Nature's Comfort recently sent out this email.
James Van Harn wrote:
>
> With new and existing customers using their boilers in full swing now,
> we'd like to take this time to remind and/or educate you on the
> requirements for water filling, treatment & testing and ash maintenance.
>
> To put it simply from what is contained in all of our manuals, a new
> boiler must be flushed until clean, add 5-20 gallons of water, add
> treatment and then fill the rest of the way.
>
> If not treated immediately in this fashion, the water jacket steel
> corrodes right away a creates a layer of sludge that will settle on
> the bottom of the water jacket, preventing the treatment from
> protecting the steel on the bottom.
>
> Only replace water if treatment was not maintained and the water got
> cloudy from corrosion, then drain and flush out, repeating the above
> steps.
>
> Softened water is the best to use as it removes iron and hardness.
>
> The reason we do not want you to replace water each year is that a new
> batch of water is a whole new batch of dissolved solids that will come
> out of suspension and create an additional layer of sludge.
>
> Don't forget too that ash maintenance is critical and the neglect
> thereof is the primary reason for a firebox leak. Ash left un-stirred
> gets compacted and insulates moisture that is created from every new
> load of fuel from being able to dry out. It sits and festers and the
> steel continually will flake away until a leak develops.
>
> All units must never fall below 150°F as the firebox will sweat and
> condensate on the inside. Minimum operation is 165° with a 15 degree
> differential to allow for a long enough run time to get the firebox
> hot and dry out any moisture & creosote.
>
> Please make sure to require your customers to thoroughly read through
> their entire manual and also familiarize yourself as well to be fully
> educated to better sell and support your customers for the longest
> life possible out of Nature's Comfort wood and coal boilers.
>
> Best regards,
>
> The Nature's Comfort Staff