Am I in danger of killing my whole family by poisoning from outdoor wood burning boiler water contamination?

[docdoc]

Yeah I see what hoses your talking about. I'd ditch them personally. There are better ways to fill the boiler in my opinion. Especially if it's not a pressurized system.

Just for the sake of total noob-know-nothing here, what would be a few examples of "better ways to fill the boiler," please?

 

[sean donato]

As Dave suggested shove the garden hose in the vent and fill it.

 

[ROME K/G]

Should be a way to fill it at the highest point on top of the boiler. The boiler system should have it's own circulating self contained water flow which goes through a heat exchanger and not directly into the house water system. If this boiler does fail in the future take a look at Central Boilers, very well made and insulated.

 

[Captain Bruce]

Hey folks - I posted this in another thread, then I found out the last response to that thread was in 2010 (oops). So here I'm posting afresh:

I bought a home in May 2021 with a Brute Force (I think 5800) wood burning outdoor boiler. Worked great last year. This year, also keeping us toasty. However, this year, one of the blower fans gave out (and shortly after so did the solenoid). I have replacements on the way; however, the reason the motor went out (I think) was due to a short caused by the power cables running into the motor having the sheathing exposed, and the copper wire touching the metal door. This short caused the ETC to get bypassed, and the top blower stayed on. I didn't notice until my wife pointed out the "smoke" (it was steam) POURING out of the vent cap on the top. When I went out there, the water was rolling off the pitched roof of the boiler unit everywhere. Temp was at 220 F!!!!! Water was boiling over! I got it under control.

The vent cap has the float arm to indicate FULL, SAFE, and REFILL levels. I believe I'm still in the "safe" zone; however, I need to know how to fill this puppy up (especially at end of season, as I also have flush and water treatment on the way with the replacement parts).

I believe the previous owner has a set up where the ground well water (from the pressure tank in the house, of course) runs into a heat exchange plate, then into the water heater. In line with the water source is a T-connection that branches off into a hose bib valve, then a short washer hose (two female side) into another hose bib, and that then branches off into the heat exchange plate for the heated water that runs into the hot air exchangers, back to the boiler, etc. etc.

Bottom line, I knew that the water in the boiler is "yuck" and the thought of opening both hose bibs at the same time mortifies me. I looked, and from my limited knowledge, I'm 99% sure there is no BFP (backflow preventer). So . . . can you look at this short video, and tell me what you would do to take that ground well water source and get it into the boiler water system for a refill?

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

You are reaching out, to Arborsite? with conjecture and your "i think" theories....all to find someone who will say, You are right? Call the EPA, and your Councilman. Your keyboard rant is as annoying as a Karen YT vid.

 

[docdoc]

You are reaching out, to Arborsite? with conjecture and your "i think" theories....all to find someone who will say, You are right? Call the EPA, and your Councilman. Your keyboard rant is as annoying as a Karen YT vid.

LOL . . . ratioed!

 

[esshup]

I mean, OK, but the label literally says "may be FATAL if swallowed." I'd prefer to keep it out of the drinking water.

But one thing I was thinking is if I could find a cheap, inline backflow preventer to put on the potable water side and prevent any backflow from the boiler side back into the potable water side.

I'm not having any luck finding one that is small, and the right threading that also DOES NOT have the immediate pressure release like some of the garden hose models I've seen.

and water is FATAL if swallowed in sufficient quantities too......

 

[pdqdl]

Sent you DM.

It is open - I can take the top off where the water level gauge cap rests.

Here's the boiler I have (discontinued everywhere): http://michiganfirewoodproducts.com/Item/bf-5800

I could dump a garden hose in there, but it's very far away from a water source. I may be able to snake hoses together and have enough, but I'd like to see about my current set up, because I have a very sneaking suspicion that bypass was specifically installed to fill the boiler system from the ground water.

I have to imagine, if nothing else, I could get a backflow preventer to at least ease my mind. Just having trouble finding a good one.

Any plumbing supply house (NOT a mass merchant like Home Depot) can equip you with the right backflow preventer. Try Ferguson's. https://www.ferguson.com/searchBranch

And then there is this: https://www.ferguson.com/category?N...d=backflow&searchType=successfulProductSearch

From $74.34 to $32,000+, they got you covered!

 

[esean]

If you can't disconnect the boiler from your potable water supply as recommended above, the next best option is an appropriate backflow prevention device. This is probably a dual check valve with atmospheric vent, NOT just a single check valve. Check with a local plumber certified in backflow prevention and cross-connection control to see what code is in your area and where it should be installed in relation to the shut-off valves.

 

[pdqdl]

and water is FATAL if swallowed in sufficient quantities too......

Eh. I'm in a mood to quibble.

I'd say that potable water is never fatal when swallowed. Drinking too much could be a fatal action performed, but would not cause the water to be a fatal product for consumption. It's the action that is fatal under those circumstances.

Cars are not fatal, either, but skipping around in highway traffic sure can be.

 

[docdoc]

If you can't disconnect the boiler from your potable water supply as recommended above, the next best option is an appropriate backflow prevention device. This is probably a dual check valve with atmospheric vent, NOT just a single check valve. Check with a local plumber certified in backflow prevention and cross-connection control to see what code is in your area and where it should be installed in relation to the shut-off valves.

It can be disconnected. If you see the pics I provided (in thread), it's just a "bypass" washer hose from potable to boiler water. Each connection has a hose bib valve. Valves easily shut off on both water supplies (which they are and have been since moving in) and, additionally, washer hose easily removed between the two; although, unnecessary with the hose bib valves at each end shut off. To me, there seems to be no other reason this was installed other than to fill the boiler water system from the potable water supply. The boiler is vented (not pressurized), and I could just as well stick a garden hose in the top of the OWB unit; however, much more convenient to open the valves inside the house and let the plumbing allow to "fill'r'up." It was just a surprise to me (being a know-nothing-non-plumbing home owner) that potable would have a direct connection to boiler water (treated with poisonous chemicals and otherwise nasty running through the entire boiler water supply system) without something to prevent the nasty boiler water flowing back into the potable supply (very close to the water heater, as you'll see in the pics).

Also, knowing about water flow and gravity, the boiler system valve is just a tad bit higher than the potable water supply valve.

My latest thought is that since the potable supply is pressurized from the tank in the house (well water), and with the boiler water supply valves being shut off or on (as should be the process to fill up with such a setup), perhaps there is never a chance for the water from boiler supply to flow in the wrong direction.

I just need to discover which valves are turned on and off in what order and at what time to ensure that proper flow. Still investigating.

 

[Bearcreek]

How often do you need to top off the water in the boiler? Can't be that often. Seems like it'd be a whole lot less complicated to just run a garden hose out there.

 

[sean donato]

How often do you need to top off the water in the boiler? Can't be that often. Seems like it'd be a whole lot less complicated to just run a garden hose out there.

If it's not a pressurized system it could be pretty often with water evaporating.

 

[Bearcreek]

If it's not a pressurized system it could be pretty often with water evaporating.

I installed a boiler for my mom years ago. Don't remember the exact model but it was not pressurized and was big enough to heat a 5000 sq.ft. house easily, along with providing hot water. She used a garden hose to fill it and had to top it off a couple times a year. Unless the boiler is a long ways from the house, it's real easy to just run the hose out there and fill it up.

 

[sean donato]

I installed a boiler for my mom years ago. Don't remember the exact model but it was not pressurized and was big enough to heat a 5000 sq.ft. house easily, along with providing hot water. She used a garden hose to fill it and had to top it off a couple times a year. Unless the boiler is a long ways from the house, it's real easy to just run the hose out there and fill it up.

Yeah I'm awear of that, the op is the one making it harder then it needs to be.