Add on Boiler Plumbing Questions

I plan on feeding into the top of my oil boiler from the coal boiler with a circ. I plan on 1" copper to and from. I have two tappings on the top of the oil boiler, 3/4 PRV and a 1/2" tap next to the 1 1/4" feed. Can I tee into both the tappings with out any problems ? Then return the water from the return manifold to the return on the coal boiler. My oil boiler has 3 circs on the return with flow checks onthe feed manifold. My coal boiler will be in a seperate room about 7 feet higher than the oil unit. Where should the circ. and flow check be ? With the oil unit or the coal ? And one more, Some circ pumps say they have built in flow checks, will they work in place of a reg. flow check? Thanks, Ed

Why areyou wanting to tap into the 3/4 & 1/2"? You should tap into the supply on top of the boiler and the return on the bottom. Circ and flow check can go anywhere in the loop, but todays thinking says to put the pump after the expansion tank on the supply. Grundfos pump have an internal flow check. It can be removed. Only disadvantage, it cannot be manually opened. Yes, they replace the "normal" flow check.

I do have a extra 1" tap in my supply manifold but with no call for heat from the house I would be sending the water backward through the air scoop. Also I have 3 3/4" flow checks on that manifold. Would a 1" supply send the water by the 3/4" flow checks if no house zones were calling for heat? I thought if I could use the 2 tappings on top of the boiler would be simple. I need to change the PRV anyway, and the 1/2" tapping is over top of the DHW coil. Any advise would be great. Thanks, Ed

I advise you tap in where it should be and not have to worry about if a one inch piece of water will fit through a 3/4" hole. Can you post a photo? I'll make arrows & show you where to start hacksawing. How many BTU's is the coal boiler? If it's over 85,000ish, and your house needs over 85,000ish, than a one inch pipe between the two boilers is too small.

efo,

Does this mean that you finally have your K2?

Hi
Are your circulators in the return side of the boiler piping?
If so cut after the circulators and add a tee a ball valve and a tee.
Add two more ball valves to one one each tee.
Then run to the feed on your boiler with the first tee and the return to your second tee.
Add a circulator in parrell will your original three with a check valve above it.
I would also add a air bleader.
I have a tempeture switch mounted on the feed side of my coal boiler that wired into the aqustat that turn on and off circulator.
This system works great.
Doug

sterling_40man

No. Any news on when yours wil be in ? I gave up hope for the keystoker until spring and picked up a used New Yorker wood/coal boiler. It dosent have a HW coil so I need to pipe it so I can use the oil boiler coil. 24 ton of rice/buck coal and nothing to burn it in. I shoveled 3 1/2 ton of unwanted pea coal out of a bin and picked up 1/2 ton of nut coal in bags (old bags) 4 ton @ 80 a ton. Looks like ill cut my teeth hand feed style. I think I remember you are about a half a month ahead of me on the order date. In keystoker time that probably = 2 months.

Blackdiamonddoug wrote:Hi
Are your circulators in the return side of the boiler piping?
If so cut after the circulators and add a tee a ball valve and a tee.
Add two more ball valves to one one each tee.
Then run to the feed on your boiler with the first tee and the return to your second tee.
Add a circulator in parrell will your original three with a check valve above it.
I would also add a air bleader.
I have a tempeture switch mounted on the feed side of my coal boiler that wired into the aqustat that turn on and off circulator.
This system works great.
Doug

Yes they are on the return side. Will this keep my oil boiler HW coil happy? I have no coil in the New Yorker boiler.

yes it will
I used two flow checks in parrell one 1.5 "
And a .75" so when only the circulator that warms the oil boiler is running the flow go through it.
If more that one of the circulators is running it will open the 1.5" flow check.
The best part is your using the circulator to push the water through the coal boiler.
You will love this install when you install the stoker because you can control the temperatuer of the oil boiler by adjusting the temperature switch mounted on the return tp the coal boiler.
It also keep your header warm.
BDD

Freddy wrote:I advise you tap in where it should be and not have to worry about if a one inch piece of water will fit through a 3/4" hole. Can you post a photo? I'll make arrows & show you where to start hacksawing. How many BTU's is the coal boiler? If it's over 85,000ish, and your house needs over 85,000ish, than a one inch pipe between the two boilers is too small.

Freddy here is a link to my boiler specs (scroll to bottom) the tappings would be the R-1 and the N. 3/4" and 1/2" wouldent they = more than a 1" line could flow? http://www.weil-mclain.com/downloads/literature/g ... tgolit.pdf The coal boiler is 90k and if I remember the heat loss on my house was around 68k BTUs. My boiler is the 4 section one with a .95 nozzel (the 4 section holds less water than the 3) My set up has a 1-1/4 ball valve then up 3 ft with 1-1/4 black iron, elbow, then air scoop/expansion tank then a 1-1/4" manifold with 4 take offs. 3 used 1 extra. My 3 circs are on the return manifold.

Blackdiamonddoug wrote:yes it will
I used two flow checks in parrell one 1.5 "
And a .75" so when only the circulator that warms the oil boiler is running the flow go through it.
If more that one of the circulators is running it will open the 1.5" flow check.
The best part is your using the circulator to push the water through the coal boiler.
You will love this install when you install the stoker because you can control the temperatuer of the oil boiler by adjusting the temperature switch mounted on the return tp the coal boiler.
It also keep your header warm.
BDD

Sorry I am only getting the the part about sending return water to the coal boiler first then back to the return on oil boiler. after that I don't get how you are keeping the header manifold warm with out one of the zone pumps running. I could see a 3/4" copper pipe from the header to the return on the oil Boiler with a circ in between and a strap on aquastat on the feed out of the oil boiler.

I probably won't get my boiler til next month or Jan.

efo141 wrote:I shoveled 3 1/2 ton of unwanted pea coal out of a bin

That's a lot of work, man!!

Install two tee off the top of the boiler
Put a air vent on the top
On each branch install a flow check
Tie the down stream side of the side of the flow checks together
use this pipe to feed oil boiler
Please feel free to stop by haverhill and see this installation

It is a little work but it works great
Doug

sterling_40man wrote:I probably won't get my boiler til next month or Jan.

efo141 wrote:I shoveled 3 1/2 ton of unwanted pea coal out of a bin

That's a lot of work, man!!

Its amazing what we will do for cheap heat. I had help

Picture of two parrell flow checks one small one 1.5"