New questions about monoflo system

DALE6

I think I need to ask a different set of questions, but before I do, I need to give some important information



1)This is a monoflo system, and it probably has some original parts.  I have no idea when it was first installed.  I have no idea when repairs were made.  I can only speak about it's life over the past seven years or so.  I do know that the boiler was replaced back in 2003, but I have idea what was here before that.  Here's why I think this is a monoflo system.



a)From the main water supply, the water travels through a pressure reducing valve (I have no idea who manufactured it) and a Flow control valve (manufactured by H. A. Thrush)  The part number reads 114.  There is an arrow on the Flow Control Valve that points away from the boiler.  Above the inlet where the main water supply feeds this valve the words "to tank" appears.  If the words "to tank" means "to the main water supply", then ok, but if "to tank" means "to expansion tank" then I am thinking this ain't the way things should be hooked up.  The pressure in the line is 15 psi.

b)the water coming out of that flow control valve then travels a short distance to another part.  that part reads "American Air purger."  I have no idea who manufactured it.  It looks rusty.  On the top of this purger is a bleeder valve of some sort.  It too looks corroded . 

c)from this main artery the water then flows through a series of loops.  There are two types of tees on the main artery feeding the loops, a tee with no markings of any kind, and a tee that reads "supply 1 x 1/2 --->"  and on the other side it reads "

STEVEusaPA

A picture is worth.....

Take some pics, very close ups of components with numbers on them, and back far enough to see the boiler and all the piping.  And a close up of the tees.....then ask away.

icesailor

Old Normal System:

Everything you describe is of an old "normal" hydronic heating system where the hydro-pneumatic tank has been replaced with a bladder type tank.

What's do you think is wrong with your system and what does it do that you think is incorrect?

DALE6

Pictures and questions

Steve:



Thanks for your response.  Here's a few pictures.  After they post to this thread, I'll ask my questions.

DALE6

Questions

In the first picture, you see the general assembly.  The first question I have is about those two tanks.  The blue tank is connected to the water line coming from the street.  What is its purpose?  The township came here a year ago and installed that.  The grey tank in the background--What is its purpose?  It is connected to a pipe that comes from the top of the boiler.  There are no gauges on it.  I am told it needs to be 2/3 water: 1/3 air.  Does it need to be partially emptied from time to time? 



There are two pictures that focus on the blue valve and a green valve.  These valves are connected to the street water.  The blue valve reads, "Pressure Reducing Valve."  The green valve reads, "Flow Control Valve."  On the back side of the green valve it reads, "H.A. Thrush Co.  Part No. 114."  I think this valve was installed when the piping for the system was first installed because each of the connector Ts also have the name "Thrush" imprinted on it.  Note the 1/2" pipe coming from the blue valve leading into the green valve.  On the green valve it reads "To Tank."  But you can clearly see it leads to the pressure reducing valve not "tank."  Is this normal?

DALE6

Another question

The green TACO 007-F4 pump is hard to see (it almost looks white in the picture), but you can see that it is positioned on the return side of the boiler.  What is the conventional wisdom on the location of a circulator pump?  Also, I forgot to mention that on the Thrush pump leading away from the boiler it reads "Flow -->"  This seems problematic to me since water coming from the street seems to be moving through the pipes before it goes to the boiler.  Thoughts?  Thanks in advance.

DALE6

Another set of pictures

Again, I'll post the pictures then ask my questions.

DALE6

Question

These pictures show where the loops lead from the main and where they return.  (The second supply Tee is difficult to see.  It's near the orange square on the right side of the picture.)  These supply tees are on the return side of the boiler, the return tees for these loops are on the supply side of the boiler.  This seems problematic to me.  Shouldn't the supply and the return tees be either before or after the boiler?  Also, the supply for the first loop is returned before the return of the second loop, meaning that first loop is not only interrupted by the boiler, but also interrupted by another loop.  Oddly, there are no heating problems with either of these loops.  Thoughts?

DALE6

More Pictures

Again, I'll post the pictures then ask the questions.

DALE6

Another question

This will take two post to create.  The explanation is first, then the diagram and question. 



In the first two pictures there are eight pipes (you can't see the first pipe in the first picture.)  I will attempt to diagram these eight pipes simply using the terms "supply" for the start of a loop and "return" for the end of the loop.  Where the loop begins with a diverter tee, I will simply use the initial "D."  where the Tee is a straight Tee, I'll simply use the the letter "T".  Since these eight pipes make up four loops, I need to distinguish each and I do that by using numbers.  So, those eight pipes will look something like this ["1DS->(1/2) is followed by 2DS->"(1/2)], meaning loop 1 is being supplied through a 1/2 diverter tee and is followed by loop 2 which also being supplied through a 1/2 diverter Tee.  The supply line is 1".  The arrow indicates the direction of the diverter tee.  Note there is no return mentioned yet.  I will use an "R" to indicate when the loop returns to the main.  I hope this will help you understand how these eight pipes are aligned.

DALE6

Diagram and question

1DS->(1/2) is followed by 2DS->(1/2)  and is followed by 3DS->(3/4).

This is followed by 1DR(1/2).  This is followed by 2TR(1/2).  This is followed by 3TR(1/2).  This is followed by 4TR(1/2).



Isn't this problematic?

Paul48

DALE6

Is there an actual problem, or are you just attempting to understand you system? "Problematic" implies the potential to create a problem, and might not actually create a problem in your lifetime.