draining boiler - how to dispose of the water?

Steam boiler for summer must be filled up to steam outlet with the water. By the code there MUST be floor drain or sump pit with high temperature sump pump in it near the boiler.

ellenlourie

in Roofers 9 years and 4 months ago

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ps158 | 9 years and 4 months ago

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We just went through our first winter as home owners (I realize I should have asked this sooner…) When we drain our boiler, we’ve been putting the water in buckets and hauling it out to the backyard to dump. Someone told me they hook a hose up to the spout on the boiler to drain it into the sump pump…A few questions: – Is it safe to drain this water into the sump pump? It seems like the rust / sediment will eventually clog the pump. – If we do hook a hose up to it, can the hose hold up to the hot temperature of the water that’s being drained? – Is there any concern with lead or anything else from dumping the water in the yard? The radiators are cast iron and I assume all the old (original?) pipes are too. Thanks!

livingthedreamingreenpoint | 9 years and 4 months ago

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We hooked a hose up to our boiler and drained it into our drain in the front yard. It was hot but the hose held up just fine. I’m not sure about lead in the water, but I’ll add a personal anecdote. I had just about finished my cup of coffee from my favorite shop – set it on the counter. My husband picked up my almost-empty cup and went around the house bleeding the radiators. He set the cup down in the same spot and a few minutes later I took a big gulp. I saw the look on his face and tasted the vile water and knew what had happened. I survived but it goes down as the grossest thing to happen to me in home ownership.

ps158 | 9 years and 4 months ago

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You know you’re a homeowner when you drink radiator water! Well now you know you don’t like it šŸ˜‰ We don’t have a drain in our front concrete area, otherwise that sounds like it would be a good idea…

chipito | 9 years and 4 months ago

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We’re supposed to drain the boiler between seasons?

fexleycb | 9 years and 4 months ago

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I assume you’re talking about a steam system – right? I dump mine into the sump pump – but I’ve always wondered if its a good thing to do. Anyone out there have any insight?

Master Plvmber | 9 years and 4 months ago

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Are you taking all the water out of your boiler for the spring/summer? Something else? Please explain.

ps158 | 9 years and 4 months ago

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Fexleycb – yes, it’s a steam heating system. I’m glad I’m not the only person wondering about this. How long have you been dumping into the sump pump? Chipito – we’ve been draining our boiler weekly during the coldest weeks this winter. I’ve read totally conflicting things on this, and honestly, I’m still confused and don’t know what the “right” thing to do is. Theory #1 is you SHOULD drain the boiler periodically (I’ve read online some folks do it every few days to every few weeks) during the coldest of winter months to keep the system from getting clogged from the rust / sediment. Theory #2 is you should NOT drain the boiler since when you drain it then add new water, the water is adding oxygen which is what creates and feeds the rust inside the pipes, which magnifies the problem.

Master Plvmber | 9 years and 4 months ago

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You’re not doing much for the boiler if you’re just taking some water out of the little hose spigot on the bottom. It used to be mandatory to “drain the boiler” by opening the low water cut off’s (lwco) drain valve to allow water to pass over its internal float mechanism, but we rarely see that type of lwco on residential boilers anymore. The boiler now uses probe-type low water cut offs and they need to be removed from the boiler and wiped clean every year or so. These are very different devices and it’s best you know which you got if you’re going to maintain the boiler yourself.

Master Plvmber | 9 years and 4 months ago

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The top picture shows a probe-type LWCO which practically eliminates the need for regular draining, but must be removed from the boiler and wiped clean every year or so. The bottom picture is a float type LWCO that does require periodic flushing or “draining”.

ps158 | 9 years and 4 months ago

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Thanks Master Plvmber, was hoping you’d chime in šŸ˜‰ I’m not sure what kind we have, will take a look tonight. It’s a Weil-McLein Model #: EG/PEG-40 *OR* EG/PEG-45\. It was just installed last year. Should we drain our boiler completely at the end of heating season? It’s our first winter as home owners so we’re new to this.

Master Plvmber | 9 years and 4 months ago

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> Iā€™m not sure what kind we have…

See above. You can drain your boiler but you’ll never get it to drain completely. Personally I don’t believe it’s worth doing. Another good thing to do is to keep water in it and let it boil, as in make steam, for an hour or so before shutting it down for the season. Boiling will remove the excess oxygen that makes the new water corrosive. You can post a picture if you want but it looks like you’ve got a standard small Weil-McLain EG series residential boiler. It’s highly unlikely you’ve got a float-type LWCO on that baby.

Arkady | 9 years and 4 months ago

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If you put a whole-house water filter on your system, it cuts down on accumulated particles & lengthens the life of all your water type appliances.

ps158 | 9 years and 4 months ago

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We have the probe-type. Glad to know we don’t have to drain it during the winter! Many thanks Master Plvmber!