Filling hot water loop off steam boiler

charliechicago

Hello everyone,
See attached picture. How would I fill this loop of baseboard heating the first floor? The water feed is on the other side of the boiler, going into the return piping near the floor. (you can see it coming around at the bottom of the picture)
Thanks in advance.

Jamie Hall

Is that circulator pumping away from the boiler and into the loop? I hope so -- and if it is, it should fill when the circulator turns on, assuming the circulator can generate enough head to get up there (10 feet minimum head).

If the circulator is on the return, pumping into the boiler, ... I really don't know what I'd do.

BDR529

Fill through a set of purge tees and isolation valves. Use a garden hose to fill the circuit and hopefully you can keep the proverbial thumb over the top of straw.

Use a bronze or stainless circ. pump.

charliechicago

Thanks for the responses. I always thought you needed some form of external water pressure like BDR529 is saying. But Jamie, you are saying I can use the pump to purge the line and get water up there and yes Jamie, it is pumping away from the boiler so I will replace the pump and give it a try. Also, I find the regular 007 don’t always last that long and I heard the bronze ones hold up longer. Is that  true, is it worth the investment?
Thanks again. 

Jamie Hall

If you are pumping boiler water, you really need a three piece bronze pump. Boiler water is not as clean as that in a hot water system, and that Taco just wasn't meant for it.

And yes, you can just use the boiler pump to push the water up and over, so long as the shutoff head (it will be in the pump specifications) is at least as great as the height from the water line in the boiler to the highest elevation to which you are pumping.

charliechicago

Thanks for the responses. I always thought you needed some form of external water pressure like BDR529 is saying. But Jamie, you are saying I can use the pump to purge the line and get water up there and yes Jamie, it is pumping away from the boiler so I will replace the pump and give it a try. Also, I do find the regular 007 don’t always last that long and I heard the bronze ones hold up longer. Is that  true, is it worth the investment?
Thanks again. 

Jamie Hall

Whether the boiler pump will manage the head I don't know -- the Taco 007 has a shutoff head of just under 10 feet. If the highest point on the hot water loop is less than 8 feet above the boiler water line, you should have enough flow from a 007 to do the job. 9 feet... maybe. 10 feet, no hope. You might be able to temporarily raise the boiler water level to get it to go, though.

The regular 007 is a very fine pump -- for relatively clean, iron oxide free water. In boiler water... not so much. You really need bronze.