Engines > Restoration of Model Engines

Boiler cleaning

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RonGinger:
I have a large model tug boat, about 5 feet long. Its boiler is a horizontal tube about 6" dia and 12" long. I do not know the exact tube configuration, but the main fire tube is 1 1/2 dia. The boiler has two fittings on the bottom, connected to valves and a blow down manifold. I have removed the tubes for these bottom fittings and find they are plugged solid.

I put a cleaning solution for lime, scale and rust in and have let it soak for over a day. It has not loosened anything.

I cannot identify exactly what is on the bottom of the boiler, but it must be solid. What can I put in the boiler that might clean it? As far as I know it always contained normal tap water.

rspringer:
 I am assuming a copper boiler and that the boiler its self is plugged up.  Remove all plugs.  Use a piece of wire to see how bad the blockage is.  It could just be around those plugs.  Gently use a small drill or rod to open up the blockage if possible.  If you can remove a bit of the offending material,  put it in a plastic container and try different solutions.  You will find most of the commercial cleaning agents clean not dissolve.  I had a large boiler that was so stopped up that it held 120 psig with the washout plugs removed.  I ended up cutting the mud ring off and using a hammer and chisel to dislodge the crud.  Once a product that dissolves the crud is discovered you are home free.  Most of the off the shelve solutions work better if warmed and agitated.  It will be a slow process.  It did not collect in one day so it wont go away in a day.  I used muriatic acid on that steel boiler.  Even that only removed a small amount at a time.  I would suggest in the future to use a boiler treatment.  LSB 8000 is what we use in our steel boilers with copper tubes.  It helps to keep the solids in suspension until blow down.  You might want to contact them to see what they recommend for copper boilers.  I talked to one of their folks a couple of years ago and he said they were working on something for copper boilers.

Zephyrin:
limestone deposits normally dissolve with an acid solution, if not, there is probably a good layer of oil in the boiler, which happens when the boiler cools with the cap closed, and sucks the oil as being under vacuum. I suggest a good rinsing with acetone, followed by a descaling, as for the domestic coffee maker.

rspringer:
If it is the connecting tubes it may be better just to replace them.

RonGinger:
Thanks for the replies.

The boiler is all copper, with no handholds or cleanout plugs. It was built by a friend and in the 70's and used then but not much since then, and not at all since 1995. He does not remember a lot of the details of its use.

I had not thought of the oil possibility, but that is possible. The descaling product I am using is a commercial one, it has only a trade name no real indication of its composition.

I am in the US, and we don't descale a lot of tea pots here. What would be a good chemical name for a descaler? I know I can get muriatic acid and maybe some battery acid. I assume the copper would not be to bothered by either of these?

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