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spirovent maintenance

mr ed
mr ed Member Posts: 26
Hi everyone, I have a question posed by one of my customers. His 1" spirovent has failed and we are trying to determine if they are serviceable. Close examination shows no indication of being able to disassemble the unit. Thinking mineral buildup is blocking the air vent or interfering with the spring action. Not original owner and has no paperwork to take advantage of the warrenty. Can the unit be disassembled or cleaned internally with fluids? Thanks in advance for any help on this matter. - Mr Ed

Comments

  • Spirovent maintenance ?

    My spirovent was venting water, AFTER the air was gone.
    Talked to tech support, the top unscrews and can be cleaned out. I took off the top and rigged up a hot water feed thru the top and back flushed. Put back together. If I maintain presure, all is good. If I shut off water supply and let presure drop, then presure back up, the valve is stuck open again and spits water. Opened a second time and cleaned out, OK for now. I will be dropping presure again soon for zone service and will see what happens.

    P.S. MR.ED, are you in Hayward?
  • Here's the insides of one I pulled today:

    Look closer. I believe all the Spirotherm MBRs are serviceable. You have to use great care when untwisting them. Use TWO pipe wrenches. I wouldn't use fluids alone to clean. A visual inspection is necissary.

    Once apart, the screen (wire brush) can be removed (pull it out) and any debris cleaned from unit. I use a wire brush and compressed air. Check the linkage and float then blow it out well. Re-assemble and flush through system any suspended contaminants.

    If it weeps from the top once it stops spitting air,,, try tapping lightly on and around the MBR with a small hammer> This seems to seat the problematic leakers without having to close off the thumbscrew on top of unit (depending on model) which disables the unit. I've been known to expanded some 1'2" PEX tubing and put it on the 1/2" MIP vent connections and dirrected it downward to a more appropriate location than spitting on the wall but, this is just an idea that works for me sometimes.

    Not sure what the booger on the bottom of this one unit I have is from but, that's another story for the Water Quality thread going on now.

    Hope this helps.

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  • mr ed
    mr ed Member Posts: 26
    spirovent maintenance

    Thanks much for the info Mike & Gary, I'll pass it on to my customer. However a little clarification if you don't mind. This is a Spirovent Jr and has a round body with no wrench flanges. Looking at the cutout view on the box the two body halves appear to be pressed, no indication of threads visible in the diagram. I could contact the factory or a rep but this is the first question worthy of The Wall that I've had since I stumbled in here ;) Thanks again to all who pass on knowledge - Mr Ed
    p.s.- Mike, I'm up in Alaska, just outside of Wasilla(boomtown central!)& Gary- that's one heck of a booger ya got there !
  • Spiro Jr.

    Gary,
    My Spiro Jr. also appeared not to be serviceable. I don't know the different models, however I bought mine last Nov.
    As Gary stated, carefully wrench it open. My internals look like a cylindrical wire basket, not wire brush. Remove and look in the bottom of the housing for debris. When I first removed the upper portion and shook it, you could not hear the valve body moving. By forcing water backwards thru the vent hole I dislodged some debris. Then shook it and you could hear the valve body going back and forth. I also directed that stream of water down and out of the way.
    Spiro tech support - 800-323-5264, ask for Eric.
    Mike
  • BillW@honeywell
    BillW@honeywell Member Posts: 1,099
    Honeywell's Supervent...

    just unscrew the top(by hand), and the internals are right there. Solid float can't waterlog, your choice of NPT or sweat. Check them out at http://customer.honeywell.com. Available from any hydronic oriented Honeywell distributor.
  • mr ed
    mr ed Member Posts: 26
    spirovent maintenance

    Thanks again to everyone for the advice, will pass it on to my customer. - Mr Ed ;)
  • Dave Stroman
    Dave Stroman Member Posts: 764


    The problem I have is the float gumming up with flux. Almost all the systems I have installed need the vent cleaned out after a year or 2. They do come apart. There is an o ring that you need to dope up when you screw it back together. Pry the round disk out to expose the float. Clean the insides out with carburetor cleaner. That has fixed the problems I have had. I have never needed to replace a spiro vent.

    Dave in Denver
    Dave Stroman
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