Ever had a flat soda pop? Soda fizzes because it’s pumped full of carbon gas at pressures of up to 1,200 pounds per square inch. It goes flat because Mother Nature has designed things so the pressure of gas inside water eventually adjusts to equal the pressure of gas outside. But how does that affect your boiler?
Boiler Basics
A boiler uses tubes to heat water containing undissolved gases, including oxygen and carbon dioxide. When the heated water changes to steam, the gases dissolve and permeate the air inside the boiler. That’s when the trouble begins.
Undissolved Gases and Boiler Damage
Undissolved oxygen corrodes a boiler’s tube-metal surfaces, covering them with tiny “blisters.” Small holes under the blisters eventually eat through the metal, resulting in leaks. Unless the dissolved oxygen is eliminated, the boiler will be useless in within a few months.
Undissolved carbon dioxide acidifies boiler water, causing a … Read more
