kimr74•3d ago

Steam boiler acting up in a humid climate, need tips for future jobs

I got sent to a craft brewery in New Orleans last month to fix their steam boiler. The air was so thick with moisture you could taste it. I found the pressure gauges were fogging up bad, and there was rust starting on some joints. I swapped out a few valves and wrapped extra insulation around the lines, but it felt like a patch job. The local guys said they use special coatings to fight the damp, but I've never worked with that stuff up here in the Midwest. Anyone have experience with anti-corrosion treatments for boilers in wet places? I've got another call in Florida coming up, and I don't want to get caught off guard again. What's your go-to method for keeping things dry and running right in high humidity?

3 comments

3 Comments

amycarr3d ago

Wait, you could actually taste the humidity? That's wild, I've never worked anywhere that damp. Honestly, if the air is that wet, any patch job is just asking for trouble. Tbh, I've had good results with two-part epoxy coatings on boiler joints and gauges. It creates a solid barrier so the moisture can't get in. Ngl, without something like that in Florida, you'll be fighting rust non-stop.

finleys372d ago

We redid all the exterior bolts on a Tampa site with that exact epoxy. Still holding up three years later, zero surface rust. Amy's spot on about the barrier.

emmalewis2d ago

Yeah, @finleys37's point about that epoxy barrier is key. I'd check what the local humidity is like in that part of Florida before you pick a coating.