Taco 007-f5 pump concerns

Redcdr

I apologize in advance for the length of this post.  It’s cold and it’s  Christmas so there’s now way I’ll be able to get a pro out here. 

Yesterday I made a post about the limit switch setting for a Taco pump (007-f5).  The pump was installed a year ago as a replacement for an old pump that was seized. Little did I know, the new pump never actually worked due to a bad splice in and upstream junction box. I’ve since repaired the splice and the pump is running, but I have new concerns. 

1. The pump is noisy. Not crazy noisy. In fact, you can’t really hear it when you’re standing next to it. But when you go upstairs, you can hear it running via the pipes. It’s kind of a low hum and the sound of water running through pipes. I’ve read that circulating pumps are usually almost silent. Granted, this is a very small house with no insulation where you can hear everything. 

2. It gets hot. Too hot to touch for more than a couple seconds. I’ve read that Tacos run hot, but this is hotter than I expected. 

3.  Current draw.  The name plate says 0.74 amps, but my fluke is telling me it’s pulling 0.85 amps. Not a huge overcurrent, but more than 10% above the name plate. 

4. Boiler pressure.  This morning I heard banging pipes, which never happened before. I checked the boiler and it was up to about 25PSI. I shut it down and drained some water and it hasn’t happened since. I’m thinking this is more of a water logged expansion tank issue or an over filled boiler, but I’m wondering if the pump could be the culprit. 

I chose this pump by simply showing the old one to the guy at the supply house desk. Now I wondering if it’s over sized. This is a single story 800 sq ft house, boiler in the basement, 5 cast iron radiators. It’s a 0.25 hp, 23 gpm max pump. I know there’s more to pump sizing than that, but (rough math) does this sound like too much pump?

I would be very thankful for any help you could give me. Merry Christmas!

kcopp

007 is pretty versatile. Im sure its fine. It may be a bit of air. Is it running? Do you have heat? If the pump is stuck sometimes a bang on the motor housing will free it up. If it sat for a while doing noting as it was unwired that could happen.

hot_rod

It should not get much hotter then the water temperature flowing through it, measure it.
If it gets excessively hot, it is stuck, not moving any fluid. Or airlocked and not moving flow.

Banging could be a result of air locks also, a good purge would be the first step. In addition to air, it will flow any debris out that may be jamming the circulator.

Redcdr

kcopp said:

007 is pretty versatile. Im sure it’s fine. It may be a bit of air. Is it running? Do you have heat? If the pump is stuck sometimes a bang on the motor housing will free it up. If it sat for a while doing noting as it was unwired that could happen.

Yes, we have heat. As soon as I spliced the neutral properly I could hear water start to flow. Radiators that we’re previously only luke warm are now hot. So I believe it’s pushing water through. 

Redcdr

hot_rod said:

It should not get much hotter then the water temperature flowing through it, measure it. If it gets excessively hot, it is stuck, not moving any fluid. Or airlocked and not moving flow. Banging could be a result of air locks also, a good purge would be the first step. In addition to air, it will flow any debris out that may be jamming the circulator.

I’m planning on purging it tomorrow when stuff is open in case something goes wrong and I need parts. I need to drain the waterlogged expansion tank and there are no isolation valves so the whole system needs to be drained. 

HomerJSmith

You don't mention what kind of E-Tank you have or what boiler fill sys you have. If you posted pics this forum could be more helpful. 25psi is excessive even when the boiler is producing max heat. The air pressure in a bladder tank should equal the fill pressure. If it is a Filtrol 110 the air pressure on the bladder side sets the sys pressure. When the sys is down (open), you can check the bladder pressure with an accurate tire gauge.

Redcdr

HomerJSmith said:

You don't mention what kind of E-Tank you have or what boiler fill sys you have. If you posted pics this forum could be more helpful. 25psi is excessive even when the boiler is producing max heat. The air pressure in a bladder tank should equal the fill pressure. If it is a Filtrol 110 the air pressure on the bladder side sets the sys pressure. When the sys is down (open), you can check the bladder pressure with an accurate tire gauge.

The expansion tank is an old steel bladderless tank strapped up in the ceiling. I’m assuming it’s waterlogged, so draining it is a project for tomorrow.  There is an auto fill valve, but the gate valve upstream has been closed since we moved in, so I’ve always just filled it manually. Since the high pressure scare I’ve drained some water and monitored it and the pressure has stayed under 20psi. Here are some pics…

HomerJSmith

Why do you have a bladderless E-Tank in this day and age. They're cheap, cheap, did I say cheap?

I would replace it with a Amtrol Filtrol 110, a bit more expensive than an Amtrol Extrol 30. But...Then you wouldn't have to worry about the condition and accuracy of the boiler cold water fill valve.

Jamie Hall

I'll give a counterpoint to @HomerJSmith 's comment there: a compression tank, which is what you have, will work properly until doomsday. However, that assumes that the connection to the rest of the system is open, that the airtrol valve is working properly, and that there are no other air removal devices anywhere on the system. None. Zip. Nada. If there are other air removal devices -- often installed by someone who didn't know what he or she was doing and "every system needs them", then the tank will waterlog, guaranteed, and stop working.

There is no need -- assuming the tank is connected to the rest of the system -- to check the air pressure in it or to fill or drain it (assuming the airtrol is working). The pressure will automatically track the system pressure set elsewhere.

kcopp

If you have heat and the relief valve is not blowing over the floor i think you are fine. Doing something just for the sake of doing something could end up causing more issues.
The 007 is a different circulator than was in there before. I presume is was a 3 pc circulator judging by the rest of the system age..... flow rate is a bit different but not a big deal at this point.

Redcdr

Jamie Hall said:

I'll give a counterpoint to @HomerJSmith 's comment there: a compression tank, which is what you have, will work properly until doomsday. However, that assumes that the connection to the rest of the system is open, that the airtrol valve is working properly, and that there are no other air removal devices anywhere on the system. None. Zip. Nada. If there are other air removal devices -- often installed by someone who didn't know what he or she was doing and "every system needs them", then the tank will waterlog, guaranteed, and stop working. There is no need -- assuming the tank is connected to the rest of the system -- to check the air pressure in it or to fill or drain it (assuming the airtrol is working). The pressure will automatically track the system pressure set elsewhere.

When you say ‘no other air removal devices’, does that mean bleeder valves on the radiators too?