What Is Boiler Kettling?

Have you ever heard your boiler making a deep, rumbling sound while it was on? If so, you may have a kettling problem. Boiler kettling is a pretty big threat to the health of your boiler, and can cause quite a bit of damage if you let it continue. Let’s take a look at why boiler kettling happens, and what you can do to stop it.

What Causes Kettling?
Boiler kettling is the result of hard water creating lime scale deposits in the heat exchanger. These deposits restrict the flow of water through the heat exchanger. This will cause some of the water in the heat exchanger to evaporate into steam. When water evaporates, it expands many times over. This puts immense pressure on the heat exchanger that it is not designed to handle. The rumbling sound you hear is the heat exchanger straining to contain the high pressure, due to the steam buildup.

The Negative Results of Kettling
As you might imagine, this really isn’t good for the boiler. If the pressure is not relieved, it will eventually cause the heat exchanger to rupture, spilling water all over the place and severely damaging the system. This could cost thousands of dollars, which could be easily prevented by fast action.

If you notice that your boiler is kettling, turn it off and call for repairs immediately. There is a good chance that we will be able to scrape the lime scale out of the heat exchanger and restore it to full function. If the lime scale is too advanced, we can still replace the heat exchanger before it ruptures and damages the rest of the system.
If your boiler is acting up, call SPS Mechanical Inc. We offer a full range of boiler services throughout Haddonfield, NJ.