Install Instructions
49
EMP
Installation & Service Manual
109529-03 - 11/19
10 Maintenance and Service Instructions 
A.  BOILER AND SYSTEM CLEANING  
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TROUBLE FREE  
OPERATION
1.  Filling of Boiler and System — General —-In a 
hot water heating system, the boiler and entire 
system (other than the expansion tank) must 
be full of water for satisfactory operation. Water 
should be added to the system until the boiler 
pressure gauge registers 12 psi. To insure that 
the system is full, water should come out of all 
air vents when opened.
2.  Boiling Out of Boiler and System. The oil and 
grease which accumulate in a new hot water 
boiler can be washed out in the following manner.
a. Ideally, shut off valves have been installed 
between the boiler return manifold and the 
rest of the system, to minimize the amount of 
system draining.
b.  Drain the boiler to a level below the relief valve 
tapping.
DANGER
   Assure that the boiler is at zero pressure before 
removing the relief valve. Open the safety 
valve to relieve all internal pressure prior to 
proceeding. Safety valve discharge piping must 
be piped such that the potential for burns is 
eliminated.
c. Remove relief valve using extreme care to 
avoid damaging it.
d.  Add an appropriate amount of recommended 
boil out compound.
e.  Replace relief valve.
f.  Fill the entire system with water.
g.  Start firing the boiler.
h.  Circulate the water through the entire system.
i.  Vent the system, including the radiation.
j  Allow boiler water to reach operating 
temperature, if possible.
k.  Continue to circulate the water for a few hours.
l.  Stop firing the boiler.
m. Drain the system in a manner and to a location 
that hot water can be discharged with safety.
n.  Remove plugs from all available returns and 
wash the water side of the boiler as thoroughly 
as possible, using a high-pressure water 
stream.
o.  Refill the system with fresh water.
3. Add appropriate boiler water treatment 
compounds as recommended by your qualified 
water treatment company.
4.  Make pH or Alkalinity Test.
  After boiler and system have been cleaned and 
refilled as previously described, test the pH of 
the water in the system. This can easily be done 
by drawing a small sample of boiler water and 
testing with hydrion paper which is used in the 
same manner as litmus paper, except it gives 
specific readings. A color chart on the side of 
the small hydrion dispenser gives the reading 
pH. Hydrion paper is inexpensive and obtainable 
from any chemical supply house or through your 
local druggist. The pH should be higher than 7 but 
lower than 11. Add appropriate water treatment 
chemicals, if necessary, to bring the pH within the 
specified range. With this lower level of protection, 
care must be exercised to eliminate all of the free 
oxygen in the system.
5.  Boiler is now ready to be put into service.
B.  EXCESSIVE MAKE-UP WATER
  A leaky system will increase the volume of make-up 
water supplied to the boiler which can significantly 
shorten the life of the boiler. Entrained in make-up 
water are dissolved minerals, salts and oxygen. 
When the fresh, cool make-up water is heated in 
the boiler the minerals fall out as sediment, the salts 
coat the inside of the boiler, and the oxygen escapes 
as a gas. The accumulation of sediment eventually 
isolates the water from contacting the cast iron. 
When this happens the cast iron in that area gets 
extremely hot and eventually cracks. The presence 
of free oxygen or chloride salts in the boiler corrodes 
the cast iron from the inside. More make-up water 
and higher concentrations of contaminants damage 
the boiler sooner. Our warranty does not cover 
corrosion and sediment-related damage. Clearly 
it is in everyone's best interest to prevent this type of 
failure. You can do your part by ensuring that your 
system is leak-free, keeping leakage to less than 2 
percent of the boiler water volume each month.
IMPORTANT
IF, DURING NORMAL OPERATION, IT IS NECESSARY  
TO ADD MORE WATER THAN INDICATED BELOW,  
CONSULT A QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN TO  
CHECK YOUR SYSTEM FOR LEAKS.
Model No.
Gallons Per 
Month
Gallons Per 
Year
EMP84E/115E  0.20 2.4
EMP140E 0.25 3.0
EMP182E 0.30 3.6
EMP224E 0.40 4.8
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