Boiler Not Draining
Our 4-unit building has a 3 year old Burnham Independence boiler for our steam heat system. A couple of months ago the valve where you drain the boiler was dripping uncontrollably. We had a plumber fix it, but since then when I try to do the weekly draining of the boiler (open the valve and…
Our 4-unit building has a 3 year old Burnham Independence boiler for our steam heat system. A couple of months ago the valve where you drain the boiler was dripping uncontrollably. We had a plumber fix it, but since then when I try to do the weekly draining of the boiler (open the valve and drain until the water turns clear), no water comes out – zero, nada. The plumber did say that after their fix, we would not need to drain it for the rest of the season. Does that sound right, or did they do something wrong in fixing it?
Note that before all this, the boiler stopped working and the plumber worked for a while before determining that the pilot light had gone out.
Well, If it’s at the bottom of your boiler where a pipe enters the boiler then you are draining the boiler itself and that is the wrong valve. If it is at the bottom of a big hunk of black cast iron, that is your low water cut-off and it should be blown down weekly. Can’t say why it doesn’t have anything coming out of it. When are you doing the blow down, when the boiler is off or when it’s running?
I think I am talking about the low water valve, if that is what you are supposed to “blow off” weekly. It is basically a faucet that you turn to open (like a garden hose faucet). The water that comes out normally starts out dirty looking and then turns clear in about a minute or less. This is the valve that is not letting out any water at all right now when it is turned on.
I can’t tell you for sure why your boiler isn’t draining. Could be a valve full of mud (stick a wire in and check but make sure the boiler has been off for a while). Also, if we are talinking about the boiler drain, you shouldn’t need to drain that but maybe once a season. And I’m not sure if even that will get the mud out of the bottom or just cause more problems by introducing oxygenated water.
You should be blowing off you low water cut-off weekly. That valve would be at the bottom of your low water cut-off.