spirovent question

FB

A Buderus GB142 in our basement supplies one rad in that area and the rest on the ground floor. The system is ten years old and cleaned annually per the factory manual, using Protek 922 water treatment per the Buderus requirement. There is a Spirovent in the piping from the boiler output to the nearby Watts manifold. The system was drained and refilled a couple years ago. Since that time we've been hearing air moving in the copper tubing. Seems like the Spirovent should have removed the air. Does a Spirovent require adjustment or cleaning, replacement or rebuilding? Is there any way to test a Spirovent? After refilling the system, I had to "burp" trapped air from the boiler by using the boiler's air vent but have been keeping that cap closed because I worry about water escaping and damaging the electronics in the boiler.

unclejohn

I guess it's possible for the wire fill inside the vent too disintegrate. The top should just unscrew and you can look in and see.

ChasMan

Well, You can clean a Spiro vent. In my experience it is not for the weak of heart or hand. I needed two strap wrenches to get it apart. It was seriously difficult to open. I was prepared to reassemble black pipe if it came apart with it. Inside there is a screen and float. Mine was clean. Someone suggested you could backflush it but I would not recommend it, the float etc. looked kind of fragile. Here is a link to the instructions for mine which discusses taking it apart.

http://www.spirotherm.com/sites/default/files/JR IOM-B.pdf

EBEBRATT-Ed

It's possible your piping may be undersized or the pump is over pumping. Too much velocity can cause an air vent not to work well

FB

Thanks for the informative replies. ChasMan's link to the factory directions taught me that the spirovent was improperly installed on the output side of the circulator. After the system was refilled and turned on a couple years ago, the Spirovent sounded like a tea kettle while venting air, then settled down after a few minutes. I wonder if all that chattering could have shortened its life?

hot_rod

The floats inside can get stuck and prevent the device from working properly, and the small valve it the top can get stuck or scaled also.

If you split it in the middle you can get to the floats, but the small air valve itself is not so serviceable.

The hottest point in the system, and the lowest pressure point are ideal, it will work in most any location, and even at excessive velocity they still do an adequate job.

Glycol is a tough fluid to deaerate if you have any system with high & mix it can take a lot longer to rid all the micro bubbles.