New video on installing a new Taco 3 Speed ECM Circulator Pump

cwilliams2000

I thought I would share another one of my videos. I needed to do this for some time and was waiting for my original to completely fail. I think somewhere I had seen that that the original IFC pumps from Taco failed a lot in their early years.

Anyways if you want to see a homeowner replace their circulator pump or enjoy so Sunday morning heating follies feel free to check it out. Thank you kindly.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=flpbqJu2sT8&feature=youtu.be

HVACNUT

Pumps on the return?
Really?

cwilliams2000

This was how it was installed when the house was built. Not sure if this comment from another forum is applicable. But my zone valves are on the supply side....

"The location of the pump would all depend on heat kind of a heating system you have. If you have multiple zones and the zone valves are on the supply, then the pump can go either on the return or the supply. If you have multiple zones but with circulating pumps the i would put them on the supply. However, if you do have multiple zones but with circulating pumps and the pumps are on the return, then you would need to have zone valves on the supply so that one of the pumps only heats up the area where the thermostat is calling for heat."

CTOilHeat

Nice clean swap out. Always great when you don't have to scrape away old gaskets and smooth out the flanges.

If you have zone valves on the system you don't need the internal flow checks in the circs. You won't have to worry about gravity heat circulation. It also prevents you from purging the system through the pumps with the purge setup you have.

Nice work overall.

cwilliams2000

Thank you. that is good to know about the flow control. I might take them out as long as I have a few new oring to use. Thanks again for watching and the comments.

Gordy

Circulators can go on the return , and is preferred with mod/con boilers. However the PONPC should be on the inlet of the circs.

There are possible consequences in doing so on the return. if the system requires large circs, or system heights requiring a higher system pressure in that the pressure differential is added just before the boiler it could make the relief valve pop, or weep.

ChasMan

That looks like a relay box.. You should only take the check valves out if the zone valves close on priority. That's tricky wiring with a relay box. That Taco pump looks humongous. Bronze flanges, those are nice. Wish I had those.

cwilliams2000

I know, the Viridian does look massive and it's a little big, but the Taco ECM 3 Speed is actually kind of small. Makes me a little nervous that it looks 40% smaller than what I replaced. It says Made in Italy so hopefully thats good. Good point about the check valves too. I might just leave it in there after all.

My HeatManager actually puts the DHW on priority and also boost the limit to the full 180 when DHW calls. I think it's pretty cool and for the rest of the house it goes through the Taco 3 Zone relay control but it really is just doing the single "zone" for the main heat in the house.

HVACNUT

I wasn't trying to be an ****. I just think an otherwise nice and fairly new system should have been piped with PONPC in mind. It's obviously not a mod con where the primary pump would be on the return, but it is the 21st century.

cwilliams2000

I appreciate the thoughts and we all have opinions. I also like that you think my system is so new. Its 17 years old, maybe not ancient but I really try to keep up with it!

hot_rod

Gordy said:

Circulators can go on the return , and is preferred with mod/con boilers. However the PONPC should be on the inlet of the circs.

There are possible consequences in doing so on the return. if the system requires large circs, or system heights requiring a higher system pressure in that the pressure differential is added just before the boiler it could make the relief valve pop, or weep.

I'm wondering that all boilers should be pumped on the return, for some of the reasons that early boilers with 3 piece circulators were.

Temperature! It's a big deal when you start slapping microprocessors on circulators. Building a wet rotor ECM is not an easy mission, lots can go wrong.
As the rotor runs in the fluid, as we are seeing small metallic particles are attracted to the rotor.
Also the motor is basically in the system fluid, it will run a bit warmer that the fluid. Assuming it was sized and installed properly. Not unusual to see steam formation inside a cavitating circulator. In a pressurized system that could be a very high temperature that the motor is exposed to.

Pumping on the return, especially on boilers running 180F and above, gets the circulator in the coolest possible fluid when mounted on the return

As you mentioned the PONPC needs to move along with the circulator, and the ∆P needs to be accounted for.

Gordy

Good point, however shouldn’t the design of ecm crics account for the system fluid temps seen in most hydronic systems? Which I’m sure they do, but maybe life span could be extended in cooler fluid environments.

As I said in most residential systems circuit on return with the PONPC on the inlet is not a huge deal. It’s when systems require higher static pressures than normally found in residential systems things can go array.