B&G Circulator Broken

nz

Good morning,

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. 

We just celebrated our first full year in the new house yesterday, and heard an awful racket this morning when the heat came on. Turns out, one of the B&G circulators went bad.

The motor seems to be running but the pipes are rattling and the pump is making an awful noise when running.

Do I need to replace the whole thing or should I just replace the flange/impeller?

I understand these come apart in three pieces, not afraid to do it just looking for tips before I start this process and what probably needs to be replaced. 

There seems to be a loose spring where the flange and the motor meet. 

It seems that based on the buildup of grime, someone replaced the flange on this before but kept the motor. (See pics)

nz

Update, unmounted the motor and verified the springs are broken. Seems like something snapped in half? See broken piece in the second pic. 

PC7060

You may just need a new spring coupler. Cheap and easy to install. 

Look inside the cavity where the spring is visible. Make sure both springs are intact. You can use a thin screw driver to try to move the coupler to inspect. Power off the boiler first. 

Post a couple picture of the entire system include the pipes on top of boiler. Is this on an old large pipe gravity system?

Edit: you are quick, nice job removing pump. 

pecmsg

That spring wears out over time. Also note the rubber motor mounts get soft from the excessive oil causing the springs too wear out quicker.

You could rebuild that pump, but I recommend replacing it with a smaller wet rotor TACO. Less energy usage, longer life!

Being a new owner get a heating contractor on site to review the entire system and advise the best bang for the buck.

nz

Thanks here's the pics. Not an old gravity system as far as I can tell. 

I was just pulling up a diagram, it looks like the coupler you're right. Is there any reason the coupler would break? Other than being old. The impeller side of a coupler seems to turn freely so I don't think there's anything stuck in the pipes

JUGHNE

That is not the typical B&G 100, it has a 1/4 hp motor. Larger pump.

pecmsg

JUGHNE said:

That is not the typical B&G 100, it has a 1/4 hp motor. Larger pump.

Overall, there ALL larger.

Is this an apartment building?

PC7060

eBay has for around $60 but that is high. Amazon has as well. 

Search for B & G Circulating Pump Coupler Assembly 118723 for 1/4 & 1/3 HP.  I think it’s the correct one but please verify. 

nz

This is a large home (7500sf not including basement). This circulator is 1/6 HP, otherwise are 1/4 or 1/3. Is B&G 118705 the right part. I cleaned up what remains of the spring coupler and could not find any markings other than "K" 

PC7060

That seems to match what I found on Amazon

Bell & Gossett 118705 Coupler Assembly Size: 1/2" x 1/2" for 1/12 & 1/6... https://a.co/d/8YTu4AY

Edit - updated link to one with next day delivery 

WMno57

JUGHNE said:

That is not the typical B&G 100, it has a 1/4 hp motor. Larger pump.

The one on the far left looks bigger. The broken one is 2nd from left (the one without a motor).

nz

You guys are awesome. I found the part at a local supply shop, bought a spare to store in the boiler room. Going to go figure out how to install it now.
 

Adk1guy

Changed a zillion of these in the middle of the night to get the heat back on. In my area when it hits 30 below (actual not wind chill) it's a race against time before things start freezing. So change now to get the heat on. plan upgrades later. I suggest replace the coupling. the old coupling looks like the standard 1/12 to 1/6th. That motor looks like an old fat 1/6th. If you have to settle for one rated at less than the motor it will get the heat back on.
Look for problems like if it is hard to turn the impeller shaft, and sagging motors on the which misalign the coupling. Put a drop of oil on each place the spring meets the brackets to slow eventual wear through. That is not a simple switch out for a modern throw away circ. Look at the flanges. Measure the space between flanges. That's a warm water project. When I was on a service truck I used to keep motor mounts and a drawer full of couplings. Motor mounts are not hard to change. I still have one of those fat motor circs on my system. 2 drops of oil per year on motor bearings, keep the rotating bearing reservoir half full and a drop of oil on the coupling spring wear points.

nz

@Adk1guy thanks. I opened up the reservoir, it looks empty? I oiled them at the start of the heating season through the little cap, but it doesn't look half full. Do I need to put more oil in? 

mattmia2

That felt absorbs the oil. There shouldn't be liquid oil in there. Only put in as much oil as the instructions say as often as the instructions say or it will run out and damage other things. In the bushings on the ends of the motor have softened and the motor sagged replace the bushings to keep the coupler from breaking again or breaking in the others.

nz

Ok thanks for the tip @mattmia2, I will order some bushings too. Just got the coupler reattached and the motor mounted, powered on and it's working well, nice and quiet!  Thanks everyone! 

hot_rod

It should be a. On detergent oil, those zoom oilers work, or the B&G oil. Does the shaft going into the pump spin fairly easily?  Put the coupling on and try spinning

Long T handle Allen wrench are handy for the coupling install

Adk1guy

I stand corrected
This is right from B&G
1. PUMP BEARINGS – Fill the bearing frame according to the
oiling instructions decal. At the time of installation, add
approximately 1 oz. of B&G #20 weight non-detergent oil.
An SAE 20 (non-detergent) or 10W-30 oil may be substituted.
Re-lubrication is required at the start of each heating season, or every three months for continuous service. Relubricate with 1 teaspoon of oil. More frequent lubrication
may be required under adverse conditions such as high
ambient temperatures. Less frequent lubrication is required
if oil overflows from the reservoir.

In reality many bearings don't get oiled until they rattle but that will wear them out, cause wobble in the shaft and then the water seal will leak, then you have a pita job. Over oiling motor is harmful. Over oil bearing, not, it will drip out of the overflow weep hole. No harm except wasting a little oil and clean up. We always used "extend a fill" a bottle with a long thin tube, and it is also very useful to oil things around the house.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

I've used Spiralink couplers before and they seem to work well. I've always wondered if they have a downside.

PC7060

I’ve used 3 in 1 oil, it’s a a 20 weight oil primarily used for electric motor bearings.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Make sure you have the right coupling as the motor spins it "pulls" the springs. They make different couplings some with different rotation for larger pumps

mattmia2

you can buy nodetergent oil for air compressors in a quart for about half what the b&g tube costs.

I doubt that using oil with detergent would be a problem in that application. Nondetergent oil is specified in gearcases and non-internal combustion crankcases to keep it from foaming but I doubt that would be a problem here.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

Make sure you have the right coupling as the motor spins it "pulls" the springs. They make different couplings some with different rotation for larger pumps

Other than their Series 100 pumps, I’ve always had a hard time identifying their model numbers.