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Leak!

Started by chipsfly09, August 29, 2009, 04:51:19 PM

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chipsfly09

My Aqua stove-- 500 gal has started to leak a bit-- I can see a drip leak  and I have to add about 20 gal per week to keep the water level up.  If I keep it hot say 160deg. or higher it leaks less.   Any suggestions-- boiler seal? do nothing until the leak gets worse?  I really like the stove and it heats my hot water as well as providing ample heat during the winter-- I would rather this not turn into a "stitch in time saves nine" situation.

Thanks for the help

Chris

beenthere

Do you know where the leak is, or not? Is it a welded seam?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

chipsfly09

No  I really don't-- The stove has a case around it with insulation- the water does not appear to be seeping into the firebox-- stripping off the case to find the leak would seem to be very difficult-- I would guess it is a cracked weld somewhere-- maybe 50 pounds of stop-leak would help? ???

bandmiller2

Chips,is your system  pressure or open? Their a good chance boiler seal will work especially if you can isolate the boiler and bring the water to a boil.What I would do is isolate the boiler from the rest of the system drain 1/2 the water out and see if it still leaks,if it does leak is in the bottom half. Drain more water and check for leaks you should get a good idea where the leak is and reduce the amount of sealer needed.Use regular boiler seal not automotive type ,boiler seal is neutral boyancy dosen't require circulation.Water glass [sodium silicate] along with some solder seal sealer, boiled if possible should work,it will buy you time but not forever.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

chipsfly09

My system is open-- That is a good idea to lower the water level and check for leaks-- I can easily isolate the boiler.  Thanks

chipsfly09

I found my leak ???  It appears to be stemming from a small crack in the firebox where the door closes- I think the crack has spread-- elongated until water has begun to seep from the end that enters the water jacket.  I have lowered the water level and cleaned up the crack with a mini grinder--  I'm fairly confident that I can weld the crack with my wire welder and seal it-- if the firebox is steel-- if it is cast then I will make it worse--  I can do nothing and loose approx 2 gal per day-- that evaporates when the stove is running-- I am afraid that it will get worse if not repaired-- Is there an easy way to tell if the metal is cast-- I'm not a metalurgist and cannot even spell it-- I was told that welding it might make it worse if the weld broke out due to expansion and contraction.  How bout JB weld :)
Any suggestions-- If my waterstove is out of commission I will hjave no reason to cut copious quantities of wood-- buy more old chainsaws I don't need etc. My wife would really have a sound argument---  Thanks

logwalker

When you grind it the sparks will be quite different from one to the other. Can't describe it well but it is obvious when you see it. Joe
Let's all be careful out there tomorrow. Lt40hd, 22' Kenworth Flatbed rollback dump, MM45B Mitsubishi trackhoe, Clark5000lb Forklift, Kubota L2850 tractor

bandmiller2

Chances are very great that its steel.Clean the area well and follow the crack when you think you've found the end drill a small hole.You should see a crack on one side of the hole but not the outher ,that will stop the crack from running.Weld, filling in crack and hole, light peening along the weld won't hurt, to relieve stresses when your done.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

solidwoods

Also once per yr clean the sludge out of the bottom of the water jacket (extremly important).
And replace the anode (extremly important).
jim
Ret. US Army
Kasco II B Band mill
Woodworking since 83
I mill & kiln dry lumber, build custom furniture, artworks, flooring, etc.
If you mill, you'll be interested in some of my work in one way or another.
We ship from our showroom.
N. Central TN.

chipsfly09

I'm going to give the welding a try-drilling the small hole should also help determine cast or not- Ive found drilling cast with HSS drill bits does not work too good-- If the hole drills easily-- most likely mild steel-- Is that a reasonable hypothesis?-- My stove does not have an annode-- I have seen others that do-- should I buy one made for say a Tayor and install in mine?-- What is the best way to clean out sludge from bottom-- Fill partially and drain until all water is clear?  It looks like my drain valves would always leave a little water in the bottom of the stove because they are at least 2" above the bottom edge of the case-- Tilt stove with floor jack maybe?    We'll see what happens :o

Thanks-Chris

bandmiller2

Chris, should be easy to tell cast from plate do you see welded seams ,is the surface smooth or rough from sand casting?When you drill cast would come out in crumbly bits steel more like ribbons.Usally you can flush sludge out with a hose would not hurt to add a little soda ash when you refill to neutrlize the water.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

chipsfly09

Welding went as well as can be expected-- Need to grind and do a bit more filling to make it pretty-- Must be a steel jacket-- it welded too good to be cast. Should be able to fire it back up this evening or tomorrow-- Thanks

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