4-way fitting at expansion tank.. do they get clogged ?

Dave Carpentier

Trying to bring a cold hydronic system up to pressure and chase the air out before we start the boiler.
I replaced the 20 yr old Watts pressure regulator, but no change. Even with fast fill, both the gauge near the regulator and the gauge on the boiler show nil.
When I open a port further downstream, there's a minor amount of water at some small pressure, let it flow for a half-gallon or so.. seems steady.

Right after the regulator is one one these 4-way fittings (I use as 3-way).


Do they get clogged ?

ScottSecor

Yes they get clogged. That is another form of pressure reducing valve. Not sure why you would have two of them? Note: the threads on your expansion tank are not normal 1/2" npt (standard pipe threads). By the way our company had never been a fan of the Amtrol Fil-Trol.
https://www.amtrol.com/product/fill-trol-system/

SuperTech

Get rid of the fill-trol and install a #30 expansion tank. 

Dave Carpentier

Thanks guys, I had no idea that device was also a regulator. My blockage must be in there.
Im going to pull it out and maybe try to disassemble or drill out internals ?
When I had everything open to replace the make-up regulator, i checked the air side of the expansion tank and it was still holding 12 psi. At 20yrs old the tank doesnt owe me anything but I'd rather wait until next summer to start cutting and repiping if I can.

pedmec

@ScottSecor Since when ain't expansion tanks npt. Of course they are. I don't know about this amtrol filtrol set up but any individual purchase expansion tank is npt

ScottSecor

@pedmec From the Amtrol brochure page 4:
"Note: A standard Extrol tank is not interchangeable with a Fill-Trol tank."
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.supplyhouse.com/product_files/Amtrol-109-133-Brochure.pdf

I learned about the special threads on the Fil-Trol tanks back when I first started in the heating business in the 1980's. A good friend of mine just bought a house and had a leak, they called me. I looked at the job and figured it out immediately, I was so proud of myself. Went and picked up the materials before the supplier closed and drove back to the job. Isolated the boiler and the feedwater, drained the boiler, ripped out the fill valve and expansion tank. Installed the new fill valve and went to screw in a regular Extrol 15 tank. After about an hour of scratching my head (while laying on the floor most of the time as they always seem to be at the bottom of the boilers), I realized the threads were not normal NPT. With egg on my face, I had to leave the house with no heat on a cold winter night.

The next morning I learned that my supplier did not know the Fil-Trol threads were different either. Never forgot that one. BTW, I never installed another Fil-Trol again. If one went bad, we would remove it and use a regular reducing valve and a regular Extrol.

My guess is you never ran into the old Fil-Trol?

ScottSecor

If you look at page two item 4, the manufacturer suggest you can clean the screen on the inlet of the valve. I have seen them clog many times. However, I have not had great luck cleaning them and getting them to seal.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.supplyhouse.com/manuals/1249544570102/filltrolIO.pdf

pedmec

No i haven't. That's why i posted and stated i didn't know about the filtrol. i know all standard expansion tanks are npt. Sometimes when they combine items it throws you for a loop. I have never even seen the that amtrol set-up. I know now I definitely wont be buying one lol.

Dave Carpentier

Excellent info on the presence of a screen. I applied a whacken tool while fast fill was on, and an amount of black stuff came out at a drain point further downstream. It's now filling.
Thanks !