Chased a phantom leak on a 300 HP boiler in Gary for 11 hours, turned out to be a $4 gasket
Had a 300 HP firetube in Gary that kept losing water and I crawled every inch of that thing looking for the leak. Turned out the rear door gasket was the culprit, but I only found it after 11 hours because the water was flashing to steam before it dripped down. How do you all track down leaks when the water never makes it to the floor?
Man that is rough, 11 hours on a 300 HP firetube and it ends up being a 4 dollar gasket. I have been there way too many times, chasing water loss on a big boiler and everything looks dry because the leak is flashing off before it ever hits the floor. The worst ones for me are the handhole gaskets and the rear door, you can hear a faint hiss if you get close but by the time you grab a light it is gone. I started using a bright flashlight and looking for that little white mineral trail or rust streak instead of actual water, and sometimes a mirror on a stick helps you spot the wet spot on the tube sheet before it dries.