Help/Suggestions With Boiler Design/Installation

I've been piecing together a boiler system over the past couple of years. For now I just want to use the 3/4" manifolds and zone valves I already have (pics) and will expand later.

I'm pumping to the boiler because it will be easier for installation and no other reason.

I'm trying to figure out what else I may need or could improve on.

Questions:

Water coming in from house through pressure reducing valve - Install on supply or return or does it matter where?

Do I need a check valve in the system? (Current circulation pump is older 007-F5).

Initial boiler fast fill/purge - Will Webstone 48615 work in this configuration?

Bleeding individual zones - Will the current individual purge valves work?

Air eliminator valves - One on each return zone and one above air scoop - Enough?

Temperature Gauges - Placement ok? Do I need any additional ones?

Unions (black malleable) - Any reason to not use them or is there a place where I should? (i have a few free ones around)

Am I missing any significant shut off valves?

Any suggestions on improvements or what else I may need would be helpful

In the first drawing I don't see any pumps and the bypass loop is not connected to

anything.

BigBarney

Hopefully others will follow and share their thoughts as well...

skobydog wrote:
Questions:

Water coming in from house through pressure reducing valve - Install on supply or return or does it matter where?

commonly enter @ bladder tank location

Do I need a check valve in the system? (Current circulation pump is older 007-F5).

?

Initial boiler fast fill/purge - Will Webstone 48615 work in this configuration?

Work, but there are cheaper ways...


Bleeding individual zones - Will the current individual purge valves work?

Yes

Air eliminator valves - One on each return zone and one above air scoop - Enough?

Good. Doing power purge gets the bulk of the air out. You might look at Spirovent Types for micro bubble removal.

Temperature Gauges - Placement ok? Do I need any additional ones?

Your choice...

Unions (black malleable) - Any reason to not use them or is there a place where I should? (i have a few free ones around)

They are excellent...put them anywhere you wouldn't want to use a hacksaw later to take pipe apart.

Am I missing any significant shut off valves?

No

Any suggestions on improvements or what else I may need would be helpful.

Wye strainer before the pumps.

skobydog wrote:Questions:

Water coming in from house through pressure reducing valve - Install on supply or return or does it matter where?

Unless you are going to use an auto fill valve, I would skip the pressure reducer as it will make power purging the system or a zone impossible. Water supply connects to the bottom of the air scoop with the expansion tank.

skobydog wrote:Do I need a check valve in the system? (Current circulation pump is older 007-F5).

If all of your zones have zone valves, then, no.

skobydog wrote:Air eliminator valves - One on each return zone and one above air scoop - Enough?

That should be enough.

skobydog wrote:Temperature Gauges - Placement ok? Do I need any additional ones?

You don't "need" any, the tridicator on the boiler is enough. I like to put one in the supply and one in the return were all the zones come back together.

skobydog wrote:Unions (black malleable) - Any reason to not use them or is there a place where I should? (i have a few free ones around)

Yes, black iron is probably the best thing to use.

skobydog wrote:Am I missing any significant shut off valves?

On your drawing, before and after the air scoop, in case you nee to isolate the boiler or a zone. One on the expansion tank, in case you need to replace it.

-Don

Questions:

Water coming in from house through pressure reducing valve - Install on supply or return or does it matter where?
commonly enter @ bladder tank location Do I need a check valve in the system? (Current circulation pump is older 007-F5).
?
I asked because some circulators have inline check valves.

Initial boiler fast fill/purge - Will Webstone 48615 work in this configuration?
Work, but there are cheaper ways...
Something like this with a hose on the boiler drain? Any suggestions on improvements or what else I may need would be helpful.
Wye strainer before the pumps.
Not sure I understand this.

StokerDon wrote:
Unless you are going to use an auto fill valve, I would skip the pressure reducer as it will make power purging the system or a zone impossible. Water supply connects to the bottom of the air scoop with the expansion tank.

-Don

StokerDon wrote:
On your drawing, before and after the air scoop, in case you nee to isolate the boiler or a zone. One on the expansion tank, in case you need to replace it.

-Don

Ok, good points, thanks

There are PRV (pressure reducing valves) w/ a flip handle just for purging and then flip back for normal PRV use.

Wye strainer passes all water through a fine mesh screen (strainer). This collects particals of rust often present in used boilers that commonly sit stored for a time from collecting these particles in a pump rotor or elsewhere.

McGiever wrote:There are PRV (pressure reducing valves) w/ a flip handle just for purging and then flip back for normal PRV use.

ok.....still not sure the purpose of the wye though

Your Tee at the expansion tank for the water supply is perfect.

Your idea of bypassing the pressure reducer/fill valve with a single ball valve will work for power purging.

A wye strainer is basically a filter stuck into a "Y" connection. Keeps crap from reaching your pump.

-Don

An end of the wye allows you to remove the screen to clean it.

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Watts-0379113-1-LF777SI-Lead-Free ... DQodBnYFKg

McGiever wrote:There are PRV (pressure reducing valves) w/ a flip handle just for purging and then flip back for normal PRV use.

Wye strainer passes all water through a fine mesh screen (strainer). This collects particals of rust often present in used boilers that commonly sit stored for a time from collecting these particles in a pump rotor or elsewhere.

The fast fill valve on the Taco and B&G autofill valves I have used has been fine. If you need a more serious power purge, I have also connected a garden hose to a boiler drain in the appropriate location - this gives you instant full-pressure water for purging. If you pipe the system correctly, air removal is only done once.

I have never used a Wye strainer, but I think it is a good idea. At some point we will all be running ECM circulators, and they don't like debris. That brings up a good point - is the plan to use that 007 Taco? If so, you will may get some velocity noise in the system without a pressure differential valve (it allows some of the volume from the pump to return to the boiler, rather than trying to force it through a single zone). I had that issue with my own system, and decided to upgrade to a "smart" circulator. It has performed very well for me.

Grundfos Alpha Installed

coaledsweat wrote:An end of the wye allows you to remove the screen to clean it.

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Watts-0379113-1-LF777SI-Lead-Free ... DQodBnYFKg

Got it now, thanks

Rob R. wrote: That brings up a good point - is the plan to use that 007 Taco? If so, you will may get some velocity noise in the system without a pressure differential valve (it allows some of the volume from the pump to return to the boiler, rather than trying to force it through a single zone). I had that issue with my own system, and decided to upgrade to a "smart" circulator. It has performed very well for me.

Grundfos Alpha Installed

I have a number of heating configurations I want to try but I believe the 007 will probably be an overkill until I'm through burning nut coal upstairs. If this happens I'll probably skip the pressure differential valve and look into a smart pump. Probably better off with a newer pump anyway.