How to Clean Your Steam Boiler

Your steam boiler serves an important purpose in heating your home on cold days and nights. Maintaining your steam boiler and keeping it clean is essential in keeping its performance up to par.

Things You'll Need

• Trisodium phosphate
• Damp cloth
• Dry cloth

Instructions

Cleaning Your Steam Boiler

1. Pour trisodium phosphate, a popular cleaning agent, into your steam boiler, measuring about one pound for every fifty gallons of water in your boiler. Alternatives to trisodium phosphate include MEX, sodium hydroxide, or sodium carbonate.

2. Turn the heat on the boiler so it will go to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Allow the boiler to remain heated for two hours, making sure that it doesn't start producing steam. This shouldn't be a problem, since water doesn't boil until it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Drain your steam boiler.

5. Refill your steam boiler, checking and making sure the pH levels are between 7.0 and 8.5.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're careful, you can use a soft damp cloth and a soft dry cloth to wipe the dust and dirt off your steam boiler. While not essential, it does make it look tidier. Just be careful not to accidentally burn yourself.

• Read up on your specific model of steam boiler for the best results in cleaning your boiler.

References

• Weil-McLain - Cleaning Steam Boilers
• The Basics of Steam Heating
• Steam Boiler Repair

Resources

• What is Trisodium Phosphate