Tony Bird
Senior Member
Hi,
I was asked on another forum what I used to test boilers so I thought I would post a copy here as well.
Probably the commonest form of boiler test rig consists of a water tank with a submerged pumping in it pumping water into the boiler to test it and some where in the system there will be a pressure gauge. It is a system that I used for years. For many years those of us that played with model steam engines topped up their boilers while they were under pressure using a modified garden spray. The only modification to the spray was to connect its spray head to a nylon tube, the nylon tube was pushed into a Schroeder valve in the boiler and the spray pumped. These garden sprays have no problem in overcoming 40 to 60 psi of boiler pressure. In fact most garden sprays can easily reach 200 psi and more until the handle breaks! So they could be used to test boilers with working pressure up to 100 psi. So this is what I use no water tank and pump just a spray bottle.
I have modified a pressure gauge to allow it to be screwed into a boiler and to accept the nylon tube from the hand spray.
This is how a boiler looks while it is under test with the spray disconnected.
The blue plastic hole is where a 4mm nylon tube connected to the spray is pushed in and a commercial Enots valve. This Enots valve is screwed into a non return valve which is in turn screwed into the body of the test rig. The large valve isolates the pump so it can be removed after pressure has been reached.
The back of the rig showing showing the two air and pressure release valves.
The simple air/pressure release valve.
A range of adapters used for different threads and some extra long to clear boiler fittings such as steam domes.
Rig in use.
Higher pressure pump used to check gas tanks up to 350 psi.
Simpler rig with just one valve; which is used to remove air and release the pressure.
Regards Tony
I was asked on another forum what I used to test boilers so I thought I would post a copy here as well.
Probably the commonest form of boiler test rig consists of a water tank with a submerged pumping in it pumping water into the boiler to test it and some where in the system there will be a pressure gauge. It is a system that I used for years. For many years those of us that played with model steam engines topped up their boilers while they were under pressure using a modified garden spray. The only modification to the spray was to connect its spray head to a nylon tube, the nylon tube was pushed into a Schroeder valve in the boiler and the spray pumped. These garden sprays have no problem in overcoming 40 to 60 psi of boiler pressure. In fact most garden sprays can easily reach 200 psi and more until the handle breaks! So they could be used to test boilers with working pressure up to 100 psi. So this is what I use no water tank and pump just a spray bottle.
I have modified a pressure gauge to allow it to be screwed into a boiler and to accept the nylon tube from the hand spray.
This is how a boiler looks while it is under test with the spray disconnected.
The blue plastic hole is where a 4mm nylon tube connected to the spray is pushed in and a commercial Enots valve. This Enots valve is screwed into a non return valve which is in turn screwed into the body of the test rig. The large valve isolates the pump so it can be removed after pressure has been reached.
The back of the rig showing showing the two air and pressure release valves.
The simple air/pressure release valve.
A range of adapters used for different threads and some extra long to clear boiler fittings such as steam domes.
Rig in use.
Higher pressure pump used to check gas tanks up to 350 psi.
Simpler rig with just one valve; which is used to remove air and release the pressure.
Regards Tony
