210 Deice Boots

[compilotrc]

Hey guys, I just had to spend 3k to overhaul to flow control valves and a pressure regulator. It turns out the culprit was the pressure regulator failed first and then allowed vacuum pressure to stay in the system until it took out two of the three flow control valves. My question, is with preflight procedures. I had been testing the system before every flight that might encounter icing and approx once a month during the warmer months to exercise the system. I’m curious if this was too excessive for the system and may have led to the failure. Any thoughts here?

 

[Tarheelpilot]

Hey guys, I just had to spend 3k to overhaul to flow control valves and a pressure regulator. It turns out the culprit was the pressure regulator failed first and then allowed vacuum pressure to stay in the system until it took out two of the three flow control valves. My question, is with preflight procedures. I had been testing the system before every flight that might encounter icing and approx once a month during the warmer months to exercise the system. I’m curious if this was too excessive for the system and may have led to the failure. Any thoughts here?

I don’t think that’s excessive. Pretty much in line with how I’ve always used boots.

 

[Grum.Man]

Can't speak for the 210 but other airplanes I have flown with boots has their functional check as part of the pre-flight check list and is performed before every flight. Obviously if you know you aren't going into icing conditions you don't have to but this leads me to believe you couldn't have damaged them by checking them too often.

 

[compilotrc]

Can't speak for the 210 but other airplanes I have flown with boots has their functional check as part of the pre-flight check list and is performed before every flight. Obviously if you know you aren't going into icing conditions you don't have to but this leads me to believe you couldn't have damaged them by checking them too often.

My initial thoughts were the same since it’s on the checklist. But, as I’ve learned with other things in aircraft ownership, if you follow the POH (especially one written 30 years ago) to the letter there could be consequences (the book leaning procedure during the climb comes to mind). Just trying to find a best practice here.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

Heck, if you are flying in ice, you'll be cycling them a bunch (as you hopefully go up or down to escape it.)

 

[compilotrc]

Heck, if you are flying in ice, you'll be cycling them a bunch (as you hopefully go up or down to escape it.)

Actually, you don’t cycle them as much as you would think. For the boots to really do their thing you have to let the ice accumulate quite a bit in order break it off when they inflate. In any case, it’s a real kick in the teeth when these overhauls occur. It may have just been their time to go. But I was curious if their was anymore ideas out there.

 

[Grum.Man]

Actually, you don’t cycle them as much as you would think. For the boots to really do their thing you have to let the ice accumulate quite a bit in order break it off when they inflate. In any case, it’s a real kick in the teeth when these overhauls occur. It may have just been their time to go. But I was curious if their was anymore ideas out there.

That was the old school way of thinking, I think there is a new suggestion now.

https://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/icing/deicing-boots-training-20090421.pdf

 

[compilotrc]

That was the old school way of thinking, I think there is a new suggestion now.

https://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/icing/deicing-boots-training-20090421.pdf

I was aware this report and understand that ice bridging isn’t the issue that it once thought it was. I just have experience in the 210 that the ice really doesn’t move if activated too early. I usually wait until I see 1/16” before I inflate the boots. Then subsequently re-inflate the boots more often while in icing conditions. That seems to keep the wing pretty clean.