Boiler water

I recently took my 5" pannier for a run and filled the boiler to working level with softened water from my domestic ion exchange softener. From distant memory this adds an extra Na to the Na H Co3. The water tanks were topped up thereafter with 'local' water which can be rather chalky. The engine ran well for a couple of hours but the water gauge blowdown then ceased to function and the glass looked scummy. I topped up the boiler and the glass suddenly indicated 'past the top nut'. I took the loco off, blew the boiler down to empty and after it cooled set off for home. A shed day the next day revealed that the blowdown valve was choked with white sludge and the lower connection to the water gauge was partially choked. I popped the inner dome off and the internals looked a bright white. A washout removed it as it was soft. My question is (at last you are saying!); does a mixture of softened water and 'local' water increase the possibility of scale deposition? Could it just be the local water? Is ion exchange softened water appropriate for copper loco boilers? This is the first time such an event has occurred in seven years of operation and I'm in a bit of a panic. As a final note, the deterioration in boiler conditions seemed to happen quite rapidly but I might have just woken from my reverie after an enjoyable time on the track.

True Ion exchange resin systems totally remove the calcium and other contaminants. The water softening systems you use at home so not do so. Hence the effects you've noticed.

If you capture rain water and use that you'll have no further issues, as this is true pure ( slightly acidic often) water. Mind you filter it as bugs love to grow in it, before you fill your tank.

Ian

Or collect the water from a dehumidifier. You'll need one in the workshop given the current "drught" conditions

Russell.

I would blame privatisation

Up here in bonnie Scotchland we only have pure clear water running from our Nationalised socialist water pipes.

Edited By Ady1 on 26/04/2012 00:36:35