Print

[MLK337]

Hi new at this. Been reading a lot you guys are the greatest.  have lots of questions. 1st can i use soften water to fill. also not sure want chem to use. have been using this stove for a couple years. moving it to our new house always just put water in. will be putting in new undergroud lines.

[yoderheating]

 Just don't use water that has gone through a softener that uses salt. I have seen furnaces that were destroyed in just a matter of a couple years because of salt.

[boilerman]

I have always filled and  refilled my OWF with water that ran through my Water Boss softner.
It uses a salt brine to clean the softner filter, as most do.
The salt solution should not be running through your household lines, unless your softner is shot.
Yes, my former Classic and E-Classic owners manuals state softened  water is the best choice for initial fill.
My water tests for corrosion inhibitor and PH stay right on the money for over 4 years at a time. Water clear, with no adverse effects.

[MLK337]

thank you for your input. never had a softerner before.

[MattyNH]

Just don't use water that has gone through a softener that uses salt. I have seen furnaces that were destroyed in just a matter of a couple years because of salt.

Sounds like to me the water filter isn't flushing out the salt properly after a regeneration of the brine..There should be absolutely no salt in the household water at all..I have a water filter that filters out naturally occurring arsenic and uses salt to regen the brine...

[HandyMark]

You could always fill with rain water. You can't get softer water than that. You wold need to be careful with dirt or sediment getting in.

[yoderheating]

 I am no expert on water softeners but what I have been told is that some with do some sort of back flush from time to time and if that happens while you are filling the furnace you are in trouble. But like I said I have no experience with water softeners. I have seen cases where , for whatever reason, the furnace is destroyed in a few years even if there was water treatment used.

[AirForcePOL]

You could always fill with rain water. You can't get softer water than that. You wold need to be careful with dirt or sediment getting in.

x2     That's what I'm going to do this coming heating season.  I have a 200 gallon water tank that I will fill up with rain water and pump it into my H2,  I just need to make some sort of filter for sediment.  The manual recomends rain water anyway. 

[HandyMark]

You could always fill with rain water. You can't get softer water than that. You wold need to be careful with dirt or sediment getting in.

x2     That's what I'm going to do this coming heating season.  I have a 200 gallon water tank that I will fill up with rain water and pump it into my H2,  I just need to make some sort of filter for sediment.  The manual recomends rain water anyway.

If you let the tank set awhile most of your contaminants will sink or float. Pump the water from six inches below the surface and don't pump it dry. You should have very little contamination in this water. Is your boiler sitting empty now?

[AirForcePOL]

You could always fill with rain water. You can't get softer water than that. You wold need to be careful with dirt or sediment getting in.

x2     That's what I'm going to do this coming heating season.  I have a 200 gallon water tank that I will fill up with rain water and pump it into my H2,  I just need to make some sort of filter for sediment.  The manual recomends rain water anyway.

Thanks Mark.  My boiler is still full of water right now.  I still haven't decided if I should drain it or just let it sit for the summer.  Any suggestions?

If you let the tank set awhile most of your contaminants will sink or float. Pump the water from six inches below the surface and don't pump it dry. You should have very little contamination in this water. Is your boiler sitting empty now?

[HandyMark]

I have never seen anyone on here suggest leaving a boiler empty in the off season. Oxygen is going to cause corrosion so I believe it is best to have it full. If your PH and nitrite levels are off it would probably be best to drain and refill immediately so you can get your treatment in it. Are you draining it for some particular reason? If your water tests ok you shouldn't need to drain it every year.