How To Clean Hot Water Coil In Boiler

NJjeff Long timer

Joined:

May 15, 2005

Oddometer:

1,459

Location:

!

Due to crummy city water the hot water coil is cloging up. Coil was replaced 2 years ago due to an internal leak. Yes that was fun. The city water overpressurized the boiler causing the vent valve to open.
It's an oil fired hot water heating system with a hot water coil kit installed. And bummer there's no room for a seperate water heater.

This weekend i'll be installing a (claimed) anti-scale system. Cannot recall the name right now (i'm not home). In hopes to eliminate/reduce the scale problem.

So I cannot seem to find anyone who sells a descaler or anti-scale chemical. The system was plumbed with a bypass valve and garden hose connections allowing me to circulate "something" through the coil.

Anyone have an idea of a source of that "something".

thanks
Check with Industrial Water Treatment suppliers. They have de-scalers.
But what about the new on demand water heaters to replace your old Abe lincoln water heater? Got gas?
Vinegar if your in a pinch and its cheap. Be careful removal of scale leads to other problems as well such as valves not sealing. Flush the system well after cleaning. Water treatment is a cartridge filter if its too restrictive your gonna loose a lot of water pressure.
Try Johnstone supply or an HVAC parts house. They will carry hardness/scale remover.
NJjeff Long timer

Joined:

May 15, 2005

Oddometer:

1,459

Location:

!

Hmm Industrial water heater suppliers.
I (well the area) do not have gas.
I looked into those wall mount instant heaters. Trouble is the electric powered units that can supply a house with 2 baths require some serious power.
NJjeff Long timer

Joined:

May 15, 2005

Oddometer:

1,459

Location:

!

I thought about vinegar. We use it to clean the dishwasher and coffee maker, does an ok job.
Industrial Water Treatment suppliers.
These guys service cooling towers and large plant type heat exchangers.
Thats great if your recirculating water by thousands of gallons IMHO he is heating expelled water.
HVAC parts house for the little bit you will need to clean a boiler.
Dude, they sell thier chemicals by the gallon. Some heat exchangers are very small ( machine tool oil coolers for example ). And these guys may take intrest and just give you the stuff.
The ice machine I cleaned today took 6oz...for the whole system. Sorry but you can turn a 3/8 nut with a wrench or with a 6 foot breaker bar and socket...my results tend to grab for a wrench get my drift? There is no free lunch in Hvac world....DUDE.
The O.P. if you get free scale remover let me know, I'm going for the pallet.
in the mean time give good old vinegar a shot and ifn you like foamy try baking soda with it as well...another good cheapo choice if you rinse your system very well is lime away or clr. Both are toxic so I mean rinse well but so is any cleaner you will find...vinegar is still the safest.
dwayne Silly Adventurer Supporter

Muriatic acid works better than CLR or vineger.
Have you looked at solar water heating?
I heard a presentation by someone who built a solar collector from 1/4" black polypro tubing incased in a rectangle shaped wood box painted black on the insdie. About 300 feet of tubing was fit into the box. The box was about 4' W x 10'LG x 6" deep. The tubing was coiled in a race track oval. This guy even made a actuator to keep the box aimed at the sun. Here's a link to the club this fellow belongs to. The project is not listed. It looks like they are a couple of years behind in updating their web site. If you want to pursue send them an e mail regarding the solar water heater. I have contacted them to learn if the presentation can be put on their web site. As I recall material cost was about $300 for the thing.
http://www.homemetalshopclub.org/index.html
Sorry Strydr, what a dumd idea, asking someone for a free sample.
Drop the acid dude
+1 Muratic acid
NJjeff Long timer

Joined:

May 15, 2005

Oddometer:

1,459

Location:

!

Thanks for the replies.
I found that Mcmaster Carr sells a 1 gal. jug of descaler, so I ordered one. I will hook up a garden hose to a sump pump and circulate it though and see what happens.

I had though about solar heating, but at this stage the last thing I need is more pumps and hoses.
Don't let it circulate for very long or you'll be buying another coil real soon.
You should call your HARV contractor to do it.
+1
Thats why I always charge more to fix it right the second time... I always find it strange that H.O. always is more knowledgeable than paying some one that has had to go to college, earn a degree, get on the job and continue with schooling and re certify with further schooling.
Hey what do I know...
Your spelling is pretty dumb too...free loader.
NJjeff Long timer

Joined:

May 15, 2005

Oddometer:

1,459

Location:

!

Actually this H.O. HAD a professional do it a few years ago and he blew a hole in the coil.
He than told the S.O. to keep the hose on the over pressure valve and dump the bucket ocassionally.
My hot water heater has begun to spill from the base. It just breaks when it's topping off, and it's a really moderate hole from the base of the tank. Once it's full, it doesn't spill any longer. Please help me this. Thank you.
These guys make an industrial descaler: http://sublimedescaler.com/sublime/
I remember using another citrus based pipe cleaner, which worked out well. I found it more cost and time effective to stick with something made by a company for the job. That usually requires some hunting to find the right product. Good luck.
5 gallon bucket
4 gallons of vinegar
2 washing machine supply lines
1 hot tub draining pump
recirculate the vinegar for an hour
flush with water
done.
That's the recommended way from Rinnai tankless water heaters. When I did it for a client, the vinegar started clear and turned blue over the course of the flush.
I wouldn't use muratic acid unless you want to replace parts.