Did I make a mistake?

Kestrel

Hello!

I was all excited to post pictures of my install as it has been evolving - with lots and lots of help from the experts here.  I think, however, that I may have made a big (inexperienced) mistake.



Attached are a couple of pictures of some of the near boiler piping.  Red pump on right is DHW, black on left is boiler pump.  I'm worried that I have not provided 12" of straight pipe upstream of the pumps.  Are those 90' elbows about 6" from the pump outlets (1" pipe) going to cause me turbulence and cavitation?  Does this need to be re-plumbed (Oh please no!)?



(I know - I also singed my luan plywood - ouch!)

furnacefigher15

Pumps are fine

But where is the expansion tank and water feed going?



Also, not that you should change it, but I would have had the dhw in and out point back to wall or strait left to avoid un needed loss of space, but other than that looks good, and I appreciate the unistrut for good pipe support.

Gordy

90s before, and after.

6-7 pipe diameters min. before, and after the circ is good piping practice. IT will work I think your close. but will work better with more straight pipe before, and after circ.

furnacefigher15

Double check the dhw manual

Looks like something is not right with the dhw piping. I cant read the labels but there should be a boiler supply and return, and a domestic cold in and hot out.

Gordy

Why the Solar indirect?

I see you have piped for high output. Is solar future possibility?

Gordy

DHW

DHW cold return at bottom, and DHW supply on top ( cant see )

Mark Eatherton

It will work just fine...

Rarely does ANYONE have the space or forethought to be able to provide that much straight pipe before or after a circulator. If we were talking about LARGE pumps, it might be a critical detail, but residentially, not such a big deal.



What is critical however, is that BOTH pumps MUST have a check valve on their outlets. Otherwise, you will have flow where you don't want it when you don't need it, and may have flow when you do need it and don't won't it... or something like that :-) Integral checks are fine, just make certain that they are both checked.



For Furnace Figher, the Lochinvar boilers only have one gozinta and one comzouta on their boilers. DHW prioritization is done through pump control relays and the in board computer control. Although it is an ACV heat exchanger, it is not set up the same as T.T. boilers are.



Best boiler for the money in my professional opinion!



ME

Kestrel

solar tank, two coils

Thanks for the input.



I should have labeled better.  The tank is a Lochinvar SDT-065.  It has two coils - one for boiler, one for solar.  The inputs you can see are, from the top, boiler in, boiler out, solar in, solar out.



It's piped the way it is because the solar part is a later project, and for the time being, and per the DHW tank manual, we're going to run the boiler output through the boiler coil, and then through the solar coil, and then back to the boiler.



The cold water input is the 1.5" input at the very bottom, and the output is at the top (can't see in the view I posted).

Kestrel

two coils

The DHW has two coils - one for boiler, one for solar.  Solar is next year's project - so for now boiler to both coils.

Kestrel

integral checks

The two pumps both have the check valves internal - inserted into the flange on the output side.  They came that way.



Is there any problem using those, as opposed to the admittedly beefier ones that get plumbed individually?  This does save A LOT of space/pipe length, but they are plasticy thingies that I could see might not have as long a service life.

Kestrel

On the house side of the LLH

The water feed, backflow preventer, expansion tank go downstream of the LLH, per Lochinvar's manual, to which I'm trying to adhere strictly.  After the LLH, a Grundfos Alpha will pump to the floor/radiators, and the air sep, and water input, and expansion tank enter that loop between the LLH and the pump, upstream of the pump.

Kestrel

Thanks everybody...

...for the input and reassurance.  And on a Sunday, no less!  I'm benefiting from some serious hydronic nerdiness! Go team!



More pics to come...

furnacefigher15

Hydonic nerdiness

Yeah you got that right.

Mark Eatherton

You're fine...

Where the integral checks have problems is when the pumps are parallel to each other. In your case, they are essentially pumping towards each other.



And yes, your assessment is correct. The checks will eventually fail. Early models failed from erosion of the check and seat.



Broncos WON in O.T.... Exhausting :-)



ME