Best Of
Re: Stupid Little Bracket
This comment's insinuation was disrespectful and not helpful. I've removed it. Please follow site rules and remember that we are all here to learn and not to fight with one another.
-Andrew
Re: New Energy Kinetics Boiler: Was Kettling, Now its a Water Hammer Issue
@Steamhead is correct. 60° A is the proper nozzle with 130 psi pump pressure.
@CTYankee Wondering if you could dm me a wider shot of the install as we have some questions regarding the plate exchanger location, and that loop circ on the wall behind the boiler.
Its possible some scale has moved around the system if you have cast iron free standing radiators. I cant see a dirt mag in your pictures. Have the tech thats doing the flush call me in tech support and we can go over the problem.
Robertw
Re: Where can I add a scoop and air vent
@hot_rod @EdTheHeaterMan Thank you both for the detailed information! I'm not going to be able to get the Discal and do the work for at least a couple of weeks. I'll let you know how it goes. Best!
chagob
Re: Mixing a hot water loop with one-pipe steam
good idea, poor execution. you just take hot water out of the boiler and put it back in with some convenient tapings, the closely spaced tees thing wouldn't work. you can circulate boiler water directly in the hot water loop but you need to have the circulator below the water line and can't have auto air vents. you need a bypass to bypass a little return water in to the circulator so it is a bit cooler and doesn't cavitate. it will work better with a 3 piece circulator than a wet rotor because of the muck that tends to be in steam boiler water.
you could isolate it by using a tankless coil in the boiler. if you use a heat exchanger a shell and tube or small indirect will work better than a brazed plate hx.
mattmia2
Re: Low water cutoff not working after cleaning pigtail
Well if it fell apart that easily, maybe it is better to find out now rather than in January. Hard to tell exactly what is going on in the picture. Although it looks like mud accumulation at the bottom of the hole in the picture.
To me it looks like the threads are either all gone or all filled up metal from the old plug. If there is nothing left of the 3/8 inch threads maybe it can be drilled out and tapped for 1/2 inch threads. With a 3/8 inch pipe plug you will know quickly.
109A_5
Re: Stupid Little Bracket
put some fiberglass or similar sleeving on it when you reterminate it. if the wires to it short it will not sense rollout
i would have used a little piece of hanger iron to make the bracket
mattmia2
Re: Expansion Tank Orientation
Yikes!
I always get down in the dumps when I fail to explain a situation succinctly. Paragraph 3 of my original post was my best effort at describing the piping and I was sure the photo cinched it. The red tank is the expansion tank, the gray tank is the air separator and I wish I'd never mentioned the blue tank because it just created a distraction. I just thought it was a good example of how air could get on the wrong side of a bladder. Oh well.
I do appreciate all the input but frankly I don't find any of it really speaks to the issue. I'll just put my tail between my legs and walk off stage here but will offer one final question. If it doesn't matter if air is on the wrong side of the bladder then why do you all suppose anyone ever invented a bladder tank? My understanding has always been that it was because someone thought it would be a good thing to keep the water and the air from coming into contact with each other. What I get from you all is that you don't agree and, hot rod, that the manufacturers don't seem to agree either. Go figure.
As for me, I'm going to keep on piping bladder tanks so that air is not encouraged to enter the water side.
ccstelmo
ccstelmo
Re: Switch vs VFD for submersible well pump
I've got a little experience in this area. We currently have two of the Grundfos Constant Pressure systems, and two of the standard single speed submersibles (spread out over different places, but I pay for repairs on all). There are advantages and disadvantages to both. I have a constant pressure system here at my house/main farm. It was originally a single speed submersible, but the tank went bad and I upgraded the whole system. The VFD really does allow the pump to cycle less, which is good. I can't speak to energy use, but overall I've been satisfied. I've got the pressure set at 60 psi, which is awesome for cleaning up equipment and filling tanks - and the showers in the house are like going to a car wash. The pressure stays between 59-62psi no matter what the demand is (within reason). The main single speed submersible that we have is at a farmstead where we mix most of our spray loads. The pump was put in in the early 90s, and has never missed a beat. I'm sure it's on borrowed time, but I'm not messing with something that works. That particular pump replaced a jet pump that was put installed in the 60s, which replaced a pump jack put in when the REA came through in 1939.
Someone mentioned lightning. I suppose the CP system might be more susceptible, but my experience has been that when there's a lightning strike, we're going to need a new pump. And new TVs and appliances. The second single speed has been replaced twice in my memory - both times due to lightning. It has a surge protector, which may or may not have saved it a few times - hard to say.
The constant pressure system is very particular about the placement of the pressure sensor. Much like anything, it is important to have a professional that understands and is trained on the system install the thing. But honestly, since my kids are drinking this water, I'd say let's go ahead and use a professional for anything well related.
The tank on my house CP system (15 gpm) is a 1 gallon tank. It looks tiny but has performed beautifully. That being said, if I didn't have an automatic generator, I'd rethink the installation. The time between when the power goes out and when the water stops is pretty quick if you're in the shower somewhere between lather, rinse and repeat. 30 seconds waiting for the generator to kick in isn't too terrible.
Finally, we had a problem a few years back at the well where the other CP system is located. The pump was at 65 feet in a well that was 108 feet deep. During the summer, the static level fell below the pump. The CP system shut itself down (until the pump was lowered). My experience has been that a single speed in the same situation will run until it burns up.
Sorry for the long post.
Re: Partially Replacing Hot Water Boiler with Furnaces
You most likely have an old gravity parallel direct return system. That means the for every radiator you remove you need to cap off both the supply and return pipe to the radiator that you remove in order to fill the system up with water to turn the boiler back on. If removing radiators is what you are asking about.
If you are talking about the rest of the potable water piping in the building, then you may want to use space heaters in the rooms that have pipes that may freeze.
