Just pulled my dip tube and looked at it, after a fairly mild driving summer - the eastern tour, and putzing around home. The 3/16 ID tube was necked down to about 1/16 at the tip, with what seemed more like stiff brown mud than mineral deposits. Regardless, it looks like it wasn't far from busting a pump or the like.

I complained about this in the past to a good friend who has worked on many many Stanleys, and he said "Oh, I never use a dip tube at all. Just dump the water right on top. Never limes up."

I like that clog-proofing idea, plus it always kind of bugged me to run the feedwater through such a narrow tube at the end of its path, and make extra back pressure for the pumps. (I drilled out a forged T fitting to accept a piece of thickwall 5/16 copper tube.)

So, has anybody else ever run a Stanley boiler this way? How did it work for you?

Kelly

After over thirty years of steaming around the country, I too have experienced the feed water's plugged "dip tube", and I had blown the water pump packing out of the water pumps because of it. Another symptom of it being plugged, is not getting enough replacement water into the boiler. I have a tee fitting on the top of my boiler for the feed water to enter the "dip tube" through. The pipe plug on the top, I annually take a long drill bit (which by the way rides in the bottom of my tool box) and I drill it clean again. Performance is important to me and to freely drop the feed water into your hot steam will take some of the edge off of the steam. There is a temperature difference between the top of your boiler and the bottom of your boiler. Put the cooler feed water in at least half way down the height of the boiler. Don't put the "dip tube" too close to the bottom of the boiler or it will water jet a hole through the bottom tube sheet. That happened to Ron Parola.

I never use 1/8 pipe fitting on a boiler always ¼ inch and my tube is 5/16 hard drawn and straight. It’s three inches of the bottom.
I carry a long rod and always clean the tube every spring. So far so good. I always use water treatment as well.
Rolly

Hi Kelly,,,Ask Tom what magazine the article on running cross country
and back,,,,,was in,
I think it was Tom and Carl,,,,
Item #2,,,SOMEONE quoted as much a 1800# in the pump line
when the tube gets plugged,,,That mutch could pierce the skin
like a diesel injector
,,,I would think the feed water to be near boiler temp by the time
it got to the exit [lower] end of the tube so the shock is less,
upon entry,,
Kelly give me a ring,,have lost your no,,Cheers,,Ben

This is how the dip tube looked like when I took over my 735....

Best regards
Mikkel Posselt, Denmark

Looks like you need to clean your boiler with some
Trisodium phosphate
Rolly

Rolly, I am changing the boiler, and I will try to keep the new one in better shape.

What water treatment do you recommend?

Mikkel

Mikkel
Tri-sodium Phosphate is a water treatment to keep the PH correct. I try to keep my PH between 10.5 and 11. I have been now using LSB8000 for several years. I’m not sure how well it’s working, I need to open up some fitting and check on it.
To clean the boiler you can use Soda Ash.
Rolly
[www.terlyn.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2015 08:44AM by Rolly.

Hey Guys,

Anyone here ever investigate the "Porta water treatment"?

[www.academia.edu]

[www.martynbane.co.uk]

Caleb Ramsby

Acording to traction engine guys the main reason for a dip tube is to keep from shocking your boiler, causing boiler problems. In a Stanley boiler I don't think you could hurt the boiler as slow as water gets pumped in. So I never run a dip tube. never had a problem. Some guys say its more efficient to pump the water at the bottom insted of the steam at the top.I can't tell the difference. Another steam man told me you should pump right at water level. Sounds good. Plus if your boiler check doesn't hold dip tube on the bottom. Go in for lunch come back out now your boiler, no water. It went back into your water tank. Now you think your water gauge false reading. You fire up. Bad news I know a couple guys who have done this. Mostly New Englanders. So do you need a dip tube? Bill Barnes



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/2015 01:00AM by BillB.

Heres a traction engine discucsion on the same isue
[www.smokstak.com]