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Circulating Pump

Hello all. I have an electrician by trade so please forgive my ignorance.

I need to change the circulating pump that is feeding a hot water baseboard look for an addition that I have. However it seems there are no isolation shut off‘s for this pump. I’m assume that means I need to drain the system. I’m not 100% sure on how to do that based upon the type of system I have. Do I need to drain the entire boiler? Or is there any way based upon the picture here that I can just drain the loop for my hot water baseboard zone?
Any and all advice is welcome.

Thank you





Comments

  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 1,889
    Close any valves you can find to isolate that part of the system from the rest, open the boiler drain below the faulty pump to drain the riser. what comes out is what comes out. After refilling though, you're likely to have to purge the system of air
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    From what can be seen in this picture, it looks like a full draindown. You are going to want to have a refill/purge plan before you tackle this, especially in the winter.
    Can you post a picture from farther back?
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • PaulLandon2323
    PaulLandon2323 Member Posts: 8
    I’ll take a picture and post. Thanks for the responses. 

    I’m thinking I shouldn’t do this in the winter... as a novice. I can wait until the spring. 

    What kind of plan should I be thinking about?
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 7,713
    Is that a steam boiler with a water loop added for another zone?

    The larger pipe with an od return configuration and no other circulatory on the return looks like a Hartford Loop made of copper.

    A picture of the boiler from farther away is definitely going to make it easier to help you.

    The drain valves on either side of the circulator pump is another clue.
    Edward F Young. Retired HVAC ContractorSpecialized in Residential Oil Burner and Hydronics
  • PaulLandon2323
    PaulLandon2323 Member Posts: 8

  • PaulLandon2323
    PaulLandon2323 Member Posts: 8
    Yes it’s a steam boiler but a hot water baseboard line was run. I wanna change the circulator pump but there’s no isolation valves and afraid I need to drain the whole system. 
  • bburd
    bburd Member Posts: 909
    Since that is a steam boiler, there is water only in the boiler, any wet steam condensate returns and your hot water  heating loop. There should be no water in the steam carrying pipes or steam radiators.

    That is much easier to deal with than if the system were all hot water. 

    Bburd
    Zman
  • PaulLandon2323
    PaulLandon2323 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks bburd. Good to know. So I just turn the boiler off and let it cool down and then drain the boiler and the hot water heating loop? 
  • bburd
    bburd Member Posts: 909
    I just tried to delete my comment above after I noticed that your hot water loop piping is above the boiler’s waterline. That situation is more complicated. Others can probably advise you.

    Bburd
  • PaulLandon2323
    PaulLandon2323 Member Posts: 8
    🥺🥺🥺
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,161
    You are fortunate. It looks as though that pump is pumping away from the boiler. That being so, if the hot water loop isn't too far above the boiler water line, it's easy.

    You'll have to drain the boiler down below the pump to replace it. That will also drain the hot water loop. However, the pump should have enough power so that when you refill the boiler having gotten everything buttoned up, the pump should be able to refill the loop on its own, and you should be back in business. It will lower the water in the boiler a bit when you first fill the loop, but you can add some to fix that.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • PaulLandon2323
    PaulLandon2323 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks Jamie!
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    The steam guys on here will have opinions. Some circs fair better than others in a that high temp, low head environment. Stainless steel?
    I agree that the swap will be pretty simple on a steamer compared to hot water.
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    There are 2 recent previous concerning using 3 piece bronze pumps for steam boiler water use.
    Someone (not me) could give you the direct links to each, one was Indirect water heater and another was your exact heating situation.
  • PaulLandon2323
    PaulLandon2323 Member Posts: 8
    So just to be clear the pump is on the hot water baseboard loop. 
    I turn the boiler off and just drain the water lower than the pump level,
    swap out the pump
    and then after I re hook up I fill the boiler again and fill the line by turning the circulator pump on and put a hose on the return side and take all the air out of the lines 

    sound about right?
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,161
    Sounds about right, but... if the return is into the boiler, you don't even need to have a hose. The air will go into the boiler where it will have lots of company...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Zman