Kerr Blow-Down Extinguishing System- What do you think?

[NewBoiler]

I am installing a Kerr TW2000 Highlander indoor wood boiler. It comes with all the parts required to install what Kerr calls a Blow-down extinguishing system. Basically, the pressure relief valve on the top of the boiler is piped directly into the firebox (instead of into a bucket or right to the floor on most boilers). I guess what it is supposed to do, is if the dump zone doesn't take care of the extra heat and pressure, and the pressure relief valve blows, it will put your fire out.

BUUTTTT, this will dump a ton of water right into fire box causing huge blooms of steam not too mention possibly cracking or warping the firebox. I was always told never to through water directly into a raging wood stove/boiler fire, but this goes against that rule.

What do you guys think? I am thinking about plugging the hole at the front of the boiler and simply running the pressure relief pipe into a bucket or something.

 

[stee6043]

Not a chance I would install that on my boiler....not a chance.

I keep a dry chemical fire extinguisher (2 actually) handy in my boiler room so I can put out a fire without potentially detroying your firebox. I've also seen pressure releif valves develop slow leaks "for no reason". Why risk having an off season leak inside your boiler? I see a lot of potential negatives with this kind of setup. But that's just my opinion...

 

[vvvv]

what if u dump the steam into a bucket,fire keeps raging, & water isnt replaced in boiler?

 

[sdrobertson]

Not a chance I would install that on my boiler....not a chance.

I keep a dry chemical fire extinguisher (2 actually) handy in my boiler room so I can put out a fire without potentially detroying your firebox. I've also seen pressure releif valves develop slow leaks "for no reason". Why risk having an off season leak inside your boiler? I see a lot of potential negatives with this kind of setup. But that's just my opinion...

I agree. I've not been around allot of boilers, but this is the first I have ever heard of this.

 

[vvvv]

Not a chance I would install that on my boiler....not a chance.

I keep a dry chemical fire extinguisher (2 actually) handy in my boiler room so I can put out a fire without potentially detroying your firebox. I've also seen pressure releif valves develop slow leaks "for no reason". Why risk having an off season leak inside your boiler? I see a lot of potential negatives with this kind of setup. But that's just my opinion...

I agree. I've not been around allot of boilers, but this is the first I have ever heard of this.

old boilers had similar system but with a fusible/replaceable link in the firebox. people would replace them with a plug to avoid further hassle= seems boiler worked after the link sprayed the firebox. dunno what happened after link was replaced with plug & boiler overheated again

 

[peakbagger]

My older burnham wood boiler (20 years old) is piped up with a similiar system. It has two relief valves, one is piped to the fire box and one is direct to atmosphere. It is a "last resort" system which is only intended in cases where the dump zone doesnt work and the boiler is full of wood. The choice is possibly ruining the firebox by dousing it or exploding the boiler. At 30 PSI there is quite a bit of energy stored up and depending upon where the unit fails an exploding boiler can do a lot more damage to the surrounding house. Long ago large industrial boilers had fusible lead plugs that would do roughly the same thing. The alternative of just installing a relief valve to atmosphere will work until the water level goes down enouhg for warpage to occur.

One compomise I have had to make on mine is that the unit originally had a 27 psi relief valve on the firebox relief and a 30 psi valve on the main relief. The 27 PSI valve I got on the boiler (it was used) leaked and to date I havent found an affordable replacement, so I have two 30 PSI reliefs.