Fulton Classic ICX or FB-F Vertical Tubeless Boilers (Steam) Oil Fired - Manual (Page 22)

Water Supply
a) Feed water contains solids and
dissolved gases. These may pro-
mote incrustation of scale; foaming,
priming, surging, and solids in
steam; corrosion and pitting; or
caustic embrittlement. To prevent
this, feedwater must be studied indi-
vidually and treated accordingly by
reputable professionals specializing
in this field. It is strongly recom-
mended that a competent water
treatment company be consulted
prior to the installation of the boiler.
b) The purpose of this treatment
should be to provide quality feedwa-
ter to the boiler such that corrosion
and deposition in the boiler will be
minimized. Dissolved oxygen, high
chloride levels and low pH can all
be major causes of corrosion.
Untreated hardness is the major
cause of deposits. Poor quality
feedwater requires increased blow
off and increased chemical treat-
ment costs to prevent boiler corro-
sion and scaling.
c) One way to lower the amount of
dissolved oxygen in the boiler feed
water is the sparge tube option.
This option injects live steam into
the feedwater to increase the water
temperature to 180 degrees F (82
degrees C) which removes oxygen
from the water.
d) Chlorides can be controlled by
increasing the number of blow-
downs per day from one to four.
e) The Fulton Warranty does not
cover damage or failure that can be
attributed to corrosion, scale or dirt
accumulations. Oxygen is a cor-
rosive. See the Warranty Section of
this manual for full details.
Recommended Water Treatment
a) Following are recommendations
for feed water and boiler water.
Contact your local water treat-
ment professional for testing and
treatment recommendations. It is
very important that a strict water
treatment program be followed.
Feedwater:
Dissolved Oxygen...........less than 0.05 ppm
pH Value .........................9-11
*Hardness.......................less than 70 ppm
in terms of calcium carbonate
Oil ...................................none
Suspended Solids...........none
Organic Matter................less than 5.0 ppm
Chloride ..........................less than 50.0 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids.....less than 300 ppm
Boiler Water:
Phosphate ....................30 to 50 ppm
expressed as PO
4
(Phosphate)
Alkalinity .......................less than 300 ppm as
CACO3 (Calcium Carbonate)
Chloride ........................less than 500 ppm
pH Value.......................9 to 11 (measured at
room temperature)
Total Dissolved Solids ..400 to 2,000 ppm
Iron ...............................1 ppm maximum
Silica.............................180 ppm max. as SIO
2
Hardness ......................less than 50.0 ppm
Dissolved Oxygen ........none
ppm = parts per million
* 1 Grain Hardness = 17.118 ppm
Therefore: 70 ppm = 4.10 grains hardness
b) It is critical that the boiler pH
be alkaline (9-11) whenever water
is in the boiler. Solids that enter in
with the feed water concentrate in
the boiler. Daily boiler blowdown is
recommended to prevent corrosion
and/or deposits from forming .
Glossary of Water
Supply Corrosives
and Inhibitors
Dissolved Oxygen: Oxygen that is
dissolved in the feedwater will
cause the steel in the boiler and the
feedwater system to be attacked by
the water in a manner described as
“pitting”. The pits that are produced
can vary from tiny depressions to
holes large enough to penetrate the
boiler metal and are usually covered
with tubercles of iron oxide. Once
pitting starts, it may be extremely
hard to arrest. Pitting can proceed
at a surprisingly rapid rate and can
occur not only in the boiler proper,
but also in pre-boiler equipment
such as economlzers, feedwater
heaters, and feedwater lines.
Sodium Sulfite Its purpose is to
chemically remove the dissolved
oxygen left in the feedwater.
Sodium Sulfite reacts chemically
with dissolved oxygen, producing
sodium sulfate. Since it is desirable
to remove dissolved oxygen from
the feedwater before it reaches a
boiler. Sodium sulfite is best intro-
duced continuously at some suitable
point in the feedwater system (the
storage section of the feedwater
heater, six inches below the water
line). Chemical residual control is
based on the maintenance of a
specific excess of sodium sulfite in
the boiler water. The essential
requirement being to maintain in
the feedwater at all times slightly
more than enough sodium sulfite to
consume all of the dissolved oxy-
gen. When sodium sulfite is not fed
continuously, protection of the boil-
er against oxygen attack must
depend on the reserve of sodium
sulfite that is present in the boiler
water. In this case, it is important
that the feedwater and the boiler
water are mixed thoroughly and as
quickly as possible so that boiler
water sodium sulfite may consume
feedwater oxygen before the latter
can cause damage to the boiler.
Sulfite as a treatment represents
a second line of defense against
oxygen corrosion. A vigorous main-
tenance program to safe guard
against oxygen leakage into the pre-
boiler system should be followed.
Suspended Solids:Suspended
solids are the undissolved matter in
water, including dirt, silt vegetation,
and any other insoluble organic
matter. Normally suspended solids
are expressed in terms of
turbidity.The presence of suspended
solids in cooling water can increase
impingement type corrosion.
Suspended solids may also deposit
in low velocity areas and create dif-
ferential aeration cells. Pitting can
result. The most common cause of
high suspended solids is high hard-
ness feedwater. Of the agents which
cause foaming, suspended solids
probably have the least effect.
Reasons for the increased hardness
or other suspended solids should be
determined.
In line filters, or various types of
pretreatment can be used to lower
the suspended solids level. Various
polymers assist in holding solids in
suspension.
Alkalinity: Alkalinity is the capacity
of a water to neutralize acids.
Common water alkalinities consist
of bicarbonate, carbonates, hydrox-
ide, phosphate, and silcate. These
alkalinities, especially bicarbonates
and carbonates, break down to form
carbon dioxide in steam, which is a
major factor in the corrosion on con-
densate lines. High alkalinity also
causes foaming and carry over in
boilers.
Description/Instructions
14-O 4/00