Froling Add-on Install

[Marshy]

Thanks for the compliment. I'm learning as I go. The real test will be under pressure lol.

Yes, that will thread into the hot outlet of the boiler jacket. There are a few galvanised fittings provided by Tarm for the pressure relief valve. I'll have a few more pics as I go. Should be able to get the boilers circulator, heat exchanger and emergency dump zone plumbed. Gotta run to get more copper pipe right now and run a few errands.

 

[huffdawg]

Thanks for the compliment. I'm learning as I go. The real test will be under pressure lol.

Yes, that will thread into the hot outlet of the boiler jacket. There are a few galvanised fittings provided by Tarm for the pressure relief valve. I'll have a few more pics as I go. Should be able to get the boilers circulator, heat exchanger and emergency dump zone plumbed. Gotta run to get more copper pipe right now and run a few errands.
View attachment 219096

That looks excellent. Is that 1-1/4" or 1-1/2"? I used die-electric unions at the boiler inlet and outlet , it was recommended by the froling dealer. Not actually sure if they were a must have , but would have been a little easier to plumb without, with the tight clearance to the wall.

 

[huffdawg]

I would maybe suggest not tallying anything until perhaps 2 years from now - it won't sting QUITE as bad.

Also, there were at least 10 times through my build when I said 'there, I have everything I need now'. Only to find myself running back to the supplier the next day.

Lol.. I felt the pain also . I never did tally it up.

 

[Marshy]

That looks excellent. Is that 1-1/4" or 1-1/2"? I used die-electric unions at the boiler inlet and outlet , it was recommended by the froling dealer. Not actually sure if they were a must have , but would have been a little easier to plumb without, with the tight clearance to the wall.

I knew nothing about them. Would have used them if I had known. What's another few $ at this point! It's all 1-1/4" type M.

Yeah, so I've only sweat some small copper and never very much. Watched a few YouTube videos and now I'm an expert. Well, better wait until after the pressure test to claim that lol.

Air purger and expansion tank will go about here and I'll get tee's plumbed for the dump zone. To the left you can see plywood pained white. That's where the pump and diverter valve will go.

No liner installed yet. Figured I'd wait until I was done playing with fire and molten metal.

BTW, I used permatex liquid tread sealant with PTFE at threaded connections. Stuff works well. It's like liquid pipe tape.

 

[huffdawg]

Dielectric Unions Stop Galvanic Corrosion. To avoid this plumbers use a special coupling called a dielectric union. It's a coupling that acts as an electrical barrier between the two metals. One side is made of copper; the other, steel.
You would need to put them at the black iron nipples coming out of the boiler.

Then again what you have might be totally fine , be a bunch more work to install at this point .

Also I dont know what quality unions you have available there , I had to put that thread sealant on the mating surfaces of the unions to make them watertight , you might want to dab some on before you get it all together.. could save you some time .

 

[hiker88]

Looking good! Don't you love climbing in and out of the storage tank when your filling your voids and taping etc?

 

[brenndatomu]

I used die-electric unions at the boiler inlet and outlet , it was recommended by the froling dealer. Not actually sure if they were a must have

Pretty much a requirement...but a standard union will work...for a while...
As much as it sucks to redo it now...it will be a lot worse later...

 

[Marshy]

Doubt Im going to change it now. I have other copper threaded connections into iron within my existing hydronic system that doesn't have dielectric connections. I might look beck on this and curse myself but it will be in 20 years or more lol. My pumps have dielectric flange kits because they have a steel flange and a bronze valve.

 

[maple1]

I didn't use any dielectrics in mine - have copper connected directly to black iron in a few places. Actually the old boiler system didn't have any either, and it was 17 years in when I redid the boiler, with no issues. Maybe not as pertinent with a closed system? One thing I did do was use a tiny dab of MotoSeal on the union mating faces, which I had on hand and decided to try on a whim - I have had issues with getting unions to not drip a little bit, in the past. Didn't have one union drip issue. So that's SOP for me & unions from now on.

Anybody else find it odd that galvanized parts would be supplied? That is one thing I avoided all together.

Looks good!!

 

[Marshy]

It's black iron, I misspoke when I called it galvanized.

 

[huffdawg]

It's black iron, I misspoke when I called it galvanized.
View attachment 219214

looks like those tees are galvanized.

 

[Marshy]

Looks like my take sensor wires will be too short. I'll have to add wire. What are you guys using, 20 gauge thermostat wire? Solder the joints?

 

[maple1]

looks like those tees are galvanized.

I'm calling BI.

 

[Marshy]

LoL you guys crack me up. Don't care! LoL

Next question for you guys that are using the American Solartechnics tanks... My heat exchanger had some zip ties on the small tubing to the main manifold. Mine no longer have any, should I put ties back on it? Also, the one manifols doesn't want to sit flat on the edge of the tank... is this common or cannot be resolved if the tire were on it?

 

[huffdawg]

I'm calling BI.

Just the colour of them

LoL you guys crack me up. Don't care! LoL

Sorry marsh I wasnt calling u a liar , just said looks like.. That black iron is quite a different colour than the stuff I used... mine was cheap chinese made stuff.

 

[Marshy]

You guys are fine, I was joking. See my questions above. Thanks!!

 

[peakbagger]

LoL you guys crack me up. Don't care! LoL

Next question for you guys that are using the American Solartechnics tanks... My heat exchanger had some zip ties on the small tubing to the main manifold. Mine no longer have any, should I put ties back on it? Also, the one manifols doesn't want to sit flat on the edge of the tank... is this common or cannot be resolved if the tire were on it?
View attachment 219227

You might want to get in touch with "Tom in Maine". If I remember correctly when I had to pull my coil all the zip ties were brittle or sitting at the bottom of the tank. I believe they were there to make it easier to get the coil into the tank. I ended putting some back on when I pulled the coil as otherwise it was a "bundle of snakes". Tom now supplies a Stainless coil but I am not sure if its different design. Mine was not sitting exactly right on the wall when I put it back in but once I hooked the unions up it straightened out.

 

[brenndatomu]

You might want to get in touch with "Tom in Maine". If I remember correctly when I had to pull my coil all the zip ties were brittle or sitting at the bottom of the tank. I believe they were there to make it easier to get the coil into the tank. I ended putting some back on when I pulled the coil as otherwise it was a "bundle of snakes". Tom now supplies a Stainless coil but I am not sure if its different design. Mine was not sitting exactly right on the wall when I put it back in but once I hooked the unions up it straightened out.

They make stainless zip ties...
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-stainless-steel-cable-ties-25-pk-69413.html

 

[Marshy]

They make stainless zip ties...
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-stainless-steel-cable-ties-25-pk-69413.html

Wouldn't galvanic corrosion be a concern?

Sorry, had to. LoL. Good idea, I'll consider getting some.

 

[brenndatomu]

Wouldn't galvanic corrosion be a concern

Only if it turns out those are galvan-ized fittings...

 

[Marshy]

 

[Marshy]

Is there a recommended minimum distance I should maintain between the pump suction and the mixing valve on the left? Is it going to cause any issues if it's about as close as pictured? I could move the pump to the right some if needed.

 

[maple1]

Should be OK. My loading unit has the pump built right into the thermo body.

 

[Marshy]

One joint at a time.

 

[maple1]

Get some extra slip couplings? I had a couple instances where I had to fix something and it was easier and faster to recip saw a section out and solder it back in quick with a couple of couplings.