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Author Topic: Empty your boilers after use!  (Read 233 times)

Raphael

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Empty your boilers after use!
« on: November 13, 2024, 03:54:00 am »
Bonjour,
I have bought a "brand new" steam plant, only tested once then left on a shelf ... for more than 10 years !
Bad luck, for me I mean, water  was left in the boiler... The rest in pictures :
https://youtu.be/j_2xBOR2ais
https://youtu.be/yxJUC9kUlyM

Morality, I highly recommend emptying your boilers after using them
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Raphaël, Membre du Modèle Yacht Club de Paris : http://mycparis.fr/
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St Paul Steam

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2024, 04:51:10 am »
Although I didnt understand a word Raphael, I believe you were lightly cursing in French  ;) , I usually try very hard to not leave water residue in the boiler, in my shop I have an overhead furnace that blows down on my radial arm saw, this serves as my "paint drying/curing spot" & my "boiler drying out spot." it may be foolish on my part, but with boilers that are flame fired I have been known to apply a little heat for 30 seconds or so to dry up the few drops left over after I've thoroughly run compressed air threw the entire system.
I'm sorry you had problems with a boiler stored away with water in it.
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Raphael

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2024, 05:32:54 am »
Bonjour Bruce,
Thank you for your feedback, personally, I never heat my boilers when they are empty, perhaps should I do it a few seconds like you do.

And you are right, I was not happy to discover these unexpected problems :(

I have been very impressed by the hardness of the residue found in the pipes, it looks like stone !

That literally desinterate the ferule at the botton of the water level, I have sent back the boiler to its manufacturer to have it replaced.

Besides this, I add the option "English subtitles" on my videos,do you see them ?
 
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Raphaël, Membre du Modèle Yacht Club de Paris : http://mycparis.fr/
Membre de l'Offshore Club de Paris: http://site-ocparis.wifeo.com/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/rhavrane

Stoker

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2024, 08:44:05 am »
Bonjour Raphael

By clicking on the CC icon on the lower tool bar, I do get subtitles, but they are also in French, so while they do help a little as so many of our words have common basis, it goes by faster than I can make much use of it!

So sorry to hear of your problems with what is so obviously a beautiful and very capable boiler!!!
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"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
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Nick

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2024, 08:53:41 am »
Quote from: Stoker on November 13, 2024, 08:44:05 am
Bonjour Raphael

By clicking on the CC icon on the lower tool bar, I do get subtitles, but they are also in French, so while they do help a little as so many of our words have common basis, it goes by faster than I can make much use of it!

So sorry to hear of your problems with what is so obviously a beautiful and very capable boiler!!!
After you get the subtitles, click “settings” or the little gear/wheel and you can change them to any language
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Nick

Stoker

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2024, 09:13:51 am »
Quote from: Nick on November 13, 2024, 08:53:41 am
Quote from: Stoker on November 13, 2024, 08:44:05 am
Bonjour Raphael

By clicking on the CC icon on the lower tool bar, I do get subtitles, but they are also in French, so while they do help a little as so many of our words have common basis, it goes by faster than I can make much use of it!

So sorry to hear of your problems with what is so obviously a beautiful and very capable boiler!!!
After you get the subtitles, click “settings” or the little gear/wheel and you can change them to any language

Doesn't seem to be the case here Nick. I can turn them on or off and have a number of other types of function options to choose from, but French is the only language listed!
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"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.

RichSteamTx

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2024, 10:33:31 am »
Bummer, I have a early Weeden Big Giant, likely pre-1923 (as I found a ad for 1923 that says improved brass tank for this engine) and it was very rusted - to the point it had 4 pinholes.  Though I think it would be hard pressed to find any 100 year old steel tank that isn't rusted. I don't use tap but purified and distilled water mix.  Then l drain while its still hot-ish.  I haven't had the balls to heat up whilst empty.

For the English CC, perhaps this little video will help?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UJOgdflke8
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Richard

Stoker

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2024, 11:05:29 am »
Thank you Rich.

Interestingly, the first time through the menu, Auto-Translate doesn't come up, but the second time through it does. Some strange artifact in my machine perhaps?!?!
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"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.

Raphael

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2024, 11:11:40 am »
Bonjour,

Many thanks Richard for your help, you even learnt me something today !

However, I hope that the videos show what happened to my ferule and pipes, gnawed and full of a blank stuff as hard as stone.

As I am not equipped to re-weld a new ferule (I can build a new pipe to the regulator hopefully) I have been obliged to undress the boiler to send ot back to JMC the manufacturer : https://www.jmc-vapeur.fr/ our last one in France after Anton retirement.
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Raphaël, Membre du Modèle Yacht Club de Paris : http://mycparis.fr/
Membre de l'Offshore Club de Paris: http://site-ocparis.wifeo.com/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/rhavrane

RichSteamTx

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2024, 11:24:48 am »
Quote from: Stoker on November 13, 2024, 11:05:29 am
Thank you Rich.

Interestingly, the first time through the menu, Auto-Translate doesn't come up, but the second time through it does. Some strange artifact in my machine perhaps?!?!

NP, happy to help :-)

Actually, that happened to me on the other video that @Raphael posted!!
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Richard

Steamburns

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2024, 11:38:27 am »
Question,  on boilers that have “flues” on the belly of the boiler aka in the fire box, those are nearly impossible to remove water from, and you can’t hold a 50 pound steam plant upside down to remove it.


What is the best way?
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Stoker

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2024, 12:30:59 pm »
Quote from: Steamburns on November 13, 2024, 11:38:27 am
Question,  on boilers that have “flues” on the belly of the boiler aka in the fire box, those are nearly impossible to remove water from, and you can’t hold a 50 pound steam plant upside down to remove it.


What is the best way?

Flexible tubing on the end of a large syringe, with the tubing angled down towards one end, while tilting the boiler to make that end the low point.
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"Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not wisdom, Wisdom is not truth, Truth is not beauty, Beauty is not love, Love is not music: Music is THE BEST...   
Wisdom is the domain of the Wis (which is extinct). Beauty is a French phonetic corruption of a short cloth neck ornament currently in resurgence..."
F. Zappa ... by way of Mary, the girl from the bus.

Jim

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2024, 01:09:48 pm »
Unfortunately this is quite common a problem with brass fittings used with boiling water when dezincification happens.
I've replaced many..... And they always crumble and have that pinkish colour as Seen in Raphaels video.
Luckily most (or should be) brazed permenant fittings on quality Boilers are bronze.
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Jim

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Jim

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2024, 01:12:20 pm »
Quote from: Steamburns on November 13, 2024, 11:38:27 am
Question,  on boilers that have “flues” on the belly of the boiler aka in the fire box, those are nearly impossible to remove water from, and you can’t hold a 50 pound steam plant upside down to remove it.


What is the best way?

Not a problem in the copper tubes..... Dezincification only happens to brass parts and fittings.
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Jim

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Jim

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Re: Empty your boilers after use!
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2024, 01:44:33 pm »
Quote from: RichSteamTx on November 13, 2024, 10:33:31 am
I don't use tap but purified and distilled water mix. 

I have always read to mix 5% - 10% tap water with distilled water as by itself its to aggressive for boilers.
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Jim

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