IFC Circulators

BDR529

Have you found they gravitate, Fail open or stuck closed, reduce flow, or just fine?

hot_rod

IFC Circulators

BDR529

Mar 27, 2025

Have you found they gravitate, Fail open or stuck closed, reduce flow, or just fine?

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All the above!

I made a video showing and explaining some of the pros and cons.

Yes dirty fluid with particles can hold them open, even shards of teflon tape. A good strainer or dirt separator is a wise addition to the system.

Air pockets can cause them to bounce around or flutter, which eventually wears the plastic parts. I recommend a good brand microbubble air sep with ICF circulators. With horizontal mounted circs and air pocket could develop in the volute and prevent it from circulating. This could happen during long off season, non circulating conditions.

Unless you have a gooey fluid like old glycol, they don't stick shut very often. Most of the new ECM circs have an exercise function, which keeps fluid stirred during off season.

Flow reduction is minimal, some pump curves used to show with and without flows.

Ideally a check would be 6D, 6 pipe diameters or so downstream of the circ discharge to get away from the turbulent conditions at the volute, so there is a trade off

Internal Check Valves

BDR529

Fantastic video! Yes, a trade off like glycol itself.

Caleffi, the only hy-vent with a decent service life.