Bornstein Sons offers service, maintenance and installations for steam boilers and steam heating systems in Northern and North Central New Jersey.
Steam heating systems when designed to heat your home evenly will maintain excellent humidity levels which are great for your wood floors, furniture, and your family's comfort! But, this type of system requires a higher level of maintenance. It must be cared for and not neglected in order to run smoothly. Maintained properly, it will serve you well for decades.
While we reccomend your steam boiler be serviced annually, this type of heating system needs tender love and care.
Here are a few steps you should take in maintaining your steam boiler during peak heating season.
- Drain your steam boiler
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Cast iron boilers turn water into steam. This steam travels along steel pipes and cast iron fittings to cast iron radiators. Once the heat is given off to warm the home, it condenses into water and returns back to the boiler flowing through those steel and cast iron surfaces where tiny amounts of iron become oxidized and turn to rust. This rust is continually washed back to the boiler requiring the boiler to be drained.
Water, once pure and clear, will begin to take on the color of mild tea or in severe cases, black coffee. Clean water boils faster and easier than dirty water. You must keep the water as clean as possible.
- Flush your boiler
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By draining your boiler, you are also flushing "boiler mud" from the low points in the boiler and return piping. and at the same time, reducing the amount of rust in the system as a whole.
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Don't take out too much water. Excessive fresh water can cause a different issue.
- Keep your steam boiler filled
- Your system may lose water through the various radiator vents and main vents during normal operation. It must be replaced.
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The gauge glass indicates the water level in your system. It should show the water level between half and three-quarters full.
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Fill your boiler, but take note of the gauge glass level-be sure it's not underfilled or overfilled!
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Failure to fully shut off the valve can cause continuous feeding of the boiler, thereby flooding your system. The result? Water can pour out of the individual radiator valves.
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Boilers are filled two ways: Manually or with an automatic water feeder.
A potential problem inherent with automatic feeder systems is that they will always maintain your boiler's water level, regardless of the nature of water loss. Fresh water contains dissolved air in it. The dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide, when present in excessive amounts, can form mild acids in your system that can rot your cast iron and turn it into the consistency of wet cardboard.
The takeaway: Keep an eye on your system. Periodically, during normal operation, check the radiator air vents for excessive steam loss. Check the radiator shut off valves at the base of the radiators. Visually inspect steam piping and vents in the basement.
If there are consistent leaks of either water or steam, Contact Us for service.
These leaks should be repaired as quickly as possible!
Servicing your steam boiler: You can perform most normal maintenance on your steam system. It is suggested however, that you call upon a professional that is a steam heating system expert, annually, to inspect and 'tune-up' your steam boiler.
A proper boiler tune-up should include checking:
- automatic feeder
- pressure control
- burner, thermostats
- pigtail
- low water cut off control
- clean or replace an obstructed gauge glass
- check for proper and safe combustion
- check your chimney vent for proper draft and leaks
- He can replace defective radiator air vents
Bornstein Sons has the expertise to provide that extra level of maintenance to minimize your needs for emergency service.
Maintain your steam heating system regularly.
For more information Call us at 1.800.287.6651