Swing check in place of flow check?

Serge

Just wondering if it's ok to use a 1" swing check valve (which is what I have on hand) versus a flow check valve?

Paul Fredricks_9

No

The swing check does not have the weight necessary to stop the gravity flow of heat through the piping. Have to use a flow check.

Serge

But I'm just using it to stop....

I'm using it to stop hot supply to the indirect (on a taco pump) from getting to the system. Shouldn't that work? Hot water call, pump goes on, boiler on, boiler return with the heating circuit protected by swing check (which closes)....

Unknown

It will work

Triangle tube prestige drawings show using a swing check in several drawings. They use them because of the low pressure drop. Prestige application booklet P2, P2A.

gerry gill

thats all we use now..

every time we used a flo check on a pumped system we got call backs because of rattleing noises..we switched to standard swing checks and never have an issue now..

Unknown

Swing checks for hot water zones ?

That's not the intended use of swing checks . They're used to stop flow in the oppposite direction .

To stop flow by gravity , you need a spring check or flow check . Rattling noises are caused by air trapped near the weight . Once the air is out there shouldn't be any rattling .

bob young

HEY RON

Good point you made on air being trapped near weight. in your experience would you say you would have a better chance with a vertical as opposed to standard horizontal flow check.i got an ongoing problem with a loop off a steam boiler where the piping extends to ceiling then drops down to connect to some baseboard then goes back up & then drops down back to boiler with swing check. piping arrangement out of boiler with bypass , pump & flow control. a non-pressure type loop. probably should not hi-jack thread but am sure all will understand it is related. i have done them like this in the past & never had a problem. it does not happen all the time. mostly when i am not there ! lol thanks much, bob nyc

Unknown

Is the zone

becoming air bound ? Or is the check rattling ?

We never had a problem with a zone that is totally below the water line . But those jobs where the zone or some of the piping is above ? ...............

We had a problem job a few months ago . A steamer with a zone off the bottom of the boiler going to 1st floor baseboard . Even with a bypass the zone would flash to steam , rattling the flowcheck , and making the 3/4 copper bang like mad . After trying a few different things we bit the bullet and piped a flat plate heat exchanger in . Worked like a charm .

Next time you're there , check to see what temp the supply pipe to the zone is , after the steam's been running a while . I've seen temps upwards of 235 . I'll bet a simple bypass can't keep the temp lower without throttling down the supply from the boiler ALOT .

Unknown

aren't ya suppose?

Good set up there Ron, aren't ya suppose to have a 'y' strainer before the flat plate as you know with the craps coming from the steam system coming back into boiler...

Charlie from wmass

Sorry guys the answer is as stated already NO a swing chack is not a flow check. A spring check may be used but then again if noise is an issue why bother putting in any thing? the swing check makes no noise because it is not doing a darn thing but acting as a coupling.

gerry gill

well, my experiances differ

flo checks have always rattled to some degree,,swing checks work for me and i'll continue to use them on returns and built in flow checks in the pumps on the supplys..we don't put in cast iron water boilers anymore so maybe thats why we have no issues..find what works for you and do it..what else can one say.

Unknown

Strainer ?

Yeah , that'd be a good idea on the flat plate . What about isolation and purge valves on either side to backflush ? You think that might work better ? Cause I know a strainer will be hard to come by for my jobs ........

Unknown

Sorry Gerry

I thought you were using swing checks alone . I didn't know you were using IFCs . In that case , I would skip using the swing checks on the return . All we use are weighted flow checks on the supply and almost never needed another type of check on the return . You do get a pesky job here and there where a 2nd check solves heat migration . But like I said , very rare . That being said ......... Here's a job we did Friday . Not sure why there's 2 flow checks on 1 pipe , but there ya go

I'll have to disagree with the flow check rattle . Sure , once the zone kicks in or turns off you might hear a little rattle . But not through the whole heating cycle . And since almost all of our customer base uses them , if it was a real serious issue we woulda been changing them out long ago .

gerry gill

so you guys finally got to work in a space bigger

than 18'' tall by 18 '' wide huh!! don't get spoiled now..there is a tight closet, in a basement, behind a coal boiler, down winding steps, with a 20 watt light bulb, that needs a boiler put in it and they're about to call you, since your the master of tight space installs..hehe