Proper boiler commissioning

[BoilerMan]

I've read on here about some using TSP for their commissioning fill up. I know this makes a very alcailine solution depending on concentration. Would this flush out bits of oil from the machining, pipe threading, and flux from the copper? Is this left in a system, run hot then flushed, or left in indefinitely? Never heard of doing this until I read it on here, the boiler cleaners available at Sid Harvey seem to be a soap base and not really get this sludgie oil out of a new system as evidenced by removing y-strainers after a couple of years of operation. Seems like a system with a flat plate exchanger would suffer the most form a slight sludge buildup. Should I shoot for a specific pH and maintain it, or am I overthinking the whole thing. Looking at the stacks and thinking it wont be long before I'm burning again, and that Attack has held air pressure for 3 months.......
I asked this on HH with not much responce suprisingly.

PIC of the DPX..... found that the local Amish make some beautiful single wall stainless stove pipe, so I had to get some of that.

TS

 

[stee6043]

I ran a "boiler cleaner" solution through my boiler through one full heating cycle, then drained, then refilled with "boiler treatment" solution intended to stay in the water. I figure once I hit 10 years on this water I'll repeat the process. Most of the "cleaners" I've seen are definitely not intended to leave in the boiler/water. They should be flushed.

How big is your flue pipe? It looks awfully small (4"??) for a 45KW boiler. But maybe it's just the photo. And I also can't make out any return temp protection loop in your plumbing. Perhaps that's happening out of the photo or maybe even inside the unit itself? I'm not familiar with the Attack line. Looks slick though.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

One more vote for boiler cleaner heat then drain, then flush system drain again, then refill with boiler treatment based on your fill water samples & maintain that level of boiler treatment for the life of the boiler through regular water sampling & testing. Also a sidearm filter does not hurt, gives you a place to trap & remove anything that was missed. If you dont plumb in a filler pot you can always use the sidearm filter canister when adding more boiler treatment later on. Pretty small price to pay when you consider that this is primarily what has allowed commercial boilers to see 100 years of service sometimes more, that & consistant maintenance of course.

 

[BoilerMan]

Stee:
It's 6" Interchangeable with regular black steel single wall pipe. Very nice stuff and $20 for 4'! Non-magnetic, you need some good snips though as with all stainless.

Return protection is accomplished through control logic. It's hard to see but in the picture there is a return sensor strapped on just before the elbow above the yellow return ball valve. The injection controller for the radiant (Taco XPB-1) has a return protection feature so I wired the sensor on the primary loop after all zone valves and radiant loop so the radiant injection circulator will back off if the return falls below 150this was all discussed in another thread some time ago. It all worked well when I had the New Yorker WC in place of the Attack, but that was just an expierment to get it all right before I installed a gasser.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/safe-to-run-w-o-termovar.86363/


So....
1. Boiler cleaner
2. Fill and purge
3. Heat
4. Drain
5. Fill, circulate
6. Drain
7. Boiler treatment
8. Fill and purge
9. Run and maintain indefinatly


Frozen:
What do you mean by sidearm filter? I have a Y-strainer in the system before my flat plate to the radiant to catch any forign matter in the system.

TS

 

[kopeck]

I used some Hercules boiler and heating system cleaner in mine. Not sure if it helped or not but it wasn't all that expensive and it made me feel better.

BTW, I really like how neat your pipeing is. I wish mine was that nice but it didn't work out quite as well as I had hoped. It works though so I can't complain to much.

K

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Y strainer will provide the same type of protection, sidearm is like another circuit/zone that a % of flow goes through & is filtered, common in commercial installs. Think of it as a Y strainer on steriods. P.S. check your boiler cleaner label, some require heating the fluid some do not & can be used on a cold system. Follow label instructions. After boiler treatment you should not have to drain, some important corrosion inhibitors & oxygen scavengers in most good boiler treatments & you will want to keep those in the system. Hope this helps.

 

[heaterman]

Regardless of the type of piping used our standard procedure is as follows:

Fill the system after everything is connected.
Cycle everything including zones up to temp then flush with clear water.
Refill using a boiler cleaner recommended by the manufacturer.
Depending on time constraints and the time of year, I like to leave the cleaner in for at least a couple days.
Drain, flush and refill using additives determined by a previous test of the fill water.
Retest annually for open or closed systems.

 

[BoilerMan]

Do I shoot for a certain pH? Something like 7.5-9, I have searched the forum and the web with little findings. What is the proper test for boiler water, it seems like when the sample is taken it would be exposed to air skewing the results.

Kopeck, Thanks for your complements! I didn't want to do the big supply loop back to the front of the boiler, but the rear supply and return made it so that was the easiest way so as to keep the expansion tank away from the flue pipe, and still have it before the circulator where it should be. I have used the Hercules stuff as well, they stock it at Lowes, but I have an account at Sid Harvey and Redlon Johnson, so there as well.

Heaterman, the manufacturer (Attack) has no info on any type of fill requirements, as with most Eastern European stuff I guess there is a gap in the translation, the the website is just a redundant operators manual.

Just want to do the right thing, as there are alot of crevices in this boiler as with all firetubed boilers. Thanks for everyone's input, more welcome.

TS

 

[woodsmaster]

Don't remember for sure but seems like you want 8 or 9 on the ph. Definitly nothing acidic.