# sidearm installation remedy



## goodwood (Oct 25, 2011)

my sidearm was installed with the cold water entering on one end and the hot water coming out of  the sidearms  other end is hooked up to the cold water in on top of my oil fired hot water heater,the hot water coming out of the sidearm does not last very long, maybe 30 seconds, is there   a way to circulate water through the water heater,or an easy way to remedy this  ,seems really inefficient the way it was installed


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## taxidermist (Oct 25, 2011)

can you take a picture? I had to put a coin vent in the top of mine as it would trap air and not work.

Rob


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## goodwood (Oct 25, 2011)

not sure how to post pictures but the sidearm is horizontal above hot water heater and has no air vent, it is connected to top cold water in outlet on water heater, where would a vent go if that is the problem, right now the hot water does not migrate into tank but stays in sidearm tube till hot water is turned on and cools off quickly


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## taxidermist (Oct 25, 2011)

It should be mounted like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LXBU4T0q64A#!   My coin vent is in the top elbow on the heat exchanger.

Rob


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## taxidermist (Oct 25, 2011)

check out 2nd post here.

http://www.iburncorn.com/forum/8-general-corn-burning-questions/8327-side-arm-heat-exchanger-for-dhw

Rob


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## Garth B (Oct 25, 2011)

That is a really inefficient way for it to be installed, you will only ever get a short burst of hot water in that configuration. The exchanger is meant to have cool water from the bottom of the tank enter at the bottom of the exchanger, heat up and rise up the vertical exchanger re-entering the top of the hot water tank (usually through the safety relief connection) this is done through natural convection and will continuesly heat the hot water in your tank.  The hook-up you have described is used for a plate exchanger for initial warming of the cold water entering your hot water tank. IMO the best solution would be re-pipification.... get out your torch and solder!


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## Garth B (Oct 25, 2011)

Another point to mention, if you re-pipe it the exchanger should be piped reverse flow, meaning your water from the boiler should enter where your domestic water exits the exchanger (the top) and the boiler water will exit at the bottom where the domestic water enters the exchanger.


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## coolidge (Oct 25, 2011)

I found this www.thermo2000.com and have placed the order instead of using a sidearm.


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## goodwood (Oct 25, 2011)

it would be a major overhaul to re pipe,what if i put a tee on the cold water in connection put my sidearm hot end on one part of the tee  and extend a copper pipe from the other part of the tee  down to my drain valve. i could replace my drain valve with one with a reciculating elbow . would that work?


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## benjamin (Oct 25, 2011)

goodwood said:
			
		

> it would be a major overhaul to re pipe,what if i put a tee on the cold water in connection put my sidearm hot end on one part of the tee  and extend a copper pipe from the other part of the tee  down to my drain valve. i could replace my drain valve with one with a reciculating elbow . would that work?



No, not if the "sidearm" is horizontal above the water heater.  You need a pump, and maybe some minor repiping.


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## goodwood (Oct 25, 2011)

it has a ciculating pump with hi limit aqua stat pumping boiler water through sidearm ,  the hot end of the sidearm gets real hot,but cools quickly when hot water is turned on ,i thought if it was going in the top an drain valve it might work better


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## benjamin (Oct 26, 2011)

You need a pump on the domestic hot water side, or place the sidearm on the side or below the water storage tank for thermosyponing circulation.


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