Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

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Mfoxchicago
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Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by Mfoxchicago » Sun Dec 13, 2015 3:35 pm

Good morning Guys,
TULE PRINCESS concluded her first season in West Texas on Friday evening. High winds here suspended our final Saturday & Sunday before closing down for winter servicing and maintenance. There is much I hope to learn during this first extended down time and several maintenance issues we plan to tend to. Your help and experience will be of much help to me.

TULE will be wintering IN WATER. Our lake never freezes during winters and we have found the water left on and in the boat takes on the ambient temp of the lake water; around here, mid winter it only dips to around 40 degrees F, if that low.

Question #1 - Would you fill the boiler for the two months we will be down or drain her? Reopen March 5th, 2016.
" #2 - We have a Bryan CL90 Water Tube Boiler. To the best of our knowledge, this boiler with 31 yrs of service life has NEVER had any sort of a descaling procedure performed on her. Would you advise that this be done and if so, what type of product would you suggest for this process?
Capt. Mack H Fox
TULE PRINCESS STEAMBOAT CO.
Lake Nasworthy, San Angelo, Texas


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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by TahoeSteam » Sun Dec 13, 2015 10:43 pm

Mack,

Any reason why you can't run it in the winter? I'd be all over that! I cant imagine you're getting the 18" of snow were getting right now :cry:

As for a 2 month layup, COMPLETELY full of water (no air!!), or completely dry
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Mfoxchicago
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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by Mfoxchicago » Mon Dec 14, 2015 3:28 am

Running all winter would be fun, for us steamboaters. But as tuff as Texans say they are, they don't do cold on the water very well and ticket sales would be non existent.

My voluntary crew has been pushing hard and sacraficing at least two or three weekends a month since March to get us through our first season. They need a rest and regaining of some time with their families.

Plus we have a least two major systems needing servicing and refurbushing. A Duplex Steam Pump that has one piston that may need a piston ring replaced, opening up the boiler casing and make a full survey and cleaning of the back side of her boiler tubes and of her internal condition, a possible descaling of WT pipes and a part on our small 7A Stuart Generator Engine repaired and a new AC power converter installed. Oh, and we plan to raise money for the construction and installation of a fantail canopy superstructure and canopy canvas installed.

Just a few things to get done before March 5th.
Capt. Mack H Fox
TULE PRINCESS STEAMBOAT CO.
Lake Nasworthy, San Angelo, Texas


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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by fredrosse » Mon Dec 14, 2015 4:36 am

Harbor Freight sells a LCD borescope camera for under $100. Others of higher quality run upwards in price. Have a look into the boiler internals to see what procedure should be used. Moderate scaling is OK, if there is much scaling, then an inhibited acid wash might be in order, but have a look and then decide.
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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by artemis » Tue Dec 15, 2015 6:17 am

:idea: Before digging into the boiler, I suggest you get in touch with your local Bryan representative, or contact the company through their website. I installed the engines, plumbing and boiler in Dave Larson's 38-1/2 foot boat and it uses a Bryan boiler similar to the one you've got. The company is very friendly and wants you to have a product they can point to with pride. As I recall the water tubes are "D" shaped and easily to remove with a special tool you get from Bryan. :D
Ron Fossum
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http://www.steamboating.org
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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by Dhutch » Thu Dec 17, 2015 1:57 am

Here in the UK it very much freezes in winter, if not super cold it can hit -15c (5F) and if often around -5 (20F) including not getting above freezing (0C) all day, before going cold again. 40F is 5C for anyone this side of the water.

Hence while rivers don't freeze, the canals do, and certainly stationary water on board will become solid, meaning draining down is essential unless you are heating the boat and or engine room.

To this end, typically around November, we have our last firing before blowing the whole lot down and into the water with a low fire or less, rocking the boat towards the end in case it helps water out any solids. The boiler is then capped off air-tight if not necessarily dry.

During the year however the water is left in and this appears fine too. We always keep the ph level amount right with boiler treatment, I aim to never inject fresh-water within the last half hour of steaming (we are condensing) to ensure there is no oxygen, allow the pressure to fall to 50psi before blowing a few inches out of the site glass, and then leave it whatever level that is on the basis I might as well vary where the waterline corrosion if any occurs!

We get a very mild carry over of oil in the condensate, which helps reduce rust, and when the boiler was re-tubed after around 22years there was so little rust it was temping to turn them over and put them back in!


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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by Mfoxchicago » Thu Dec 17, 2015 2:32 am

Thanks Daniel, great advise and council.
Capt. Mack H Fox
TULE PRINCESS STEAMBOAT CO.
Lake Nasworthy, San Angelo, Texas


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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by Dhutch » Thu Dec 17, 2015 2:50 am

Mfoxchicago wrote:Thanks Daniel, great advise and council.
Well I don't know about that, but its a broad brush description of what we do... Welded steel vertical firetube, by the way.


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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by barts » Fri Dec 18, 2015 9:31 pm

I've always filled the boiler 100% full and stored it that way as it doesn't freeze here in Menlo Park, CA. Before layup, the boiler is flushed and filled w/ water directly from the house supply (low air) and TSP is introduced to keep the PH nice and high. The boiler (self-built) will be 20 years old next year.
I'd definitely seek out the manufacturer's recommendations regarding layup.

- Bart
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Bart Smaalders http://smaalders.net/barts Lopez Island, WA
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Re: Drain or Fill Boiler for Winter Storage?

Post by Mfoxchicago » Sat Dec 19, 2015 3:36 pm

Great advice Bart, thanks.
Capt. Mack H Fox
TULE PRINCESS STEAMBOAT CO.
Lake Nasworthy, San Angelo, Texas


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