spirovent

cph

i installed a spirovent on the supply side of a hot water boiler out of the bottom of the spirovent is a 1/2 inch tapping in that tapping i put the automatic feed a tee and the expansion tank. after the spirovent I have my pumps that are pumping to my fan coils. my problem is that when i go to purge the zones i get very little pressure so i have to use a double end hose in the boiler drain to purge the system has anybody had that problem if so what did you do. i am thinking i migt have a bad spirovent any help would be nice.

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

Bypass

Your low water pressure is probably from your pressure reducing valve. For proper purging, install a by-pass around your pressure reducing valve; that way, you can power purge through your system.

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cph

its not the pressure prv i have good pressure i took that all apart and checked it. is it ok to put the automatic feed and expansion tank on hte 1/2 tapping on the spirovent

Paul Mitchell

prv

reduces the pressure to only 12 psi or so. it can be fine and you will get slow flow when you are trying to bleed. bypass or fast fill...

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John Jr

YES

Glenn Harrison

1/2\" Tap O.K.

Sure it's fine to hook up the water to the 1/2" tap on the Spirovent, Spirotherm says specifically to hook it up that way so that you can get as much O2 out of the fresh water before it goes out into the system. The pressure reducing valve will only allow so much water to flow thru, even when it is brand new or new like condition, mainly because it is reducing the pressure to 12 p.s.i., and the passageways and strainer slow down the flow. The best way to purge a system is with a p.r.v. bypass as Alan suggested so that you can put full house water pressure and flow into the system. This achieves the same as you hooking up the washing machine hose, but is obviously more permanent, quicker, and safer. Also make sure you don't let the boiler get above 30 p.s.i. when using the bypass, otherwise the relief valve will pop open and then you will have another problem on your hands.

Hope this helps,

Glenn

kevin coppinger_4

I always use the...

watts bronze 911s combo. the lift lever makes it so you don't need to do all that piping...sounds like there might be something caught in the fill...is this a new house ? did some sediment get caught in there? kpc

hot_rod

Consider the

pressure drop through the piping, fittings, and coil. A 1/2" fill at 12 psi will not flow all that fast. It still may be adequate to push air through, however.

How high up are you filling to?

Once you have a solid stream at the purge, let Mister Spiro go to work to clear the rest of the air. Right down to the micro bubbles.

hot rod

Unknown

Alan got it right.

Use the bypass as Alan suggested on EVERY installation. Siggy shows one on every one of his drawings. He is seldom wrong about Appropriate piping.. Soooooo much quicker to purge through the bypass than through the PRV.

I would suspect the Spirovent is just fine.

Gary Wallace AOL IM Radiantfloors

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ScottMP

We use

The Watts 911-S combo with fast fill feature or a S1156F auto feed with fast fill. I don't think we have ever had a problem filling a system.

Scott

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clammy

had same promblem

take your spriovent apart and you will find a plastic insert in the tube of the mirco absorber inside the 1/2 copper peice take it out i've had this peice cause many safety blow by isolating the expansion tank, know it sounds wierd but it is true had the same promblem as you once or twice never contacted them about supplier said i was crazy and must have been in the system piping not true it came right from spriovent that chk it out goode luck

D FIRMAN

SPIROVENTS

WATCH HOOKING EXPANTION TANKS AND WATER TO THE BOTTOM OF A SPIROVENT, I HAVE SEEN THE HOLE PLUGED OFF BY THE PIPE INSIDE OF THE VENT CAUSING EXPANTION PROUBLEMS.

Bob Bona_4

happened to me

when I got a little over-zealous tightning fittings into the Spiro, and sealed off any feed water going in, namely at the 1/2" tapping. Drove me crazy.Live and learn

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Steve Miller

that's exactly it

I've seen it happen twice. The nipple in the bottom of a spirovent is in so tight that it presses against that wire brush looking thingy inside the Spirovent. The core of the wire thing seals off the incoming water if your makeup water is tied in at a tee at the bottom of the spirovent with the expansion on the other tap of the tee. It seemed like in one, the wire thingy broke down and sagged toward the bottom, sealing off the inlet. I actually posted this problem a couple years ago and I think Hot Rod said perhaps there was bad glycol in the system that caused it. I can't remember if I replied, but it was a non glycol system.

Steve M.