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Boiler Manufacturer Response to
Flooded Equipment
Technical Bulletin
Dated: September 28, 1999
Subject: Flooded Boilers
Issued by: Tom Senter, Weil McLain
This
bulletin covers how to service a Weil-McLain cast iron boiler, which has
been either partially or fully, under water due to flooding conditions.
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If
any part of a boiler, burner or its controls has been sprayed or
submerged under water, either partially or fully, DO NOT attempt
to operate the boiler until the boiler has been either replaced or
completely repaired, inspected, and you are sure that the boiler
and all components are in good condition and fully reliable.
Otherwise, by operating this boiler, you will cause a fire or
explosion hazard, and an electrical shock hazard, leading to
serious injury, death, or substantial property damage.
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When a flooding
condition has occurred with a boiler, you must follow one of these two (2)
options:
| 1) |
Replace
the boiler which has experienced flooding conditions with a new
Weil-McLain boiler, OR |
| 2) |
Thoroughly
service the boiler which has experienced flooding conditions using
the following guidelines: |
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| a) |
Replace
all controls, gas valves, and electrical wiring on the
boiler. Once an electrical control has been wet, it poses
a fire and electrical shock risk and must be replaced. Gas
valves are no longer assured to provide a safe shut-off to
the gas, potentially causing gas leaks, fires, and
explosions. Even mechanical devices such as float low
water cut-offs and safety relief valves need to be
replaces, as their components may become corroded, making
the device unreliable for future use. |
| b) |
Thoroughly
inspect all burner tubes, gas piping, manifolds, orifices,
and flue ways for signs of rust and/or sediment from the
flood waters. The rust and sediment can prevent proper
operation of the boiler if it is not cleaned out from the
boiler. |
| c) |
For
oil-filled boilers, replace all oil burners. Oil burners,
including Weil-McLain QB series burners, are complex
systems consisting of solenoid valves, motors, electrodes,
and pumps. If these components have experienced flooding,
oil leaks, valve failures, and electrical faults may occur
resulting in a severe fire hazard, potential injury or
death. In the case of large commercial burners, such as
Gorden-Piatt and Power Flame, it is more cost efficient to
replace the entire burner rather than attempting to
replace all the controls and repair the mechanical
components. |
| d) |
Replace
all insulation that has become water damaged. This
includes jacket insulation, base box insulation, and
combustion chamber insulation and refractories. After
insulation has become water damaged due to flooding, it
may deteriorate, reducing its insulation value and causing
a potential fire hazard. Also, it can pose a health risk
due to bacteria from the flood waters remaining in the
insulation. |
| e) |
Where
possible, inspect seal rings for damage from petroleum
products. Flood waters are often contaminated with
gasoline and other petroleum products, which damage
elastomer seals used on most Weil-McLain boilers. |
| f) |
Thoroughly
inspect all venting for signs of corrosion. Replace any
venting that is rusting or corroded in order to prevent
flue gasses from entering the building through the venting
system.
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NOTE: Even
if only part of the boiler has been submerged in flood waters,
replace ALL controls, gas valves, and other components as noted
above. There is no easy way to know which components may be
damaged; and even if a control was not submerged, water can get
inside components because of splashing, wicking action, and/or
moisture in the air.
Water and
sediment easily enter controls, wiring, and insulation and other
boiler components. Even if you can not see obvious signs of
penetration, water and sediment may have entered a device and
render it unsafe.
Replacing
the boiler is usually the quickest and most cost economical option
when servicing a boiler that has experienced flooding. With so
many areas of concern in attempting to repair a boiler that has
experienced flooding conditions, replacing the boiler is generally
the safest choice.
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