilt and the mercury will shift to one side. Also, your supposed to backflush the wet returns and the LWCO should be washed out.

[@brettwing737]

Those controls aren't mercury

[@throttlebottle5906]

guess he thinks it's 1980 again ;)

[@hvac01453]

throttle bottle really??? I see mercury in the field all the time, especially on steam boiler pressuretrols. The T87F May be getting rare now days but still many of them out there too! This boiler had asbestos on it, that’s been outlawed for like 50 years.... problem is, everyone seems to do a half-assed job and remove only the easily accessed stuff, so the shit lingers in the air all the time, and to top it off, nobody reinsulates the piping, so boilers fail way before their time... and the operating costs are also high. Best thing to do on steam systems is rip them out.

[@brettwing737]

@@hvac01453 that boiler doesn't have any asbestos on it guy. That is a new steam boiler probably not over 10 years old. Maybe the piping has asbestos on it but that has nothing to do with the age of the boiler. I think you need to get your eyes checked. Hey hvac hacker did you happen to get a date of manufacture?

[@thehvachacker]

This boiler is only a couple years old.with diaphragm underneath that pushes up on the spring mechanism. There is many boilers still out here with the mercury switch. Also many t87 thermostats still on walls or even the honey well t822. I'm looking at one on my dining room wall. Mercury switches last forever why did we ever go digital

[@ZeroKool360]

Great job. Keep up the awesome videos.

[@stevedoesitbetter]

Love crown boilers

[@stevedoesitbetter]

If you take off the bottom gate valve and it leaks after wrap the threads inside and outside by the packing nut with teflon tape you’ll get a seal.

[@Mobil351]

Hello, just want to share some info. Jargon, the dirt you’re removing isn’t gunk it called mud,it gauge glass isn’t a sight glass, the controls aren’t safety’s they are limits, safety’s would be the pop safety’s or relief valve, also judging by the amount of mud in the boiler you might consider compounding the boiler . Hope this helps

[@thehvachacker]

Sorry I never hear anyone call it a gauge glass. It’s a sight glass. Google gauge glass and sight glass comes up. Doesn’t mean no one may call it a gauge glass yet very uncommon. Don’t be naive, because you believe your way is the only way. It’s one of many ways. Pressuretrol is a Controls keeping the boiler safely operating. Hence safety, Limits are safeties. Relief blows when safety fail. I was going to mention hi temp limit for furnace yet flame roll out limit. Explain how a flame roll out limit or spill switch limit is not a safety? Ac unit safeties are all considered limits.

[@Mobil351]

Hello, everything in your service was spot on. And I get it trade jargon differs from location to location. But limits are limits and safety’s are safety’s if a limit fails weather on a steam or hydronic system it is the relief valve that under most circumstances keeps the boiler from blowing up. The limit if working runs the burner up to its operating set point in lbs on a steam system ,or temp on hydronic one .on commercial jobs most codes require also a manual reset pressuretrol wired in series with the limit so if there is a over pressure occurrence the only way to start the unit again is by resetting the e control. I state the obvious. If both the limit control and the E control are piped using the same pig tail, and if that pigtail becomes plugged than again the device that will protect the system from blowing up is the pop safety. One more piece of the puzzle, on steam systems that produce heat and domestic hot water. The aquastat is called a operating control this operates the burner to the set point on the aquastat and is overridden by the thermostat on a call for heat. Lastly using gunk in you description in the video. The correct phrase for accumulated dirt in a steam system is mud. Boiler manufacturers don’t construct gunk legs into boilers used for steam they are mud legs. And that’s the correct terminology or jargon.I think along with posting your videos you would expect feedback. And with over 44 years in the trade I’m just trying to pass info onto you that may be helpful in your career. Thanks ,MG

[@HarryLevinson]

I enjoyed your walk through. One question though. I didn’t see you put any water in the pigtails. I thought that was needed to protect the pressuretrols from steam temps.

[@thehvachacker]

The pigtails will fill themselves up quickly. I never fill them and never have problems with pressuretrols.

[@TuKLe-sf5dl]

Omg I never see the one dirty like this

[@willieharris6356]

I don't know what you doing but I like it. I got some questions but I'm afraid to ask.

[@thehvachacker]

Ask away I am always open to help others learn steam. Where I live their is lots of old houses with steam systems.

[@LindaHutchings]

​ @TheHVACHacker ​@UCn9USeohvbm9waqj9R-C1mg y can you please clarify what units you are removing and disassembling to clean at 13:00 and reinstalling at 30:24? (Anyone?) My steam oil boiler was neglected for 2 years and after flushing well, and cleaning sight glass (before finding this video), I still was concerned about possible particles causing possible intermittent behavior of pressure guage and pressure control. Are these the two units you are removing and cleaning? I am asking because even after a flush and sight glass cleaning, the boiler works but the pressure guage is reading 4-5.5 psi (1.5 differential cold to hot) and the pressure controller needed to be adjusted from 2 to 3 psi to allow the unit to start and stay heating. Seems like particle clog is possible???

[@malachy1847]

It's reckoned that Gauges the pointer will miss read and under score on the first Third, then would be fairly accurate in the Middle third and slightly over score on the Latter third of on the Bezel...is if your looking at a 30PSI Gauge one wonder's why there's not an Accurate Certified 10 PSI gauge fitted onto the top of the Boiler with an Isolation Vale below Same...so that the working pressure can be accurate indication ... for the output to that Building as same is a couple of PSI...

[@paulyanega2373]

if you need running water try taking it from the water hearer drain in a pinch

[@marks6663]

Did you test the pressure relief valve to make sure it was still operational and not gunked up closed with rust?

[@MarcusConte]

excellent

[@grounded-b937]

I can't believe you didn't open the sight glass valves before you checked the tank level.. they closed them so the glass wouldn't be exposed to the pressure of the boiler all the time. What if the glass broke accidentally, while the boiler was under pressure?

[@hvac01453]

are you kidding? Pressure? Thats Pyrex. that will never reach the 10% of the pressure you have in your sink. Plus it has two pressure safety by code in all commercial jobs. Usually about 1-3 PSI only max in most systems.

[@thehvachacker]

I was expecting the valves were opened. I do t know anyone that closes the valves unless their is a leak. Plus why would someone overfill the boiler and then close the valves? Only time I see the glass break is from someone over tightening the nuts trying to reuse the washers. If the glass breaks two things will happen. One the boiler will lock out on low water, or spill water out of broken glass yet create a no heat situation due to lost steam pressure

[@NuncNuncNuncNunc]

Why clean a broken sight glass?

[@aglasserm1679]

I don't understand what the site glas has to do with the boiler being overfilled. The auto water feed is not connected to the site glass.

[@thehvachacker]

The sight glass is where you see where the boiler is filled up to. It’s suppose to be 3/4 full. The auto feeder adds water once the low water cut off is activated to prevent boiler from firing without enough water. If a sight glass is full of water the boiler is overfilled.

[@theshaddowaust]

I know this video is over a year old but I will say you have it easy, try a 300+PSI superheated boilers that runs the hole factory, they are so much fun to work on and worst is when you have a bank of them to work on, the ten year inspection and clean is the worst, I am happy I got away from them.

[@niklaselste1604]

Hi did i miss it or did you flusch the t befor the pig tails???

[@thehvachacker]

The T was clear or I would of taken it apart. The pigtails are traps to protect the pressuretrol They always close up with mud

[@d.ricc6421]

They probably sprung a leak in the glass gaskets, so they shut it down

[@dunckeroo1987]

I wonder on a stream boiler like that if a water softener unit helps, or how much it helps.

[@thehvachacker]

It wouldn’t help much most the gunk is from iron ore/ rust due to he iron pipes being wet and dry often

[@cloctol5331]

I'm dealing with the same boiler ,brand new ,it won't gain any pressure, n the safety release starts letting dirty water out as soon as it starts heating is it clogged

[@KC-cn9lq]

I need this service!!! Any chance you do jobs in Queens, NY?

[@keithN6]

If he doesn’t check out “the pipe doctor” he’s another plumber from ny on KZbin

[@toddt6730]

I think there’s less mud in my back yard

[@yauhenil7828]

Hi! how much is that kind of cleaning cost to customer and how often it should be done?

[@jeffgrant6914]

Damn the water coming out of that steam boiler was fucking nasty why one someone do something that stupid nice video

[@thehvachacker]

It's in a library and none of the librarians take care of it. The town is working on getting on a service agreement

[@Mike-yh8tv]

Thanks for sharing once again!keep up the good work!enjoy the knowledge....

[@thehvachacker]

Thanks for enjoying the videos. Steam boilers heat many building and houses in my area rely on them

[@paulkennedy5822]

Could you please explain the 2 pressuretrols? I’m thinking the one on the left controls normal operation (cut-in and cut-out) and the other one, with the manual reset button, is an emergency shutoff to prevent overheating the boiler. Am I close? Also, could you explain the wiring? It looks like there’s only one set of wires. Are they wired in series?

[@Aepek]

0:41 hit brown gravy makes ya money😉

[@sinpros]

Over filled orrrrrrrr plugged sight glass

[@APortaA1]

I live in Bergen County (Garfield) I need my steam boiler serviced. Having problem with balancing on 2nd floor and 1st floor. But I cannot find your contact info anywhere on the area you service

[@worldtravel9967]

Is that dangerous to breath in as a resident

[@HelloWorld-hb7yt]

I have the exact same boiler and it's giving me problems, where are you located?

[@lisab3396]

Key word >>>>>> UNIONS.

[@steelsvlogs3835]

What's wrong if your boiler is not making enough steam,but doesn't have a leak

[@320ceman]

Why do you say the boiler not making enough steam , you should only need about 1 pound of steam depending on system ,do you have some radiator not working ? Is that what you mean

[@alfoncejean8826]

Since you seam to be working on steam and hot water system, I was wondering what you think of one regarding the other? is one clearly better or dose it depend on the situation?

[@TheGhettoLobster]

Hot water boilers are far less dangerous and don't require as much maintenance.

[@thehvachacker]

I like steam heat grew up with it. Yet it requires its owner to keep an eye on water levels and drain down weekly to get some of the mud out. Also everyone wanting to seal up their houses to make them energy efficient isn't great for a steam system that needs to run and build up steam pressure. Like a tea pot whistling, thats when the radiators put out the best heat They stopped installing steam in houses somewhere in the 50's. Hydronic systems only require a yearly maintenance. Both are really efficient heat sources.

[@alfoncejean8826]

Thanks, i never encountered steam so i was curious.

[@brettwing737]

@@thehvachacker that's the problem with steam I hear a lot is my house gets to hot. I prefer hydronic heating

[@LindaHutchings]

@@thehvachacker I was told they are the most efficient in terms of BTU per buck...is that still true? I think they are also best for your respiratory and skin health due to moisture in air rather than drying air. As a singer I appreciate that!

[@Reaglesracing44_]

how long does this usually take to do from start to finish?

[@thehvachacker]

A residential boiler If everything goes smoothly and a drain is near boiler 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours. Thats water and gas service. Only one or two buckets of water to drain. This took me about 3 hours and I only serviced the water side.

[@hvac01453]

Hey, just a question on the Knipex tools. Do you find you use the cobras or slip joint style more often?

[@thehvachacker]

I only have the cobra style pliers. Even the adjustable wrench pliers. Never owned the slip joint style yet think that style might handicap grip sometimes with limited adjustments

[@hvac01453]

The HVAC Hacker by slip joint, I mean the smooth jawed Knipex silver pump plier I see you using. I love my Cobra pump pliers, but would think you would carry either the toothed style or smooth jawed style. Carrying both might tend to make your bag too heavy, especially if you find you favor one over the other.

[@thehvachacker]

I carry both cause they serve different functions. I use the smooth jaw in place of an adjustable wrench. Brass wrench together fittings usually I would grab the pliers wrench over cobra's. The cobra pump pliers on anything round. I was able to remove a broken frozen bolt the other day that was snapped in a valute with my 10" cobras. Both together are lighter than a 10" adjustable wrench.

[@hvac01453]

@@thehvachacker I have one bag with two 6" cobras and a wide mouth 8"channel lock .and one 6" adjustable. in an MB2. If Im doing anything other than troubleshooting, I grab the 47# Big Veto bag. I try to stay light. I hate doing multiple trips.

[@jeffsmith2022]

Rather easy to insulate all that exposed pipe...

[@jeffsmith2022]

Just get a pencil and a bit of wet paper towel with some dawn dish soap and push it through the glass a few times...works great...who the hell was overfilling the boiler?...

[@kurtismckemmie4850]

And you didn't set the fire alarm off!😂 When was the last time it was serviced? I didn't see any service tags on the unit.

[@thehvachacker]

It was never serviced since installed 2+ years ago

[@kurtismckemmie4850]

@@thehvachacker wow. How often should they be serviced, every year?

[@thehvachacker]

Yes once a year a good cleanup is needed.

[@niklaselste1604]

Here in sweden that wireing wod not be ok is it 24v?

[@thehvachacker]

it's 24v. Most boilers are wired like this. You should see the rats nest under many hydronic heating systems zone valves.

[@niklaselste1604]

@@thehvachacker id love to se some of that 😜

[@Mobil351]

Hey again I found a video that I think might be useful if your interested I'll pass it along

[@thehvachacker]

Pass on the link, knowledge is always useful. I am learning everyday. Either on a machine I’m working on. Or even from my comment sections.

[@jeffreyjohn2037]

No need for a cross on the return. Change it out to a tee.

[@LindaHutchings]

@TheHVACHacker @Supa Trending Daily can you please clarify what units you are removing and disassembling to clean at 13:00 and reinstalling at 30:24? (Anyone?) My steam oil boiler was neglected for 2 years and after flushing well, and cleaning sight glass (before finding this video), I still was concerned about possible particles causing possible intermittent behavior of pressure guage and pressure control. Are these the two units you are removing and cleaning? I am asking because even after a flush and sight glass cleaning, the boiler works but the pressure guage is reading 4-5.5 psi (1.5 differential cold to hot) and the pressure controller needed to be adjusted from 2 to 3 psi to allow the unit to start and stay heating. Seems like particle clog is possible???

[@TheGhettoLobster]

Those are called pressure-trols. Its a pressure safety device that activates in case the pressure in the boiler gets too high

[@TheGhettoLobster]

@@frankm5019 I can only make assumptions from here. But I'd say your due for a service on the boiler and it should be taken apart and cleaned. Residental steam shouldn't be above 1psi, let alone 30. That's concerning

[@GotSig1510]

Which city are you in?

[@LindaHutchings]

"Got people dumber than a bag of rocks....make your job harder" 43:01 Yup that would be me, I guess, ...up 'til now...now I am atoning for my sin on NOT cleaning or flushing anything for 2 years #ROFLOL.

[@Ted_E_Bear]

You are so smart ! Thanks for all the great work you do. Old Bernie is going to give all the money you make to the non working people! I feel so sorry for you ! The Trump Train is trying to be derailed by Bernie Sanders, oh my goodness !!

[@throttlebottle5906]

Bernie "head in the" Sanders :))

[@cu27rotary70]

Can we keep the politics out of HVAC videos?

[@johnwilcox4078]

The boiler overfilled because the dirty water caused surging and priming, which unnecessarily cycles the automatic water feed. Common problem. It appears to be a newer installation, it probably never was properly cleaned after installing.

[@geraldschilli8870]

That filthy water??? Doesn’t anybody believe in water treatment around there?

[@natedaniels2854]

how long does this job take you to do ?

[@thehvachacker]

A steam boiler maintenance. Anywhere from 1-1/2 - 2 hours. Very rarely does it take a lot longer. It never seems to be less than 1-1/2 hours

[@jasontaylor162]

Why do you turn on and off for when u be cleaning business size hot water heater

[@thehvachacker]

What do you mean?

[@jasontaylor162]

@@thehvachacker Why do you turn on and off for when u be cleaning business size hot water heater

[@320ceman]

Why not add chemical to system

[@donnierobertson3088]

Ok

[@averagebloke4474]

Wish I can get an HVAC job.

[@thehvachacker]

this is time of year to start applying most companies will be looking for help

[@averagebloke4474]

@@thehvachacker yeah no that's the problem with you guys. I'll never get anywhere if I just get hired and laid off when it's slow. I don't want a temporary seasonal job I want a career.

[@averagebloke4474]

@@thehvachacker I was trying to get into HVAC since 2017 and didn't work in HVAC since August... You guys say you need people in the trade though that's a joke.

[@donolight7962]

Sculpin havnt been laid off once in 4 years 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@averagebloke4474]

@@donolight7962 cool man good for you. Congratulations?

[@stevententis456]

That is not a steam boiler it's a water heater with no chemical water treatment as can be seen by the shit that drained out. Also, copper is not allowed on steam boilers. I have my high pressure boiler license to service and operate steam boilers. Also it was vapor and not steam that fogged up your camera. Super heated steam is invisible. Know what it is your working on or quit looking foolish on your videos.

[@thehvachacker]

It is a steam boiler. Water heaters heat domestic water. Steam travels up the pipes to the radiators. Air comes out vents until vent heats up and closes. It's low pressure steam. Mrknowitall Steam is hot water vapor. Yet hot water boilers need pumps to move water. I work on lots of boilers.

[@cu27rotary70]

@@thehvachacker I don't work steam as often but I helped a Sr. Tech on a one and replaced the water feed valve. Lot of work.

[@brettwing737]

Your the one that looks foolish. I don't know what state your in but we replace steam boilers all the time and tie in with copper which pass inspection. This is not a high pressure steam system. There's a difference let me quess your a building "engineer"

[@hvac01453]

@@thehvachacker ouch!

[@mikeg3888]

Steven is full of shit, can't even tell the difference between a steam boiler and a water heater lol time to go back to School