Inline Air Filters Moisture Removal Help

[mjwalsh]

For several years now we have been using the following (linked below) to remove moisture from combustion pressure line on one of our 92+ efficient Hydropulse 150K BTU Modular Boilers. The reason why I am posting is because I am thinking that some of you can share about which brand-models of air filters are the best. It is somewhat mission critical because moisture can goof up the combustion prove switch!

Mini Air Line Filter

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We have been having good luck dissembling the above & replacing its zinc steel machine screw with a fit wise matching 2" phillips #10 pan head stainless steel machine screw.

Sure we are getting by with improvising with a less cost air filter but I am thinking that some other air filter might be even better. Keep in mind the moisture that drains down in my case tends to be condensation that I believe is a bit more corrosive than some moisture in some air tubing.

Which small air filter is your favorite without getting into the lengthy & space taking chiller approach etc. like previous threads along this line has included?

 

[2Biz]

MJ, Can you be more specific? Are you using a water separator filter on the NG line to your boiler? I have 4 components in my Er that use NG. I don't have any filters inline....Never an issue.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I don't have anything on my boilers ( Have 3 of them ) but I use a fairly large "after cooler" on my air compressor which pretty much eliminated all condensation from my air lines.

 

[mjwalsh]

MJ, Can you be more specific? Are you using a water separator filter on the NG line to your boiler? I have 4 components in my Er that use NG. I don't have any filters inline....Never an issue.

2Biz, I think it might be specific to the specific boiler because we never needed to do this before. For some reason the condensation does not flow through to the drain like the other of the same model (different year) of boiler. We have not found an easy way to unplug the interior path on the way to the floor. It was one of the year 2006 boilers that we bought used that were taken out of a large rural school.

I mostly posted in case some had a preference for other small water filters such as Norgren, Aro, Sioux & many other brands. It seems like we will get by with the Harbor Freight one as long as we replace the non stainless 10-32 two inch machine screw with a stainless one.

 

[MEP001]

I'm sure the Harbor Freight filters are not intended for gas lines. How often do you need to drain the water out of them?

 

[JGinther]

I wouldn't be using non-AGA approved components on gas lines! Are you sure this is on a gas line? Can't think of any reason to have fresh pressurized air routed to a boiler either except perhaps having a conveniently located cleaning tool. And lastly, what kind of problem would you be having with the proove switch related to moisture?

 

[mjwalsh]

Like I said: I mostly posted in case some had a preference for other small water filters such as Norgren, Aro, Sioux & many other brands. It seems like we will get by with the Harbor Freight one as long as we replace the non stainless 10-32 two inch machine screw with a stainless one.

Think in terms of exhaust from internal combustion & the combustion prove is just to verify > or = to 5 psi. If the non stainless 2" internal # 10 machine screw corrodes or other problem with air filter ... it does not present a hazard other than making that specific modular boiler not run. In other words "fail safe" ... I would not have it any other way... those safety devices to protect against danger are there for a reason. AGA approved??? Some unburnt gas in the exhaust possibly but please don't take the leap & imagine that I am teeing into the natural gas line & dripping water from the gas company's gas line.

Since we have some almost brand new 2006 barely used spare boilers that we bought that the large rural school system found to have too much of a learning curve??? to maintain. The most dominant so called expert-parts supplier we called from the east coast said that he had never heard a need for removal of moisture. We hate to swap out the boiler with another one stored because we think it is more of a nuisance fluke limited just that boiler ... the moisture removal solves the problem without creating a hazard. The pressure switch is a plastic & stainless Honeywell that can be cleaned & usually restored so it switches properly & never allows a dangerous "latched on" condition.

The pulse boilers I read or heard somewhere were banned in Canada because of the dripping from the outdoor exhaust ... not sure if that was true. The last year of the manufacture was 2006 same as ours. Most parts are available or can be made 3D print-machine shop. Even supplyhouse.com & others have some of the parts: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Hydrotherm. The boiler inspectors have been coming every 2 years ... it is not something that we hide from them & all of whatever is right in front of their noses. I suppose in some states they might say "never seen that before ... no allow ... or their personal inspection could be at risk".

Like I said: I mostly posted in case some had a preference for other small water filters such as Norgren, Aro, Sioux & many other brands. It seems like we will get by with the Harbor Freight one as long as we replace the non stainless 10-32 two inch machine screw with a stainless one while it is still brand new. In hindsight maybe I should have just shared the Harbor Freight "in house revision trick" & stuck to just quality comparisons of the other brands besides going to the "extra space needed chiller apparatus" like our friend "car wash guy" posted.

 

[JGinther]

Sorry, your posts are hard for me to understand. I ran it through google translator, and I came up with you using an air line filter bowl on the gas line (because you called it the 'combustion pressure line'). Looking back, it looks like everyone else came up with this same translation - we must be using the same translator tool! So you are talking about adding a filter bowl on the pressure switch tubing... And then you will open the heater every now and then to drain the water out? I think I would be looking into the pressure switch itself if you are having unreliable combustion proving. Then lastly looking at why the pressure might not be high enough to trip the switch (back-pressure problems - leaks, holes, fan problems, etc). Maybe try swapping the pressure switch from your spare unit? All of the above answers the question you didn't ask! But to answer the one you put in bold... I don't have a preference. Sorry.

 

[2Biz]

MJ, Sorry, but I doubt you are going to get many comments when we "Think" you are using a HF Air-Water Separator on a NG line...Still not sure if that's what you are doing....

FWIW....I use this one from HF on my air compressor and it works great. Guessing its been in service at least 6-7 years....But I use it for what it is designed for, a Water Separator - Regulator for compressed air....

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[mjwalsh]

Thanks 2Biz for sharing the good experience with the $35 version of the HF ... like I said in hindsight I would not have mentioned the stainless solution that we found for the lesser expensive HF model. Anybody else have a preference for those smaller air filters that also include "water separation"???? I was thinking more with the ones that have 1/4" NPT ports.

I would hope that some small business owners improvise a bit here & there after careful & thorough analysis of the "fail safe factor" etc. As far as explaining the difference between measuring & switching ... from an exhaust air tap on tubing containing not sure what percentage of NG ... there is a difference between that & putting the "moisture removing filter" on a utility provided gas line which I agree would never be a good idea.

I was visiting with a long term(over 40 years) contractor somewhat local friend of mine who did a lot of furnaces before he semi retired etc ... he explained to me that condensing "pulse" boilers & furnaces tend to have been phased out. The jury is still out on how great "all blue sky" turn out to be with what they were replaced with. Especially for the long term. I remember buying a spark plug for the boilers by cross referencing & special ordering a spark plug specific to some farm equipment's combustion engines. The price difference for the exact same part was astronomical!