Homestead mailing list

[tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>]

Marie McHarry wrote:

> This is more a scream in the dark than a request for help -- but if anyone
> has suggestions, feel free to offer them.
>
> Last winter my outside woodburning boiler began to leak, first a trickle and
> then a stream. Since we were reaching the end of the heating season, I shut
> it down and made do with space heaters, thinking that over the summer I'd
> get a welder out here to fix the water tank.
>
> Well, human nature happened, I had an inside propane boiler installed, and
> then I filled the propane tank. Jumping Jesus! I could maybe afford to pay
> for propane for the whole winter, but I'd rather not. 
>
> So...this weekend a friend and I dismantled the end of the boiler that was
> leaking. We found evidence of leakage -- a few ounces of water under the
> foam insulation. Having removed most of the insulation from the boiler's
> backside, the next obvious step was to fill the water tank.
>
> There was no leakage over night. So today, figuring that heat would separate
> whatever cracks were causing the leakage, I heated up the water. Temps are
> above 200 Fahrenheit and no leaks are yet apparent.
>
> The boiler and its water tank are made of carbon steel. I don't know how
> thick the steel in, but it isn't flimsy. I can't imagine the whole backside
> of the boiler is cracked and will start leaking on exposure to enough heat
> -- I mean, shouldn't it be leaking now, if ever?
>
> If I didn't have a witness to the leak last winter, I'd think I had
> hallucinated it. This is a real puzzle.
>
> Marie
>
>
>  
tvoivozhd---sorry I can't be encouraging.  With the exception of the 
Hardy brand of outside wood furnaces, when I researched the topic two 
years ago, the other brands had a lot of reader complaints about boiler 
leaks.  The manufacturer of the Hardy is either the oldest of outside 
heaters or close to it, and probably eliminated their complaints across 
a longer period of trial and error
.  Anyway, a long time ago they went to a stainless steel boiler---you 
have to constantly monitor, adjust ph, , mineral content of boiler water 
etc. to get any life out of a carbon steel boiler---any factory boiler 
manufacturer has recommendations to follow in this regard.
Three of my neighbors own a Hardy of varying size (heating one to three 
buildings) and are delighted with them.