Poor Teledyne Larrs 9600

EBEBRATT-Ed

Saw a job today shoudda took pictures. Low budget City housing complex 2 story buildings hot water, zone valve for every apartment.

complaint: everything heats fine except 1 apartment (first floor) gets air bound all the time. Every few days they have to bleed it. Zone valves are N O power closed. Maintenance already changed the zone valve and the thermostat....just because.

They bleed it until they get hot water with a garden hose off a boiler drain on the return line. I asked "do u get any air" just a few spurts they say. Who knows, could be air from the hose?

Best part. I am in the boiler room. 2" system supply and return to the building , 2" grundfoss pumps, pumping away.
Return comes back from building hits a 2 x1x1 tee. 1" return to each boiler. Supply the same. boiler(s) 1" supplys tie togeather in a 2 x1x1 with 2" to the pumps.

1" inline spirovents on each boiler.

Of course the Teledynes have pumps in them
Of course the system is restricted..2" Grundfoss trying to push water through (2) 1" returns, (2) 1" grundfoss pumps in boilers. Boilers in parallel.

Of course those boilers need primary secondary.

I drew it out P/S and tried to explain, then found the Teledyne manual left on the job that showed P/S piping and showed them. They don't believe me.

No pressure gages except triadicators.

never had problems until this year.

I explained that the system is badly restricted, that the system can't "make air". That the bad restriction is probably causing air to be pulled in through a leaking packing valve, through the spirovents etc etc. Spirovents can't work because of excessive velocity.

This is what I got:
Why is this happening now after 15 years?
We can't afford to repipe it
We don't think that's the problem
All the boilers in this complex are piped like this.
We never had any problems before.
Were going to put "Lochinvars" in next summer, that will fix it.

They have already budgeted to replace the boilers next summer. Public bid so who knows what they will get. Probably more of the same. They just wanted a Band-Aid until summer.

I suggested an auto vent installed in the offending apartment but they won't go for it unless I guarantee it will work.

that I can't do so I left

Glad our MA. tax dollars are being wisely spent.