Summer Prep For Pellet Boiler

[pearlset79]

hello all....now that i am near the end of my pellets and will be using my oil boiler for hot water in the summer. how do people prep their boilers for the summer?? obviously a good cleaning of everything.....but i have heard some people put cat litter in the ashpan to minimize moisture?? also maybe covering the outside vent to decrease moisture?? any other ideas to help keep the stove in the best shape possible?? would love any suggestions since this is my first year doing this.....thanks.......

 

[Sting]

I wrote a little something on this last year

here is the link

http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=7521

 

[rowerwet]

there was another post about this a month or so ago, not sure where it is but here is the main points I got.
-clean the firebox
-clean the chimney
-cap the chimney
-test the water for rust protection
-clean all pellet storage and feed areas
-spray the fire box, heat exchangers and any other bare metal with a presevative oil.
some like DW40 (actually a penetrant oil) I bought some PB blaster metal protector product from home depot, and some MP metal protector from Amsoil, I plan on spraying different sides of the fire box with different products to see which is better. You want something that forms a waxy coating on the metal to stop rust.
Some have mentioned putting a box of baking soda in the fire box to remove moisture, I don't know if this is needed. I wouldn't do the cat litter in the fire box itself, maybey in a pan in the fire box.
My water tank may still get stirred up as I have a thermocube plugged into the circulator for the stove that comes on at 35° and goes off at 45°, nights like tonight (frost warning) it may come on.

 

[Sting]

You don't use baking soda in the fire box -- this isn't a refrigerator with smells to perfume -- You don't use cat litter -- there is no oil to absorb

You might use a bag of desiccant - that's a moisture trap/remover - but a trouble light is less expensive lamped 24/7 and more effective.

 

[stee6043]

I picked up two canisters of dessicant from amazon.com for something like $3.99 each. I threw one in the upper chamber and one in the lower, closed up my doors and will let her rest peacfully until Fall.

This of course was after a thorough cleaning and a spray down of the upper chamber with WD40 as described above....

 

[rowerwet]

You don't use baking soda in the fire box -- this isn't a refrigerator with smells to perfume -- You don't use cat litter -- there is no oil to absorb

You might use a bag of desiccant - that's a moisture trap/remover - but a trouble light is less expensive lamped 24/7 and more effective.

both baking soda and cat litter will absorb water, dessicant is probably the best idea. How much electricty is a drop light with incandescant bulb going to cost for that long?

 

[Gooserider]

You don't use baking soda in the fire box -- this isn't a refrigerator with smells to perfume -- You don't use cat litter -- there is no oil to absorb

You might use a bag of desiccant - that's a moisture trap/remover - but a trouble light is less expensive lamped 24/7 and more effective.

both baking soda and cat litter will absorb water, dessicant is probably the best idea. How much electricty is a drop light with incandescant bulb going to cost for that long?

Depends on the size of the bulb and your local electric costs... 100w will burn 1KWh every 10 hours, so 2.4KWh / day; 60w will burn 16.6 hours per KWh, so 1.4KWh / day; 40w will burn 25hrs per KWh, so 0.96KWh /day; 25w will go 40 hours per KWh, so .625 KWh / day - multiply by your local utility rates...

Another option might be one of those small rod heaters they sometimes put in gun safes and so forth, on sort of the reverse argument they use against incandescent light bulbs - they give more heat per KWh since they don't waste energy on producing light...

Gooserider

 

[Sting]

Ever leave oil dry on the floor after it "absorbed" water --

it sticks like glue - you then have the opportunity to scrape that off - mean time it has held rust producing moisture in one spot on you vessel ????????????


Better you just toss some wet sponges in the boiler!

Lets remember: Descant has a finite ability to absorb moisture. Once saturated its no better than a wet sponge. If you "toss" it in, you have not afforded the ares it lays on with any ability to resist the moisture laden descant. Yes - you can bake the descant at low temperature and use it again. So why not just use the same energy to lamp the trouble light?????

As pointed out above - a trouble light is less expensive, less fooling around, and more effective.