HOW TO CHECK STEEL PRESSURISED BOILER CORROSION.

Generally, the problem of corrosion can be caused, as follows:

1. Too low working temperature:

The boiler is operating in condensing conditions, forming condensate which stays in the lower part of the tubes. Because
this condensate is acidic, it starts to corrode the tubes forming a crater (cone), with the cone base (upwards) in the inner
side of the tubes and the cone apex (downwards) in the outer side of the tubes. The water from the cone apex comes into
the tubes and then in the front tube plate, flooding the combustion chamber, and in the rear tube plate, flooding the
smoke chamber.

2. There is a renewal of the water of the C.H. system:

If there is an automatic filling valve always open, when the pressure in system, for some reason decreases (leakage in
some part of the system) the filling valve lets new water come in. The new water is, normally, rich in Calcium Carbonate
(CaCO3) and in Oxygen (O2). The CaCO3 is deposited in the hottest parts of the boiler (front tube plate and front part of
the smoke tubes) and the O2 enters in combination with the Iron (Fe) forming Fe2O3 which is the chemical formula of
the rust. The rust is deposited along the upper part of the tubes, starting to form rust particles in the form of a crater with
the cone base upwards and the cone apex downwards up to the complete punching of the tubes.

In order to see what the reason is, you should remove the leaking tubes from the boiler and look where the crater is.
If the cone base is from inside, then the leaking is due to reason n. 1;
if the cone base is from outside, then the leaking is due to the reason n. 2.

But, without extracting the tubes, if you want to see what the reason is, you can put the boiler under water pressure and see if
the water comes into the tubes from the lower part (reason n. 1, due to the condensate) or if it comes from the upper part
(reason n. 2, due to water renewal)

To extract the leaking tubes you should, with a disk grinding wheel, cut the front and rear projection of the tube, then with a
small cup grinding wheel remove the welding seam of the pipe, on both sides, and extract the tube. Then, cut the tube
transversally in the point where the leak is and you will see the cone of the crater.

SUGGESTION

If the leakage is due to the reason n. 2), tell the customer that the automatic filling valve, once filled the system at the due
pressure, it has to be closed!!! In the case the pressure in the system decreases a minimum water pressure switch will stop the
burner in order to prevent the dry operation. Then, someone has to look for the leakage and repair it before refilling the system
and start the burner.

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