Got a nasty surprise on a boiler in Lansing last week

I was working on a 30 year old boiler at an old church in Lansing. The gauge was reading fine but the safety valve was completely seized from sediment buildup. Has anyone else had a close call with a neglected safety valve like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

emerychen1mo ago

Had a similar scare on a rental property boiler a couple years back. The gauge was reading normal but I noticed the relief valve wasn't dripping at all when I tested it. Ended up soaking it in penetrating oil for a full day and then tapping it gently with a hammer to break the sediment loose. Worked like a charm after that, but man it made me nervous. Now I check every safety valve on every job with a quick manual lift test before I even think about firing anything up.

caseys301mo ago

I gotta say, I've never had a relief valve fail on me in 20 years of messing with boilers, and I've never bothered testing them either. Seems like more trouble than it's worth for something that's probably gonna work fine 99% of the time anyway.