Front drain plug

parador Sat 28 Dec 2019, 6:17 pm

I have noticed that each time I raise steam the front drain plug(inside the chimney box) starts to leak water when temperature rises. It eventually seals when pressure rises.

Has anyone else experienced this and is there a fix please?

Thanks
Martin

lynnr Sat 28 Dec 2019, 7:18 pm

Hi

Are you sure it is the bung on the top of the tube plate. As when raising steam condensate that has formed in the blast pipe and or blower pipe will get pushed out when everything around the block starts to heat up.

Also you will find coal when raising steam can be very "wet" and produce a lot of condensate, tar etc. Crystal prefers a wood fire until she is above 40psi then add coal. Otherwise I get a very wet smokebox to the point she will stall in steam raising. I carry a turkey baster to empty the smokebox if this happens.

LiveSteam Sat 28 Dec 2019, 7:33 pm

Do you not have a drain hole in the smoke box Lynn ? the agri has a good 3mm hole at the back and during raising I generally get a good stream out of it until its up to temp, I've also had it run with condensate if its a very cold day and I'm just sat ticking over.

parador Sun 29 Dec 2019, 4:06 pm

Thanks both.

I had assumed it was a leaking front drain plug but it might be condensation I hadn't thought of that. I was using the steam blower as early as possible as I was struggling to get the fire to draw so perhaps you are correct Lynn.

I will look for evidence of a leak from the plug and apply some thread sealer.
Regards
Martin

Simon C Sun 29 Dec 2019, 4:45 pm

parador wrote:Thanks both.

I had assumed it was a leaking front drain plug but it might be condensation I hadn't thought of that. I was using the steam blower as early as possible as I was struggling to get the fire to draw so perhaps you are correct Lynn.

I will look for evidence of a leak from the plug and apply some thread sealer.
Regards
Martin

Hi Martin
once you have a reasonable fire in the grate you can open the fire box door and look inside, its just like opening the oven door.
Do not keep the door open too long as the draw on the fire stops and the fire struggles.
When you get the second part of the boiler inspection your inspector will look in with the boiler under pressure for singes of leakage from the plug and the fire tubes.
As your engine is a model works then the pump is constructed slightly different to the STW one, the STW pump has a counter sunk screw holding the piston on to the piston rod and that is the screw that Lynn is referring to
If the pump has more than one ring of packing in it then the joins in the ends of the packing rings should be staggered this will help the sealing of the piston.
Just one other thing is, if the packing is of the mucky string variety then it may have gone a little dry and so may be worth changing to the PTFE type.
Simon C

LiveSteam Sun 29 Dec 2019, 8:05 pm

parador wrote:

I will look for evidence of a leak from the plug and apply some thread sealer.

Shouldnt need any, most I have is a smear of copper slip on mine to aid removal, similar to all my plugs inc fusible.

parador Sun 29 Dec 2019, 10:41 pm

Simon C wrote:
parador wrote:

Hi Martin
once you have a reasonable fire in the grate you can open the fire box door and look inside, its just like opening the oven door.
Do not keep the door open too long as the draw on the fire stops and the fire struggles.
When you get the second part of the boiler inspection your inspector will look in with the boiler under pressure for singes of leakage from the plug and the fire tubes.
As your engine is a model works then the pump is constructed slightly different to the STW one, the STW pump has a counter sunk screw holding the piston on to the piston rod and that is the screw that Lynn is referring to
If the pump has more than one ring of packing in it then the joins in the ends of the packing rings should be staggered this will help the sealing of the piston.
Just one other thing is, if the packing is of the mucky string variety then it may have gone a little dry and so may be worth changing to the PTFE type.
Simon C

Ok thanks.
PS. My engine is STW not MW

Sponsored content

Front drain plug

Front drain plug

Re: Front drain plug

Re: Front drain plug

Re: Front drain plug

Re: Front drain plug

Re: Front drain plug

Re: Front drain plug

Re: Front drain plug