HOW TO MANAGE A TRACTION ENGINE BOILER.
We will suppose that the young engineer fully understands all parts of
the boiler and engine, as explained in the preceding chapters. It is
well to run over the questions several times, to make sure that every
point has been fully covered and is well understood.
We will suppose that you have an engine in good running order. If you
have a new engine and it starts off nice and easy (the lone engine
without load) with twenty pounds steam pressure in the boiler, you may
make up your mind that you have a good engine to handle and one that
will give but little trouble. But if it requires fifty or sixty pounds
to start it, you want to keep your eyes open, for something is tight.
But don’t begin taking the engine to pieces, for you might get more
pieces than you know what to do with. Oil every bearing fully, and
then start your engine and let it run for a while. Then notice whether
you find anything getting warm. If you do, stop and loosen up a very
little and start again. If the heating still continues, loosen again as
before. But remember, loosen but little at a time, for a box or journal
will heat from being too loose as quickly as from being too tight,
and if you have found a warm box, don’t let that box take all your
attention, but keep your eye on the other bearings.
In the case of a new engine, the cylinder rings may be a little tight,
and so more steam pressure will be required to start the engine; but
this is no fault, for in a day or two they will be working all right if
kept well oiled.
In starting a new engine trouble sometimes comes from the presence of a
coal cinder in some of the boxes, which has worked in during shipment.
Before starting a new engine, the boxes and oil holes should therefore
be thoroughly cleaned out. For this purpose the engineer should always
have some cotton waste or an oiled rag ready for constant use.
A new engine should be run slowly and carefully until it is found to be
in perfect running order.
If you are beginning on an old engine in good running order, the above
instructions will not be needed; but it is well to take note of them.
Now if your engine is all right, you may run the pressure up to the
point of blowing off, which is 100 to 130 pounds, at which most safety
valves are set at the factory. It is not uncommon for a new pop to
stick, and as the steam runs up it is well to try it by pulling the
relief lever. If on letting it go it stops the escaping steam at once,
it is all right. If, however, the steam continues to escape the valve
sticks in the chamber. Usually a slight tap with a wrench or hammer
will stop it at once; but don’t get excited if the steam continues to
escape. As long as you have plenty of water in the boiler, and know
that you have it, you are all right.
STARTING UP A BOILER.
Almost the only danger from explosion of a boiler is from not having
sufficient water in the boiler. The boiler is filled in the first
place, as has already been explained, by hand through a funnel at the
filler plug, or by a force pump. The water should stand an inch and
a half in the glass of the water gauge before the fire is started.
It should be heated up slowly so as not to strain the boiler or
connections. When the steam pressure as shown by the steam gauge is ten
or fifteen pounds, the blower may be used to increase the draft.
If you let the water get above the top of the glass, you are liable
to knock out a cylinder head; and if you let the water get below the
bottom of the glass, you are likely to explode your boiler.
The glass gauge is not to be depended upon, however, for a number
of things may happen to interfere with its working. Some one may
inadvertently turn off the gauge cocks, and though the water stands at
the proper height in the glass, the water in the boiler will be very
different.
A properly made boiler is supplied with two to four try-cocks, one
below the proper water line, and one above it. If there are more than
two they will be distributed at suitable points between.
When the boiler is under pressure, turn on the lower try-cock and you
should get water. You will know it because it will appear as white
mist. Then try the upper try-cock, and you will get steam, which will
appear blue.
NEVER FAIL TO USE THE TRY-COCKS FREQUENTLY. This is necessary not only
because you never know when the glass is deceiving you; but if you fail
to use them they will get stopped up with lime or mud, and when you
need to use them they will not work.
In order also to keep the water gauge in proper condition, it should
be frequently blown out in the following manner: Shut off the top
gauge cock and open the drain cock at the bottom of the gauge. This
allows the water and steam to blow through the lower cock of the water
gauge, and you know that it is open. Any lime or mud that has begun
to accumulate will also be carried off. After allowing the steam to
escape a few seconds, shut off the lower gauge cock, and open the upper
one, and allow it to blow off about the same time. Then shut the drain
cock and open both gauge cocks, when you will see the water seek its
level, and you can feel assured that it is reliable and in good working
condition. This little operation you should perform every day you run
your engine. If you do you will not _think_ you have sufficient water
in the boiler, but will _know_. The engineer who always _knows_ he has
water in the boiler will not be likely to have an explosion. Especially
should you never start your fire in the morning simply because you see
water in the gauge. You should _know_ that there is water in the boiler.
Now if your pump and boiler are in good working condition, and you
leave the globe valve in the supply pipe to the pump open, with the
hose in the tank, you will probably come to your engine in the morning
and find the boiler nearly full of water, and you will think some one
has been tampering with the engine. The truth is, however, that as
the steam condensed, a vacuum was formed, and the water flowed in on
account of atmospheric pressure, just as it flows into a suction pump
when the plunger rises and creates a vacuum in the pump. Check valves
are arranged to prevent anything passing out of the boiler, but there
is nothing to prevent water passing in.
The only other cause of an explosion, beside poor material in the
manufacture of the boiler, is too high steam pressure, due to a
defective safety valve or imperfect steam gauge. The steam gauge is
likely to get out of order in a number of ways, and so is the safety
valve. To make sure that both are all right, the one should frequently
be tested by the other. The lever of the safety valve should frequently
be tried from time to time, to make sure the valve opens and closes
easily, and whenever the safety valve blows off, the steam gauge should
be noted to see if it indicates the pressure at which the safety has
been set.
WHEN YOUR ENGINE IS ALL RIGHT, LET IT ALONE.
Some engineers are always loosening a nut here, tightening up a box
there, adjusting this, altering that. When an engine is all right
they keep at it till it is all wrong. As a result they are in trouble
most of the time. When an engine is running all right, LET IT ALONE.
Don’t think you are not earning your salary because you are merely
sitting still and looking on. If you must be at work, keep at it with
an oily rag, cleaning and polishing up. That is the way to find out if
anything is really the matter. As the practised hand of the skilled
engineer goes over an engine, his ears wide open for any peculiarity of
sound, anything that is not as it should be will make itself decidedly
apparent. On the other hand, an engineer who does not keep his engine
clean and bright by constantly passing his hand over it with an oily
rag, is certain to overlook something, which perhaps in the end will
cost the owner a good many dollars to put right.
Says an old engineer[3] we know, “When I see an engineer watching
his engine closely while running, I am most certain to see another
commendable feature in a good engineer, and that is, when he stops his
engine he will pick up a greasy rag and go over his engine carefully,
wiping every working part, watching or looking carefully at every point
that he touches. If a nut is working loose, he finds it; if a bearing
is hot, he finds it; if any part of his engine has been cutting,
he finds it. He picks up a greasy rag instead of a wrench, for the
engineer that understands his business and attends to it never picks up
a wrench unless he has something to do with it.”
Footnote 3: J. H. Maggard, author of “Rough and Tumble Engineering,”
to whom we are indebted for a number of valuable suggestions in
this chapter.
This same engineer goes on with some more most excellent advice. Says
he:
“Now, if your engine runs irregularly, that is, if it runs up to a
higher speed than you want, and then runs down, you are likely to say
at once, ‘Oh, I know what the trouble is, it is the governor.’ Well,
suppose it is. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to
shut down at once and go to tinkering with it? No, don’t do that. Stay
close to the throttle valve and watch the governor closely. Keep your
eye on the governor stem, and when the engine starts off on one of its
speed tilts, you will see the stem go down through the stuffing box
and then stop and stick in one place until the engine slows down below
its regular speed, and it then lets loose and goes up quickly and your
engine lopes off again. You have now located the trouble. It is in the
stuffing box around the little brass rod or governor stem. The packing
has become dry and by loosening it up and applying oil you may remedy
the trouble until such time as you can repack it with fresh packing.
Candle wick is as good for this purpose as anything you can use.
“But if the governor does not act as I have described, and the stem
seems to be perfectly free and easy in the box, and the governor still
acts queerly, starting off and running fast for a few seconds and then
suddenly concluding to take it easy and away goes the engine again,
see if the governor belt is all right, and if it is it would be well
for you to stop and see if a wheel is not loose. It might be either
the little belt wheel or one of the little cog wheels. If you find
these are all right, examine the spool on the crank shaft from which
the governor is run, and you will probably find it loose. If the
engine has been run for any length of time, you will always find the
trouble in one of these places; but if it is a new one, the governor
valve might work a little tight in the valve chamber, and you may have
to take it out and use a little emery paper to take off the rough
projections on the valve. Never use a file on this valve if you can get
emery paper, and I should advise you always to have some of it with
you. It will often come handy.”
This is good advice in regard to any trouble you may have with an
engine. Watch the affected part closely; think the matter over
carefully, and see if you cannot locate the difficulty before you even
stop your engine. If you find the trouble and know that you have found
it, you will soon be able to correct the defect, and no time will be
lost. At the same time you will not ruin your engine by trying all
sorts of remedies at random in the thought that you may ultimately
hit the right thing. The chances are that before you do hit the right
point, you will have put half a dozen other matters wrong, and it will
take half a day to get the matter right again.
As there are many different types of governors in use, it would be
impossible to give exact directions for regulating that would apply to
them all; but the following suggestions applying to the Waters governor
(one widely used on threshing engines) will give a general idea of the
method for all:
There are two little brass nuts on the top of the stem of the governor,
one a thumb nut and the other a loose jam nut. To increase the speed,
loosen the jam nut and then turn the thumb nut back slowly, watching
the motion of the engine all the time. When the required speed has
been obtained, then tighten up as snug as you can with your fingers
(not using a wrench). To decrease the speed, loosen the jam nut as
before, running it up a few turns, and then turn down the thumb nut
till the speed meets your requirements, when the thumb nut is made fast
as before. In any case, be very careful not to press down on the stem
when turning the thumb nut, as this will make the engine run a little
slower than will be the case when your hand has been removed.
If your engine does not start with an open throttle, look to see if
the governor stem has not been screwed down tight. This is usually
the case with a new engine, which has been screwed down for safety in
transportation.
WATER FOR THE BOILER.
There is nothing that needs such constant watching and is likely to
cause so much trouble if it is not cared for, as the supply of water.
Hard well water will coat the inside of the boiler with lime and soon
reduce its steaming power in a serious degree, to say nothing of
stopping up pipes, cocks, etc. At the same time, rain water that is
perfectly pure (theoretically) will be found to have a little acid
or alkali in it that will eat through the iron or steel and do equal
damage.
However, an engineer must use what water he can. He cannot have it
made to order for him, but he must take it from well, from brook, or
cistern, or roadside ditch, as circumstances may require. The problem
for the engineer is not to get the best water, but to make the best use
of whatever water he can get, always, of course, choosing the best and
purest when there is such a thing as choosing.
In the first place, all supply pipes in water that is muddy or likely
to have sticks, leaves, or the like in it, should be furnished with
strainers. If sticks or leaves get into the valve, the expense in time
and worry to get them out will be ten times the cost of a strainer.
If the water is rain water, and the boiler is a new one, it would be
well to put in a little lime to give the iron a slight coating that
will protect it from any acid or alkali corrosion.
If the water is hard, some compound or sal ammonia should be used.
No specific directions can be given, since water is made hard by
having different substances dissolved in it, and the right compound or
chemical is that which is adapted to the particular substance you are
to counteract. An old engineer says his advice is to use no compound
at all, but to put a hatful of potatoes in the boiler every morning.
Occasionally using rain water for a day or two previous to cleaning is
one of the best things in the world to remove and throw down all scale.
It beats compounds at every point. It is nature’s remedy for the bad
effects of hard water.
The important thing, however, is to clean the boiler thoroughly and
often. In no case should the lime be allowed to bake on the iron. If it
gets thick, the iron or steel is sure to burn, and the lime to bake so
hard it will be almost impossible to get it off. But if the boiler is
cleaned often, such a thing will not happen.
Mud or sediment can be blown off by opening the valve from the mud drum
or the firebox at the bottom of the boiler when the pressure is not
over 15 or 20 pounds; and at this pressure much of the lime distributed
about the boiler may be blown off. But this is not enough. The inside
of the boiler should be scraped and thoroughly washed out with a hose
and force-pump just as often as the condition of the water requires it.
In cleaning the boiler, always be careful to scrape all the lime off
the top of the fusible plug.
THE PUMP.
In order to manage the pump successfully, the young engineer must
understand thoroughly its construction as already described. It is
also necessary to understand something of the theory of atmospheric
pressure, lifting power, and forcing power.
First see that the cocks or globe valves (whichever are used) are
open both between the boiler and the pump and between the pump and
the water supply. The globe valve next the boiler should _never_ be
closed, except when examining the boiler check valve. Then open the
little pet cock between the two upper horizontal check valves. Be sure
that the check valves are in good order, so that water can pass only
in one direction. A clear, sharp click of the check valves is certain
evidence that the pump is working well. If you cannot hear the click,
take a stick or pencil between your teeth at one end, put the other
end on the valve, stuff your fingers in your ears, and you will hear
the movement of the valve as plainly as if it were a sledge-hammer.
The small drain cock between the horizontal check valves is used to
drain hot water out of the pump in starting, for a pump will never work
well with hot water in it; and to drain off all water in closing down
in cold weather, to prevent damage from freezing. It also assists in
testing the working of the pump. In starting up it may be left open. If
water flows from the drain cock, we know the pump is working all right,
and then close the drain cock. If you are at any time in doubt as to
whether water is going into the boiler properly, you may open this
drain cock and see if cold water flows freely. If it does, everything
is working as it should. If hot water appears, you may know something
is wrong. Also, to test the pump, place your hand on the two check
valves, and if they are cold, the pump is all right; if they are hot,
something is wrong, since the heat must come from the boiler, and no
hot water or steam should ever be allowed to pass from the boiler back
to the pump.
A stop cock next the boiler is decidedly preferable to a globe valve,
since you can tell if it is open by simply looking at it; whereas you
must put your hand on a globe valve and turn it. Trouble often arises
through inadvertently closing the valve or cock next the boiler, in
which case, of course, no water can pass into the boiler, and the pump
is likely to be ruined, since the water must get out somewhere. Some
part of the pump would be sure to burst if worked against a closed
boiler cock or valve.
Should the pump suddenly cease to work or stop, first see if you have
any water in the tank. If there is water, stoppage may be due to air in
the pump chamber, which can get in only through the stuffing-box. If
this is true, tighten up the pump plunger stuffing-box nut a little. If
now the pump starts off well, you have found the difficulty; but at the
first opportunity you ought to repack the stuffing-box.
If the stuffing-box is all right, examine the supply suction hose. See
that nothing is clogging the strainer, and ascertain whether the water
is sucked in or not. If it is sucked in and then is forced out again
(which you can ascertain by holding your hand lightly over the suction
pipe), you may know something is the matter with the first check valve.
Probably a stick or stone has gotten into it and prevents it from
shutting down.
If there is no suction, examine the second check valve. If there is
something under it that prevents its closing, the water will flow back
into the pump chamber again as soon as the plunger is drawn back.
You can always tell whether the trouble is in the second check or in
the hot water check valve by opening the little drain cock. If hot
water flows from it, you may know that the hot water check valve is
out of order; if only cold water flows, you may be pretty sure the hot
water check is all right. If there is any reason to suspect the hot
water check valve, close the stop cock or valve next the boiler before
you touch the check in any way. To tamper with the hot water check
while the steam pressure is upon it would be highly dangerous, for you
are liable to get badly burned with escaping steam or hot water. At the
same time, be very sure the stop cock or valve next the boiler is open
again before you start the pump.
Another reason for check valves refusing to work besides having
something under them, is that the valve may stick in the valve chamber
because of a rough place in the chamber, or a little projection on
the valve. Light tapping with a wrench may remedy the matter. If that
does not work, try the following plan suggested by an old engineer[4]:
“Take the valve out, bore a hole in a board about one-half inch deep,
and large enough to permit the valve to be turned. Drop a little emery
dust in this hole. If you haven’t any emery dust, scrape some grit from
a whetstone. If you have no whetstone, put some fine sand or gritty
soil in the hole, put the valve on top of it, put your brace on the
valve and turn it vigorously for a few minutes, and you will remove all
roughness.”
Footnote 4: J. H. Maggard.
Sometimes the burr on the valve comes from long use; but the above
treatment will make it as good as new.
INJECTORS.
All injectors are greatly affected by conditions, such as the lift, the
steam pressure, the temperature of the water, etc. An injector will
not use hot water well, if at all. As the lift is greater, the steam
pressure required to start is greater, and at the same time the highest
steam pressure under which the injector will work at all is greatly
decreased. The same applies to the lifting of warm water: the higher
the temperature, the greater the steam pressure required to start, and
the less the steam pressure which can be used as a maximum.
It is important for the sake of economy to use the right sized
injector. Before buying a new injector, find out first how much water
you need for your boiler, and then buy an injector of about the
capacity required, though of course an injector must always have a
maximum capacity in excess of what will be required.
If the feed water is cold, a good injector ought to start with 25
pounds steam pressure and work up to 150 pounds for a 2-foot lift. If
the lift is eight feet, it will start at 30 pounds and work up to 130.
If the water is heated to 100 degrees Fahrenheit it will start for a
2-foot lift with 26 pounds and work up to 120 pounds, or for an 8-foot
lift, it will start with 33 pounds and work up to 100. These figures
apply to the single tube injector. The double tube injector should work
from 14 pounds to 250, and from 15 to 210 under same conditions as
above. The double tube injector is not commonly used on farm engines,
however.
Care should be taken that the injector is not so near the boiler as to
become heated, else it will not work. If it gets too hot, it must be
cooled by pouring cold water on the outside, first having covered it
with a cloth to hold the water. If the injector is cool, and the steam
pressure and lift are all right, and still the injector does not work,
you may be sure there is some obstruction somewhere. Shut off the steam
from the boiler, and run a fine wire down through the cone valve or
cylinder valve, after having removed the cap or plug nut.
Starting an injector always requires some skill, and injectors differ.
Some start by manipulating the steam valve; some require that the steam
be turned on first, and then the water turned on in just the right
amount, usually with a quick short twist of the supply valve. Often
some patience is required to get just the right turn on it so that it
will start.
Of course you must be sure that all joints are air-tight, else the
injector will not work under any conditions.
Never use an injector where a pump can be used, as the injector is much
more wasteful of steam. It is for an emergency or to throw water in a
boiler when engine is not running.
No lubricator is needed on an injector.
THE HEATER.
The construction of the heater has already been explained. It has two
check valves, one on the side of the pump and one on the side of the
boiler, both opening toward the boiler. The exhaust steam is usually at
a temperature of 215 to 220 degrees when it enters the heater chamber,
and heats the water nearly or quite to boiling point as it passes
through. The injector heats the water almost as hot.
The heater requires little attention, and the check valves seldom get
out of order.
The pump is to be used when the engine is running, and the injector
when the engine is closed down. The pump is the more economical; but
when the engine is not working the exhaust steam is not sufficient to
heat the water in the heater; and pumping cold water into the boiler
will quickly bring down the pressure and injure the boiler.
ECONOMICAL FIRING.
The management of the fire is one of the most important things in
running a steam engine. On it depend two things of the greatest
consequence--success in getting up steam quickly and keeping it at
a steady pressure under all conditions; and economy in the use of
fuel. An engineer who understands firing in the most economical way
will probably save his wages to his employer over the engineer who is
indifferent or unscientific about it. Therefore the young engineer
should give the subject great attention.
First, let us consider firing with coal. All expert engineers advise
a “thin” fire. This means that you should have a thin bed of coals,
say about four inches thick, all over the grate. There should be no
holes or dead places in this, for if there are any, cold air will
short-circuit into the fire flues and cool off the boiler.
The best way of firing is to spread the coal on with a small hand
shovel, a very little at a time, scattering it well over the fire.
Another way, recommended by some, is to have a small pile of fresh fuel
at the front of the grate, pushing it back over the grate when it is
well lighted. To manage this well will require some practice and skill,
and for a beginner, we recommend scattering small shovelsful all over
the fire. All lump coal should be broken to a uniform size. No piece
larger than a man’s fist should be put in a firebox.
Seldom use the poker above the fire, for nothing has such a tendency
to put out a coal fire as stirring it with a poker above. And when
there is a good glow all over the grate below, the poker is not needed
below. When the grate becomes covered with dead ashes, they should be
cautiously but fully removed, and clinkers must be lifted out with the
poker from above, care being exercised to cover up the holes with live
coals.
Hard coal if used should be dampened before being put on the fire.
When the fire is burning a little too briskly, close the draft but do
not tamper with the fire itself. Should it become important on a sudden
emergency to check the fire at any time quickly, never dash water upon
it, but rather throw plenty of fresh fuel upon it. Fresh fuel always
lowers the heat at first. If all drafts are closed tight, it will lower
the heat considerably for quite a time.
In checking a fire, it must be remembered that very sudden cooling
will almost surely crack the boiler. If there is danger of an explosion
it may be necessary to draw the fire out entirely; but under no
circumstances should cold water be thrown on. After drawing the fire
close all doors and dampers.
FIRING WITH WOOD.
Always keep the fire door shut as much as possible, as cold air thus
admitted will check the fire and ruin the boiler.
Firing with wood is in many ways the exact reverse of firing with coal.
The firebox should be filled full of wood at all times. The wood should
be thrown in in every direction, in pieces of moderate size, and as it
burns away, fresh pieces should be put in at the front so that they
will get lighted and ready to burn before being pushed back near the
boiler. It often helps a wood fire, too, to stir it with a poker. Wood
makes much less ash than coal, and what little accumulates in the grate
will not do much harm. Sometimes green wood will not burn because it
gets too much cold air. In that case the sticks should be packed as
close together as possible, still leaving a place for the air to pass.
Also a wood fire, especially one with green wood, should be kept up to
a high temperature all the time; for if it is allowed to drop down the
wood will suddenly cease to burn at all.
FIRING WITH STRAW.
In firing with straw it is important to keep the shute full of straw
all the time so that no cold air can get in on top of the fire. Don’t
push the straw in too fast, either, but keep it moving at a uniform
rate, with small forkfulls. Now and then it is well to turn the fork
over and run it down into the fire to keep the fire level. Ashes may
be allowed to fill up in rear of ash box, but fifteen inches should be
kept clear in front to provide draft. The brick arch may be watched
from the side opening in the firebox, and should show a continuous
stream of white flame coming over it. If too much straw is forced in,
that will check the flame. The flame should never be checked. If damp
straw gets against the ends of the flues, it should be scraped off with
the poker from side door. Clean the tubes well once a day. The draft
must always be kept strong enough to produce a white heat, and if this
cannot be done otherwise, a smaller nozzle may be used on the exhaust
pipe; but this should be avoided when possible, since it causes back
pressure on the engine. Never let the front end of the boiler stand
on low ground. Engine should be level, or front end high, if it has a
firebox locomotive boiler; if a return flue boiler, be careful to keep
it always level. In burning straw take particular notice that the spark
screen in stack does not get filled up.
THE ASH PIT.
In burning coal it is exceedingly important that the ashes be kept
cleaned out, as the hot cinders falling down on the heap of ashes
almost as high as the grate will overheat the grate in a very short
time and warp it all out of shape, so ruining it.
With wood and straw, on the contrary, an accumulation of ashes will
often help and will seldom do any harm, because no very hot cinders can
drop down below the grates, and the hottest part of the fire is some
distance above the grates.
STARTING A FIRE.
You must make up your mind that it will take half an hour to an hour
or so to get up steam in any boiler that is perfectly cold. The metal
expands and shrinks a great deal with the heat and cold, and a sudden
application of heat would ruin a boiler in a short time. Hence it is
necessary for reasons of engine economy to make changes of temperature,
either cooling off or heating up, gradually.
First see that there is water in the boiler.
Start a brisk fire with pine kindlings, gradually putting on coal or
wood, as the case may be, and spreading the fire over the grate so that
all parts will be covered with glowing coals.
When you have 15 or 20 pounds of steam, start the blower. As has
already been described, the blower is a pipe with a nozzle leading from
the steam space of the boiler to the smoke stack, and fitted with a
globe valve. The force of the steam drives the air out of the stack,
causing a vacuum, which is immediately filled by the hot gases from
the firebox coming through the boiler tubes. Little is to be gained by
using the blower with less than 15 pounds of steam, as the blower has
so little strength below that, that it draws off about as much steam as
is made and nothing is gained.
The blower is seldom needed when the engine is working, as the exhaust
steam should be sufficient to keep the fire going briskly. If it is
not, you should conclude that something is the matter. There are times,
however, when the blower is required even when the engine is going.
For example, if you are working with very light load and small use of
steam, the exhaust may be insufficient to keep up the fire; and this
will be especially true if the fuel is very poor. In such a case, turn
on the blower very slightly. But remember that you are wasting steam if
you can get along without the blower.
Examine the nozzle of the blower now and then to see that it does not
become limed up, or turned so as to direct the steam to one side of the
stack, where its force would be wasted.
Beware, also, of creating too much draft; for too much draft will use
up fuel and make little steam.
SMOKE.
Coal smoke is nothing more or less than unburned carbon. The more smoke
you get, the less will be the heat from a given amount of fuel. Great
clouds of black smoke from an engine all the time are a very bad sign
in an engineer. They show that he does not know how to fire. He has not
followed the directions already given, to have a thin, hot fire, with
few ashes under his grate. Instead, he throws on great shovelsful of
coal at a time, and has the coal up to the firebox door. His fuel is
always making smoke, which soon clogs up the smoke flues and lessens
the amount of steam he is getting. If he had kept his fire very
“thin,” but very hot, throwing on a small hand shovel of coal at a
time, seldom poking his fire except to lift out clinkers or clean away
dead ashes under the grate, and keeping his ashpit free from ashes,
there would be only a little puff of black smoke when the fresh coal
went on, and then the smoke would quickly disappear, while the fire
flues would burn clean and not get clogged up with soot.
It is important, however, to keep the small fire flues especially
well cleaned out with a good flue cleaner; for all accumulation of
soot prevents the heat from passing through the steel, and so reduces
the heating capacity of the boiler. Cleaning the tubes with a steam
blower is never advisable, as it forms a paste on the tube that greatly
impairs its commodity.
SPARKS.
With coal there is little danger of fires caused by sparks from the
engine. What sparks there are are heavy and dead, and will even fall
on a pile of straw without setting it on fire. On a very windy day,
however, when you are running your engine very hard, especially if it
is of the direct locomotive boiler type, you want to be careful even
with coal.
With wood it is very different; and likewise with straw. Wood and straw
sparks are always dangerous, and an engine should never be run for
threshing with wood or straw without using a spark-arrester.
It sometimes happens that when coal is used it will give out, and you
will be asked to finish your job with wood. In such a case, it is the
duty of an engineer to state fully and frankly the danger of firing
with wood without a spark arrester, and he should go on only when
ordered to do so by the proprietor, after he has been fully warned. In
that case all responsibility is shifted from the engineer to the owner.
THE FUSIBLE PLUG.
The careful engineer will never have occasion to do anything to the
fusible plug except to clean the scale off from the top of it on the
inside of the boiler once a week, and put in a fresh plug once a month.
It is put in merely as a precaution to provide for carelessness. The
engineer who allows the fusible plug to melt out is by that very fact
marked as a careless man, and ought to find it so much the harder to
get a job.
As has already been explained, the fusible plug is a plug filled in
the middle with some metal that will melt at a comparatively low
temperature. So long as it is covered with water, no amount of heat
will melt it, since the water conducts the heat away from the metal
and never allows it to rise above a certain temperature. When the plug
is no longer covered with water, however,--in short, when the water
has fallen below the danger line in the boiler--the metal in the plug
will fuse, or melt, and make an opening through which the steam will
blow into the firebox and put out the fire. However, if the top of the
fusible plug has been allowed to become thickly coated with scale, this
safety precaution may not work and the boiler may explode. In any case
the fusible plug is not to be depended on.
At the same time a good engineer will take every precaution, and one of
these is to keep the top of the plug well cleaned. Also he will have
an extra plug all ready and filled with composition metal, to put in
should the plug in the boiler melt out. Then he will refill the old
plug as soon as possible. This may be done by putting a little moist
clay in one end to prevent the hot metal from running through, and then
pouring into the other end of the plug as much melted metal as it will
hold. When cold, tamp down solidly.
LEAKY FLUES.
One common cause of leaky flues is leaving the fire door open so that
currents of cold air will rush in on the heated flues and cause them,
or some other parts of the boiler, to contract too suddenly. The
best boiler made may be ruined in time by allowing cold currents of
air to strike the heated interior. Once or twice will not do it; but
continually leaving the fire door open will certainly work mischief in
the end.
Of course, if flues in a new boiler leak, it is the fault of the boiler
maker. The tubes were not large enough to fill the holes in the tube
sheets properly. But if a boiler runs for a season or so and then the
flues begin to leak, the chances are that it is due to the carelessness
of the engineer. It may be he has been making his fires too hot; it may
be leaving the firebox door open; it may be running the boiler at too
high pressure; it may be blowing out the boiler when it is too hot; or
blowing out the boiler when there is still some fire in the firebox; it
may be due to lime encrusted on the inside of the tube sheets, causing
them to overheat. Flues may also be made to leak by pumping cold water
into the boiler when the water inside is too low; or pouring cold water
into a hot boiler will do it. Some engineers blow out their boilers to
clean them, and then being in a hurry to get to work, refill them while
the metal is hot. The flues cannot stand this, since they are thinner
than the shell of the boiler and cool much more quickly; hence they
will contract much faster than the rest of the boiler and something has
to come loose.
Once a flue starts to leaking, it is not likely to stop till it has
been repaired; and one leaky flue will make others leak.
Now what shall you do with a leaky flue?
To repair a leaky flue you should have a flue expander and a calking
tool, with a light hammer. If you are small enough you will creep in
at the firebox door with a candle in your hand. First, clean off the
ends of the flues and flue sheet with some cotton waste. Then force the
expander into the leaky flue, bringing the shoulder well up against
the end of the flue. Then drive in the tapering pin. Be very careful
not to drive it in too far, for if you expand the flue too much, you
will strain the flue sheet and cause other flues to leak. You must use
your judgment and proceed cautiously. It is better to make two or three
trials than to spoil your boiler by bad work. The roller expander is
preferable to the Prosser in the hands of a novice. The tube should be
expanded only enough to stop the leak. Farther expanding will only do
injury.
When you think the flue has been expanded enough, hit the pin a side
blow to loosen it. Then turn the expander a quarter round, and drive in
the pin again. Loosen up and continue till you have turned the expander
entirely around.
Finally remove the expander, and use the calking tool to bead the end.
It is best, however, to expand all leaky flues before doing any beading.
The beading is done by placing the guide or gauge inside the flue,
and then pounding the ends of the flue down against the flue sheet by
light blows. Be very careful not to bruise the flue sheet or flues, and
use no heavy blows, nor even a heavy hammer. Go slowly and carefully
around the end of each flue; and if you have done your work thoroughly
and carefully the flues will be all right. But you should test your
boiler before steaming up, to make sure that all the leaks are stopped,
especially if there have been bad ones.
There are various ways to testing a boiler. If waterworks are handy,
connect the boiler with a hydrant and after filling the boiler, let it
receive the hydrant pressure. Then examine the calked flues carefully,
and if you see any seeping of water, use your beader lightly till the
water stops. In case no waterworks with good pressure are at hand, you
can use a hydraulic pump or a good force pump.
The amount of pressure required in testing a boiler should be that at
which the safety valve is set to blow off, say 110 to 130 lbs. This
will be sufficient.
If you are in the field with no hydrant or force pump handy, you may
test your boiler in this way: Take off the safety valve and fill the
boiler full of water through the safety valve opening. Then screw the
safety back in its place. You should be sure that every bit of space in
the boiler is filled entirely full of water, with all openings tightly
closed. Then get back in the boiler and have a bundle of straw burned
under the firebox, or under the waist of the boiler, so that at some
point the water will be slightly heated. This will cause pressure. If
your safety valve is in perfect order, you will know as soon as water
begins to escape at the safety valve whether your flues are calked
tight enough or not.
The water is heated only a few degrees, and the pressure is cold water
pressure. In very cold weather this method cannot be used, however, as
water has no expansive force within five degrees of freezing.
The above methods are not intended for testing the safety of a boiler,
but only for testing for leaky flues. If you wish to have your boiler
tested, it is better to get an expert to do it.