Boiler - water in sight glass dark brown and opaque. Issue? archived

The green was a chemical that was added when it was serviced. It turns red as the water gets dirty steam boiler should be flushed and service yearly. It looks like your ready for a service call..

....second what Phil said.

Got it. Less alarmed now. Agreed, it is time for a service call. Don't think we've had one since it was installed! Thanks for the info & advice.

Wait. I messed this up once before. I have steam heat and the glass tube is for the water in the **furnace**. The **boiler** is the appliance that heats up the hot water for the faucets. I don't think it has a glass tube.

Do I have that right?

I just open this spigot on my **furnace** and let it run into a bucket till it's clear. I do this roughly every two weeks so it heats more efficiently.

Which appliance are you talking about, jasper1664?

I'll pass on the proper nomenclature for furnace, boiler and hot water heater for the moment. I would tend to interchange furnace and boiler for the device that heats the home.

Jasper, what I do know is that it is important to have your steam boiler serviced every year. We didn't know that when we first moved here and, after about 3 years, sufficient gunk had accumulated in the boiler that it was no longer very efficient. The opaqueness you described is a symptom.

Be sure to have someone home when you get it serviced so that they can explain to you the correct way to partially periodically drain your steam boiler, as Jersey Boy noted.

Many plumbers service our steam heating systems, but we depend on Woolley who supplies our oil.

(Steam boiler With glass tube)

(Hot water boiler with out glass tube most have a pump on the pipework)

Some boilers have a coil in them that the water for your faucets that gets heated up from the boiler water but the water is separated from the heating boiler water.

(Water heater is faucet hot water that has it's own flame and flue for faucet water)

(Electric water heater is heater by elements that are powered by electric for faucet water)

Posted By: jersey_boy

Wait. I messed this up once before. I have steam heat and the glass tube is for the water in thefurnace.

actually, the water is in the boiler of the furnace.

Posted By: jersey_boy Theboileris the appliance that heats up the hot water for the faucets. I don't think it has a glass tube

This device would be a hot water heater, not usually referred to as a "boiler", in my experience.

JB - w/o pulling the dictionary, imo a furnace is a device that burns things. when it comes to heating systems, steam systems have a boiler that is fired/heated by a burning unit (gas or oil) [and yes, one could say one has a 'furnace' if referring to the entire boiler & burning unit]. for my take, though, the term a 'furnace' is better applied to a forced air system where the equipment heats air (not boils water) that is distributed.

Thanks. I called American Home Shield once and they sent out a service guy who fixed one kind of boiler and was useless with regards to the one I needed help with. I guess I still can't keep it straight.

Hot water heater = hot water in faucets.

Boiler = steam heat. That's the thing I empty the gunk out of into the bucket.

Right?

We consider a furnace as a forced hot air heating system in the trade. Boiler is a water heat system..

Posted By: jersey_boy

Thanks. I called American Home Shield once and they sent out a service guy who fixed one kind of boiler and was useless with regards to the one I needed help with. I guess I still can't keep it straight.

Hot water heater = hot water in faucets.

Boiler = steam heat. That's the thing I empty the gunk out of into the bucket.

Right?

Steam boiler right..

Okay, if I always say, "steam boiler" and "hot water heater," I should be fine.

Now what's the difference between the Iron Workers and the Boilermakers?

Just kidding.:wink:

jb, not sure about the iron workers, but this is a boiler maker.

Posted By: krnlJasper, what I do know is that it is important to have your steam boiler serviced every year. We didn't know that when we first moved here and, after about 3 years, sufficient gunk had accumulated in the boiler that it was no longer very efficient. The opaqueness you described is a symptom.

Be sure to have someone home when you get it serviced so that they can explain to you the correct way to partially periodically drain your steam boiler, as Jersey Boy noted.

Yep, I do drain the boiler every 2 or 3 weeks, but had never noticed the opaqueness until now. I used to be able to drain all of the (visible) gunk out periodically, and then the remaining water would be clear. Now I can fill up multiple buckets and am still left with gunky water. Probably because it needs more serious annual servicing. Will make appt ASAP.