If your boiler has been either partially or fully, under water due to flooding conditions, please read the following.
** This article was written for boilers but it really applies to any type of HVAC System including gas, oil, and electric furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners. Anything with electrical parts, motors, blowers, insulation, and so on, can be affected.
DANGER
If
any part of a boiler, burner or its controls has been
sprayed or submerged under water, either partially or fully, DO
NOT attempt to operate the boiler until the boiler has been either
replaced or completely repaired, inspected, and you are sure that
the boiler and all components are in good condition and fully reliable.
Otherwise, by operating this boiler, you will cause a fire or explosion
hazard, and an electrical shock hazard, leading to serious injury,
death, or substantial property damage.
When a flooding
condition has occurred with a boiler, you must follow one of these two
(2) options:
1)
Replace
the boiler which has experienced flooding conditions with a new
boiler, or
2)
Thoroughly
service the boiler which has experienced flooding conditions using
the following guidelines:
a)
Replace
all controls, gas valves, and electrical wiring on the boiler.
Once an electrical control has been wet, it poses a fire and
electrical shock risk and must be replaced. Gas valves are
no longer assured to provide a safe shut-off to the gas, potentially
causing gas leaks, fires, and explosions. Even mechanical
devices such as float low water cut-offs and safety relief
valves need to be replaces, as their components may become
corroded, making the device unreliable for future use.
b)
Thoroughly
inspect all burner tubes, gas piping, manifolds, orifices,
and flue ways for signs of rust and/or sediment from the flood
waters. The rust and sediment can prevent proper operation
of the boiler if it is not cleaned out from the boiler.
c)
For
oil-filled boilers, replace all oil burners. Oil burners are complex systems
consisting of solenoid valves, motors, electrodes, and pumps.
If these components have experienced flooding, oil leaks,
valve failures, and electrical faults may occur resulting
in a severe fire hazard, potential injury or death. In the
case of large commercial burners, it is more cost efficient to replace the entire
burner rather than attempting to replace all the controls
and repair the mechanical components.
d)
Replace
all insulation that has become water damaged. This includes
jacket insulation, base box insulation, and combustion chamber
insulation and refractories. After insulation has become water
damaged due to flooding, it may deteriorate, reducing its
insulation value and causing a potential fire hazard. Also,
it can pose a health risk due to bacteria from the flood waters
remaining in the insulation.
e)
Where
possible, inspect seal rings for damage from petroleum products.
Flood waters are often contaminated with gasoline and other
petroleum products, which damage elastomer seals used on many boilers.
f)
Thoroughly
inspect all venting for signs of corrosion. Replace any
venting that is rusting or corroded in order to prevent
flue gasses from entering the building through the venting
system.
.
NOTE: Even
if only part of the boiler has been submerged in flood waters,
replace ALL controls, gas valves, and other components as noted
above. There is no easy way to know which components may be damaged;
and even if a control was not submerged, water can get inside
components because of splashing, wicking action, and/or moisture
in the air.
Water and
sediment easily enter controls, wiring, and insulation and other
boiler components. Even if you can not see obvious signs of penetration,
water and sediment may have entered a device and render it unsafe.
Replacing
the boiler is usually the quickest and most cost economical option
when servicing a boiler that has experienced flooding. With so
many areas of concern in attempting to repair a boiler that has
experienced flooding conditions, replacing the boiler is generally
the safest choice.
Courtesy of Tom Senter, Weil McLain
Hannabery HVAC is a member of the Independent Quality Alliance, (IQA) "Service Professionals Committed To Excellence"
