80’ of PEX A running to basement and thru 40 plate heat exchanger. B&G NR22 circulator with a bronze Y strainer before the circ.
Here is a pic of the setup in the basement.
![[Hearth.com] Adding water to the boiler](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/201/201991-4df2fa65454dc660fafa364639a37a8b.jpg?hash=oXdkHgE7WL "[Hearth.com] Adding water to the boiler")
Adding water to the boiler
- Thread starter larryjbjr
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80’ of PEX A running to basement and thru 40 plate heat exchanger. B&G NR22 circulator with a bronze Y strainer before the circ.
Here is a pic of the setup in the basement.
maple1
Minister of Fire
What size is that Pex?
I think you have compounding issues with this algae thing going on. It is crudding up your filter as you said - any such flow restrictions will diminish your flow pretty badly, even a partial restriction. That isn't a real capable circulator you have - but it might be OK if you were restriction free. It could also be crudding up your heat exchanger. You should do some replumbing there so you can easily flush it - I don't see any isolation valves or hose bibs for flushing.
Do we know what boiler you have? Didn't see it above. Does it have a bypass loop? It might need one for adequate internal circulation - also serving for return temp protection.
Do you have an IR temp gun? That should help tell how good or bad your water is flowing, by measuring everywhere water is entering or leaving something. Shiney surfaces don't work good with them, you would need to spray some flat black paint on a copper pipe before getting a decent reading.
I think you have compounding issues with this algae thing going on. It is crudding up your filter as you said - any such flow restrictions will diminish your flow pretty badly, even a partial restriction. That isn't a real capable circulator you have - but it might be OK if you were restriction free. It could also be crudding up your heat exchanger. You should do some replumbing there so you can easily flush it - I don't see any isolation valves or hose bibs for flushing.
Do we know what boiler you have? Didn't see it above. Does it have a bypass loop? It might need one for adequate internal circulation - also serving for return temp protection.
Do you have an IR temp gun? That should help tell how good or bad your water is flowing, by measuring everywhere water is entering or leaving something. Shiney surfaces don't work good with them, you would need to spray some flat black paint on a copper pipe before getting a decent reading.
1” Pex
Johnson Little John, about 17 yrs old but sat drained and unused for at least the last 4 years.
No bypass loop.
I can flush the heat exchanger by popping the quick connect fittings loose.
Johnson Little John, about 17 yrs old but sat drained and unused for at least the last 4 years.
No bypass loop.
I can flush the heat exchanger by popping the quick connect fittings loose.
Water entering and leaving the heat exchanger is very close in temp when not heating the house. Is that good enough?
Must be a mighty age that can survive boiling temperatures? Although alge does survive around boiling hot springs, but it needs a certain water chemistry to live.
Possibly an iron bacteria which lives by consuming the ferrous components in the system, turns into a nasty black sludge, smells like rotten eggs. I've only seen it once in a hydronic system, tough bugger to kill.
Also some public water systems are adding polyphosphates to treat turbity, that too can turn into a nasty heavy sludge which will plug HX, pumps, valves, etc. The Garn folks have some experience with that crud.
You may need to get a pressure washer wand inside and strip away the crud.
Possibly an iron bacteria which lives by consuming the ferrous components in the system, turns into a nasty black sludge, smells like rotten eggs. I've only seen it once in a hydronic system, tough bugger to kill.
Also some public water systems are adding polyphosphates to treat turbity, that too can turn into a nasty heavy sludge which will plug HX, pumps, valves, etc. The Garn folks have some experience with that crud.
You may need to get a pressure washer wand inside and strip away the crud.
OK, I got some cleaner today. It is called prep solution 102.
The instructions say to put in the boiler and leave it there for about 4-12 hrs, then flush it out and refill with freshwater.
My question is this, do I continue to circulate the water through my heat exchanger with that stuff in there?
The instructions say to put in the boiler and leave it there for about 4-12 hrs, then flush it out and refill with freshwater.
My question is this, do I continue to circulate the water through my heat exchanger with that stuff in there?
Chlorine is regularly poured into drilled wells to KILL rust bacteria and also to kill nasties on pipe and components that have laid on the ground during pump servicing or replacement. Got a dog?
Wells with static levels that are up in the casing will continually rust if chlorine is not added to kill the rust.
Wells with static levels that are up in the casing will continually rust if chlorine is not added to kill the rust.
JRemington
Minister of Fire
You need to flush it completely and add some boiler rust inhibitor? Is this an indoor or outdoor boiler? Also, I don't see where your using this for domestic water. Do you have antifreeze in it? Regarding your adding water do you have domestic water hooked into the return wit a low pressure valve? You might also consider an Alpha pump. This will allow you to control the gpm and know what your flow is.
It's an outdoor boiler. Right now just straight softened water,nothing else.
I do not use it to heat DHW, nor do I have it hooked into the domestic water at all.
Explain what you mean by an Alpha pump.
JRemington
Minister of Fire
Grundfus makes a pump called the Alpha. It has a digital readout that lets you adjust the voltage and set the gallons per minute you are pushing. We install them on all of our coal boilers.
JRemington
Minister of Fire
I was taught by the Amish to install wood and coal boilers. We never use an Aquastat on a solid fuel boiler. It runs 24/7. If the weather gets warm and the zones aren't calling for heat that's when a boiler either smolderes and causes a creasote issue or they blow off. Run them constant and adjust the water temp. Outdoor wood boilers have to large of water jackets. Some are as big as 150 gallons. They were designed for people who have an unlimited supply of wood. Our Coal boilers have a 50 gallon jacket.
maple1
Minister of Fire
How do you get solid fuel boilers to adjust their temps without using an aquastat?
JRemington
Minister of Fire
Our boilers have Sampson regulators that open and close the air draft similar to how a car thermostat works. If the water temp is set at 170 and the water reaches temp the draft doors close. When it lowers the draft doors open. There's no power needed other than the Circulator pump. We usually set them for 170 degrees. That gives a 30 degree leeway to blowoff at 200.
maple1
Minister of Fire
JRemington
Minister of Fire
The Circulator pump on the return to the boiler runs constantly. If you have zones in the house and the zones aren't calling for heat you would have a return loop coming back to the outside boiler.
Are you referring to Samson, the German manufacturer, so in order to have the boiler running 24/7 you would have to regulate the water temp, like outdoor reset does. Do you have to manually adjust the Samson valve based upon the heat load/ outdoor temp?
JRemington
Minister of Fire
The Sampson reg opens the draft door based on water temperature. Be it 30 or neg 30 the doors open based on temp of the water.
So the regulator maintains a boiler water temp of 170, if no zones are calling the water returns to the boiler, so you have a primary loop circ and zone circs.
JRemington
Minister of Fire
Yes. If the loop doesn't cool the water enough you can add a dump such as a radiator or a bigger loop. One guy I know made a Heat dump by running the off loop through a 40 gallon water heater.
maple1
Minister of Fire
The Samson would still do the same thing an an aquastat would though, right? I cant see how this would lessen smoldering and creosoting unless its by increasing heat loss to the ground or other surroundings, from the water running 24/7. A natural draft boiler which a Samson would control usually has less potential for increased combustion efficiencies also - I think?
I think we're getting off topic a bit, maybe.
I think we're getting off topic a bit, maybe.
JRemington
Minister of Fire
The Sampson isn't going to reduce smoldering. Circulating the water continuously on warmer days will. It will help cool the water causing the drafts to open and getting the wood to flame. Most of my experience is with wood coal combos. When you're running a 50 gallon jacket and burning wood it's easy to create a creasote problem. I guess I am getting off topic using the different boilers as a comparison.
Is creosote buildup inside an outdoor wood boiler a problem? Seems to me like it wouldn’t hurt anything, and might help protect the metal on the inside Of the firebox.
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