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Author Topic: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?  (Read 8175 times)

5050racing

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Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« on: September 13, 2018, 11:30:59 AM »

Never left for most of winter but retiring and going to be gone for most of winter any ideas just would like to hear ideas without giving mine to keep from having a pile of junk when I return! Thanks all
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wreckit87

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2018, 01:28:44 PM »

If you drain it, it'll rust. If you fill it with antifreeze, it'll cost you a pretty penny and be maintenance intensive in the future. Will you be winterizing the house too or will that remain heated with another source?
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5050racing

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2018, 04:08:11 AM »

Heat will remain on,I was thinking of putting heat tape on the return line and leave circulator pump on,we get cold here but not to cold,like further north.have friends to look after farm so if I had to fire it up n let it go out it would take a long time to drop below.
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bowood

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2018, 07:13:42 AM »

For my setup I have a propane furnace on my radiant floor loop that comes on if the wood boiler isn't on.  This way if I leave my circulator running it heats the wood furnance. I like to do that infrequently, but it ensures my wood boiler never cools down.
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RSI

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2018, 08:30:04 AM »

If it will be down for the whole winter then I would just drain it. If you try to rely on drawing heat from the house and circulators running, you may come back to everything destroyed if there is a power outage.
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5050racing

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2018, 06:23:34 AM »

Thanks all I will figure out what I will do,have fire star wifi so I can see water temp,I could even put a light inside or heat tape and I'm sure that it's so insulated it would be fine,don't think I wouldn't  drain do to rusting up inside think that's a no no?
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wreckit87

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2018, 01:14:42 PM »

I would avoid draining it. Once rust starts in there it won't stop. A big halogen lamp does a pretty good job in them, but I haven't done that for more than a few days... Kinda risky IMO, no way to regulate it. I do have a customer of mine who has a 40 gallon electric water heater in his basement with a bypass that he just opens the valves to it when he goes on vacation and flips the breaker. Pump still circulates like normal but instead of running to heat exchangers it just dumps in the cold side of the WH and heads back to the boiler out the supply port. I had originally laughed at it but he assured me it works awesome and keeps the stove about 60 degrees
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RSI

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2018, 05:37:09 PM »

None of that does any good if the power is out too long. I would call Central Boiler and ask what they recommend.
I can't see draining the boiler one time being that big of a deal. If done often it would be a problem.
It will not be rusting when it is below freezing either so shouldn't be as bad as leaving it drained over a summer would be.
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5050racing

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2018, 06:25:53 PM »

I have whole house generator so powers on,I always heard not to drain,I will call CB ask them,I know the light or heat tape would be enough where I live it get cold but not below  32 for highs during the day for long,keep the ideas coming!
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RSI

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2018, 07:03:17 PM »

If it gets above 32 most days then I would not worry about it so much. I was thinking -30 you don't have long till it is a solid block of ice.

If it was mine, I would drain it and fill the lines and pump with RV antifreeze.

Let us know what CB says.
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greasemonkoid

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2018, 08:31:36 PM »

I would avoid draining it. Once rust starts in there it won't stop.

May I inquire about your experiences with this condition? You are saying rust formation continues when it is drained or refilled after a seasonal drain? Even with residual treated water rust formation will continue? Please do expand on that.




Edit (punctuation)
« Last Edit: September 18, 2018, 05:58:18 AM by greasemonkoid »
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5050racing

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2018, 03:36:39 AM »

No when it is left empty with nothing in it .ever see how fast your brake rotors rust up after a rain.
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wreckit87

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2018, 06:38:02 PM »

I would avoid draining it. Once rust starts in there it won't stop.

May I inquire about your experiences with this condition? You are saying rust formation continues when it is drained or refilled after a seasonal drain? Even with residual treated water rust formation will continue? Please do expand on that.




Edit (punctuation)

Have you ever seen a rusty piece of metal just un-rust? Day one after draining it will start to surface rust, they all do. Refilling at a later date will introduce again more O2 to the system and further the oxidation process. Snowball that for a few years, what do we have now? Treated water or not, when that wet steel is reintroduced to new oxygen it WILL oxidize almost immediately
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greasemonkoid

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2018, 08:53:13 PM »

I see where you are going with that, since there is no way to immediately and completely dry the water jacket. I think most mild steel begins to rust at 40% humidity give or take depending on the iron and nickel content.

Thanks for the info.
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5050racing

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Re: Leaving for winter how to leave boiler?
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2018, 07:09:09 AM »

I'm defiantly not draining it knew that from the start,but will call CB dealer I have a good one to ask what's best!
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