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Tips or Tricks for draining Amtrol Boilermate coil?

Wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks for draining out a coil before detaching boiler lines? The supply and return go out and down into the floor and back up to the manifold where the shutoffs are. There is no drain in the lines below the level of the coil. So assume it is going to drain on the floor, problem is it is on a second floor with no drain. So any tips other than direct as much into a 1-2" drain pan? That is about how much room there is from the union to the floor.
How much fluid(system is 85% water and ~15% glycol) should I expect out of an 40 Gallon Amtrol boiler mate? Replacing the unit, because it is leaking slightly and 20 years old.

Comments

  • DZoro
    DZoro Member Posts: 1,048
    Is it possible at the manifold to push air in there and flush fluid out there also?
    D
  • stumblinhorse
    stumblinhorse Member Posts: 41
    DZoro said:

    Is it possible at the manifold to push air in there and flush fluid out there also?
    D

    Well, the manifold is right behind the tank. So I think it would be difficult to get back there to cut the pipe to push air. Once the tank is out of the way it would be easy :)!

    I am going to add a drain in the replacement.
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    Why glycol and how do you intend to dispose of it.
    On the new install, pipe in some drain valves, and stick it on a pan.
    steve
    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,575
    If that is on a 2nd floor, wouldn't code require a pan for the water heater and the boiler?
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    mattmia2 said:

    If that is on a 2nd floor, wouldn't code require a pan for the water heater and the boiler?

    And where are the relief valves draining?
    steve
  • psb75
    psb75 Member Posts: 828
    You could have a crescent or pipe wrench on the copper female adaptor ready to turn the 90 elbow sideways immediately after you loosen the union, so that it ejects fluid into a pan. There shouldn't be that much fluid in the coil.
  • stumblinhorse
    stumblinhorse Member Posts: 41
    edited October 2019

    Why glycol and how do you intend to dispose of it.
    On the new install, pipe in some drain valves, and stick it on a pan.

    No idea why there is glycol in it. I will take it with my truck antifreeze flush and fill and pay to have it disposed? If that is not ok then let me know.

    I am going to put 1 drain on boiler return which on the HTP is the lower of the 2. Should be good I hope.

    edit: that is probably wrong... I guess 2 drains?
  • DZoro
    DZoro Member Posts: 1,048
    Then what @psb75 said you could take a matched coupling with a boiler drain attached and screw it onto the existing coupling quickly ;)
  • stumblinhorse
    stumblinhorse Member Posts: 41
    edited October 2019

    mattmia2 said:

    If that is on a 2nd floor, wouldn't code require a pan for the water heater and the boiler?

    And where are the relief valves draining?
    Not a lot worries about code around here. Pretty remote. The relief runs through the floor around in the walls for about 15 ft to another room that has a drain about 3-4 feet away. :smile: Going to change all that up a bit also. Several items outside of code(pan, not in the room, not visible, not less than six inches from the floor or drain)
  • stumblinhorse
    stumblinhorse Member Posts: 41
    edited October 2019
    psb75 said:

    You could have a crescent or pipe wrench on the copper female adaptor ready to turn the 90 elbow sideways immediately after you loosen the union, so that it ejects fluid into a pan. There shouldn't be that much fluid in the coil.

    I think that the union has to be loose for me to detach(threaded) it from the boilermate. So don't think I can spin it around to drain.

    Edit: I think I get it. Yes I can turn it quickly towards a pan...

    I assume I am going to get half of the "fluid" out of each side?
  • psb75
    psb75 Member Posts: 828
    Half out of each side? No not really. Its a closed, standing coil of fluid. Open one side and "a certain amount" will drain out. Open the other side and..."the rest" will drain out.
  • stumblinhorse
    stumblinhorse Member Posts: 41
    psb75 said:

    Half out of each side? No not really. Its a closed, standing coil of fluid. Open one side and "a certain amount" will drain out. Open the other side and..."the rest" will drain out.

    So the wall side will be difficult to turn towards a pan. I assume then I should to that side first. Not much room to turn and no room for a pan. The second side should be easier to direct into a deeper pan, I'll do that side second.
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,575
    can probably break the union and jam a wet rag in there until you can break the other and move it enough to get a shallow bucket under it
  • Buster
    Buster Member Posts: 36
    Break the unions and use a shop vac to suck the fluid
  • Woody_S
    Woody_S Member Posts: 12
    Get a small drain pan with a fitting in it, or put one on, run a garden hose downstairs to a bigger bucket or small drum. Problem solved. I always get a kick where someone puts a pan under a tank or water heater, and doesn't pipe the drain away. Once the pan is full, your back to square one, same as without a pan.
    Intplm.
  • SethYank
    SethYank Member Posts: 36
    Get a large wet vac drill a hole on the tank side of the union and suck it out, there should not be that much water in the coil side, and you wont lose any on the floor with the vac running.
    psb75