glycol fill

Mike C._4

Consider adding a plate heat exchanger between the boiler side and the non-O2 barrier tubing. You'll need another circulator since it is now two separate systems.

Mike

Dorsey Davis_2

glycol fill

Hey I'm looking for a quick way to calculate the amount of glycol I need to add to my solar loop. I've run 1/2" ID copper about 160 linear ft. That's the entire loop, solar pump control to roof panel and back. Number crunchers out there?

Brad White_198

Type M or Type L?

If type M copper, (5/8 OD for nominal 1/2-inch tubing), there is an internal weight of water of 0.110 lbs. per LF.

Your 160 LF would bring that to 17.6 lbs. or a little over two gallons.

If type L copper, same size, the fluid weight per foot drops to 0.101 lbs. per foot, bringing the total weight to 16.16 lbs. a little under two gallons.

This of course is piping only, and represents probably a fraction of the system volume compared to the tank coil, collectors, expansion tank...

hot_rod

or you could

fill the system withe water, purge it well, run the pump for an hour or so and purge any air. Then measure the contents you drain out.

A garden hose to a hose bib works fine, just watch the pressure so you don't pop the relief or fill the expansion tank, you could remove or isolate them for the pressure test.
Use an air compressor to assure you blow out all the water.

An initial water fill is a good way to clean any junk out of the piping, like solder flux and any solder balls, pipe joint compounds, etc.

It nice to find leaks with that first water fill as compared to messy glycol, also. Not that you will have leaks, of course

IOr determine the capacity of the panels, piping, coil, fittings, pump volute and any expansion tank piping, etc.

hr

m dewolfe

glycol

Just did mine the other day, first flush your system with clear cold water to remove any debris, then preasure test the system over a couple of hours and check for any leaks then drain and blow down with a compressor. Next I mixup a big plastic tub full of Cascade and boiling water and flush the system twice. I bought a 5 gallon water bottle of distiled water and mixed up my glycol in the same tub I used for flushing and carefully filled the system and purged it of all air. start your system and run for a couple of hours while checking your air vents and your filter screen. Check your glycol freeze point and record it next to the pump were you can find it next year and store your extra glcol mix in the container and label it as premixed..I have done this at a few TV stations where these sytems are used for cooling the massive transmitter tubes and belive me THAT is a big job.

Dorsey Davis_2

potable tubing in a closed system

Thanks for the glycol answers fellas and now I've run into a radiant situation where I want to install a closed loop system with a boiler, two zones. Problem is one of the zones already exists...it's in-floor tubing and the tubing is 1/2" pex, and it's potable, no oxygen barrier tubing. Its already in the slab so I can't take it out.It used to be connected to an open system. So the question is: Is it possible to integrate this no oxygen barrier tubing zone into my closed loop? I know ferrous fittings and boiler components are out. This zone will be in the floor above the boiler and the first zone so will it still corrupt the system by bringing air into it over time? Does this mean continual purging? Is it worth doing or should I simply design another open system?