closely space tees

Snowmelt

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Webstone-58655-1-1-4-x-1-1-4-Pro-Pal-Full-Port-Brass-Ball-Valve-w-Reversible-Handle-Primary-Secondary-Loop-Purge-Tee-600-WOG
im trying to find something like this with iron pipe. or should I make my own.

EBEBRATT-Ed

2 nipples, 1 ball valve, and 2 tees and you will have one. Probably less $$$

Snowmelt

i remember someone made one here and it was like 3 inch pipe with cross tees

GroundUp

Never seen one pre-made of iron, but making your own would cost ya less than half versus trying to adapt from sweat and buying the one you have linked.

Snowmelt

i know I saw it here someone will chime in tomorrow

GroundUp

Cross tees? Why? Kinda changes the purpose. I build them regularly out of standard MI tees and a ball valve for the price of a case of light beer.

Danny Scully

That was @ironman and it was a low loss header @Snowmelt

hot_rod

really no need for the valve in the middle? It just adds pressure drop. A purge valve on the return branch does the same job

Time to move on from primary loops anyways, it just adds another circulator. Hydraulic separators do so much more for a piping circuit

Snowmelt

this question is for Dan and hot rod, low loss header , hydronic separator vs closely spaced tee's, whats the advantage of the low loss header vs closely spaced tees?

delta T

Check out this Caleffi LLH:

https://www.caleffi.com/usa/en-us/catalogue/sep4tm-4-1-magnetic-hydraulic-separators-union-1-2-549506a

Has air, dirt, magnetic separation as well as hydraulic separation in one componenet. Makes installs go really fast because you install one component instead of 4. IMHO that is the biggest advantage of a LLH vs close tees.

As long as the tees are spaced correctly, the pumps are sized correctly, and the piping is sized correctly, close tees work just fine for hydraulic separation. Just a lot more work to install.

hot_rod

An example of the primary loop I was mentioning. In this case you need a dedicated primary pump. A hard pump to spec, usually high gpm low head. In this series primary loop drawing you need multiple components for air and dirt protection in addition to all the site built piping, insulation, etc.

With a 4 in 1 separator, everything is in one device and you have magnetic separation function, less labor, less heatloss and no math involved. With a separator, all those zone pumps see the same SWT, with the series primary loop you have temperature drop at every connection.