Taco Air Scoop- Aged out?

Cyclist77

In a previous post I asked about a Taco Switching Relay aging out and received great replies.

So is my 15 + year old air scoop something that should be replaced when my new boiler is installed?

Thanks

leonz

It depends on how difficult it is to remove it from the piping on the S130. As this air scoop is a cast piece its always possible that it would not survive the extraction and crack.

I still think leaving the S130 in place/cap the flue breech on the S130 and just add the other boiler and its controls will save you money as both boilers can benefit from one air removal system by piping them in series AND you will have the benefit of the thermal mass in the S130 steel and water volume to use at all times.

My old hand fed was set up using a single air scoop and bladder tank for the avco lycoming boiler and the Switzer hand fed wood and coal boiler. The entire system worked very well for 33 years before I switched to the dual fuel coal stoker 10 years ago as I no longer wanted to burn wood.

hot_rod

There i8s no question that the microbubble type air separators do a better job is a short period. I did some time lapse filming of the two types yesterday.

The ramp type purger never did get the water completely clear. The separator cleared it up within 10 minutes. The key is the media inside which captures the smallest of bubbles.

So if you want the best heat transfer in all your hydronic components, upgrade to a sep or a 4 in 1 device.

Dave H_2

Is it "aged out", it still gets the air out! A basic air scoop doesn't wear out or get tired nor does it ask for a raise! There are no moving parts so it should last forever. Maintenance or replacement of the autovent is required, but a hunk of cast iron is a hunk of cast iron. As @leonz mentioned, it maybe difficult to remove and re-use.

Yes there are newer products that cuts down the time it takes to get the air out, limits piping needs and such like with scoops, you need at least 18" of straight, uninterrupted pipe in front, with the Enhanced Air Separators, that distance is not needed.

That becomes your call on day of demo and installation.