I was undoing some piping on my boiler to add in line Y strainers for both the water and steam inlets for both of my injectors.
I did not make this up! This is what I found inside, easily could of gotten caught in the injector jets and caused a bad day and another steamer to curse injectors.
After fiddling with good and bad with injectors I prefer the term picky rather then unreliable....
I use Apollo soft seat (for hydraulic) checks past feed pumps as they seal very reliably, one didn't a few years ago and this is what it had too, a large metal shaving, have no idea how it got there.
I've had very good service from Apollo valves, the 1/4" check valve I referred to is around $57. It's a stainless steel body with fluoroelastomer seat and it's the only valve so far that works without allowing the economizer to blow all the water out of the pumps when not taking feedwater. Had to put one on the car too. I've tried United spring teflon disc checks, stainless ball checks, steam rated swing checks, they all leaked back through with pressure from the economizer.
DetroiTug wrote:"Could have been from an Apollo check valve..."
I've had very good service from Apollo valves....
I wasn't trying to knock Apollo - just try and figure out the likely source of my shaving. I think in the end I it was a piece of crappy schedule 40 black iron close nipple from Lowes - I use for some parts that don't see steam. All of ball valves on my new boiler I have been using Apollo and I have no complaints.
Still worth giving pipes/valves you buy new or old a once over for burs or shavings regardless of who made it.
It's worth having a strainer on the main steam line to the engine as well... have a friend who is in need of a new York cylinder block, or some sleeving and extensive valve face build-up due to a chunk of metal being carried over into the engine.
