I can hardly believe we will have more snow here in Michigan next week. This has been a long hard Winter. I know you are staying warm, and saving money, but the warmth of Spring is coming so hang in there!
This is an extra message this week - we are trying to NOT hit you with a fire hose full of information! But rather send this out in quick bites before we send you the FINAL version of the New and Improved Summer Shutdown Checklist.
This is reminder #4, and today we answer the question: "When Is A Complete Flush of Your Outdoor Boiler Required?"
And today we have some BONUS laughs for you - just click here:
When A Complete FLUSH Is Urgently Needed? (Ultimate Summer Shutdown Checklist Part 4 of 10)
Many outdoor boiler owners are NOT AWARE that they must completely flush their outdoor boiler water at certain times. Here are the standards from industry experts:
- You must completely FLUSH your outdoor boiler at least every four years. If you have had your outdoor boiler more than four years and you have never flushed it, you MUST do a flush now as part of the Summer Shutdown. (See below for simple flush procedure.)
- If you have not properly treated your outdoor boiler water with Liquid Armor water treatment in the last 12 months, you MUST do a flush now as part of the Summer Shutdown.
- If you have ever used a cheap imitation "water treatment", it is critical that you completely flush the outdoor boiler water now. PLEASE NOTE: Some manufacturers have discovered that the water treatment they themselves recommended and sold, ACTUALLY CAUSED DAMAGE to boiler steel. We have seen this - corrosion occurs BELOW the water line, and not above. Wow! DO NOT BUY CHEAP IMITATION WATER TREATMENT!!! It will destroy your boiler.
And with the current EPA ban on outdoor boilers, remember that once your boiler fails, you cannot replace it. Our Liquid Armor water treatment was specifically formulated to protect your exact grade of steel with great precision and safety.
- If you use antifreeze in your system, you will need to call our technical team for a more customized analysis of when and if you need to do a complete flush.
- If you do your annual sediment flush, and your water does not run clear, you must do a complete flush.
Keep your furnace HEALTHY. A fresh water flush when needed will ensure many years of saving money on your heating bills with your outdoor wood boiler!
FLUSH PROCEDURE:
1.) Allow fire to completely burn out and allow water jacket temp to drop to 80 degrees or lower.
2.) Remove all firewood, coals and ash. Take this opportunity to completely scrape out firebox of all ash and creosote that removes easily.
3.) Connect a hose to the bottom drain valve of the boiler. This is found in the bottom rear of the boiler so as to be at the lowest point of the water jacket. Direct the hose to where you want the boiler water to drain. Note that some boilers have two drain valves and both should be flushed during this process.
4.) Turn off the pump. The power to the furnace can be shut off from the breaker if desired to achieve this.
5.) Clean the filter cartridge. Put filter assembly back together completely. Replace filter cartridge as needed - it is a stainless steel mesh screen and is reusable, but will not last forever. Replacement filter cartridges are available HERE at HawkenStore.com.
6.) Open the drain valve. Allow the water to completely drain out of the boiler. This will take some time. Take note of how many seconds the water looks muddy - it should only look like muddy river water for a few seconds and then turn clear.
7.) Once completely drained, close the drain valve(s).
8.) Refill the boiler completely with fresh water. Bypass any water softener. Do not add water treatment to this water.
9.) Turn pump back on.
10.) Open any bypasses around heat exchangers, and the filter.
11.) Allow pump to circulate water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Make sure all ball valves are open so that this fresh water flushes out all pipes.
12.) Turn pump off, and close bypass at filter.
13.) Drain boiler again by opening drain valve(s).
14a.) Refill the boiler completely with fresh water. Bypass any water softener. At this time, be sure to ADD Liquid Armor water treatment to this water according to proper specifications - ONE gallon of water treatment for every 200 gallons of water jacket capacity. We recommend one gallon of water for every 150 gallons of water jacket capacity for the initial fill.
14b.) Liquid Armor Water Treatment is available at this link HERE - do NOT use any other water treatment product as those are cheap imitations and can actually DAMAGE your boiler. (We literally discovered a series of products that destroy furnaces. Do NOT accept any cheap imitations!)
15.) Turn pump back on and allow this to circulate the water for a minimum of 24 hours.
16.) Take a water sample and submit it to the Hawken Lab for FREE testing. In approx. 4 weeks, you will receive your water analysis test results via email (don't forget to put your email address on the water sample bottle). Most test results come back "SATISFACTORY". Follow the test results instructions, if any.
Our Website Has Become THE
Ultimate Resource On Outdoor Boilers!
Our goal at Hawken Support is to help you realize the best return on your investment! We have invested MILLIONS in research, testing, and proving our designs and methods. We want YOU to benefit from all we have learned!
You made a big investment in your furnace system so you deserve to realize a great return on that investment!
Here is your exclusive access to the answers to any question you may have on your outdoor boiler: Just click HERE, and type your question in the search bar, and your answer will appear before your eyes! This is the most powerful tool known to the Outdoor Boiler industry.
Also, learn more about how to extend the life of your outdoor boiler by visiting our DIY Section by clicking this link HERE. Here are a few examples of some of the great articles available:
If there is a question that you cannot get an answer to, just contact us! Let us know your question - we are here to help you! Simply click HEREto ask us any question. This time of year is very busy so please forgive us for being swamped, but we value you as our customers and want to help you. (Note: Urgent calls get the highest priority.)
We want you to be able to Stay Warm, Turn UP Your Thermostat, and Save Money All Winter!
OutdoorBoiler.com has released the following statement:
"A delay in implementation of this far-reaching rule is not enough. These rules make absolutely no sense for more than 95% of the country, which is rural, where wood burning bothers nobody. These over-reaching rules appear to say that the EPA wants us to stop using wood - a RENEWABLE FUEL - and only use fossil fuels that support terrorist countries, or transition to coal, which is not regulated in any of these bewildering rules.This is evidence of how out of touch Washington is with the rest of the country. These rules (insofar as hydronic heaters are concerned) should be completely reversed, and the decision of how to regulate wood burning should be a local issue, much like the arguments being made by those in favor of restoring other freedoms in the US."
PLEASE REMEMBER that the EPA has now BANNED outdoor wood boilers. Therefore...Once your boiler reaches its end of life...which hopefully will not be for decades, ...YOUR DAYS OF SAVING MONEY BY BURNING WOOD WILL BE OVER!
We want to help you keep your boiler running for several more decades - helping you SAVE money for many years to come.
This is why we spend so much time on providing YOU operating tips, maintenance information, and other valuable resources to keep your outdoor wood boiler healthy and durable.
Don't miss our breaking new report on steps you can take NOW to increase the life expectancy of your outdoor boiler. Click HERE to read this report.
For more information on the EPA rules on wood burning, click HERE. As you will see, most boilers are banned effective January 2016, and the remainder as of January 2020. Some claim to meet the 2020 "particulate" standard, but do not meet the other 2020 emissions limits. The technology does not appear to exist to meet all 2020 rules, hence the EPA has effectively banned outdoor boilers.
We want to welcome all new members of the Hawken Family! You are now part of a fast-growing group of over 60,000 very wise men and women who save money by burning wood fuel. We pride ourselves on being independent, patriotic, and hard-working. We are an important part of the backbone of America. As we stay together, we will work hard to defend our freedom to burn wood, and protect our liberties. We warmly welcome you to our family.
Patriot,
