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[hrc200x]

When I was getting the OWB with side arm on the water heater up and running this fall (fresh install) I was circulating the water through it before a fire was going, to check for leeks, during this time the water heater was still being heated with propane. I noticed that within probably 5 mintues of turning on the OWB circulating pump the propane would turn on for the water heater. It was probably working the opposite way as its designed, it sucked the heat out of water in the water heater. The dealer for the OWB said to let the circulating pump run all summer long, there won't be a fire going in the summer, so if i do this it will suck all the heat out of the water heater. Should a bypass loop before the side arm with valves be installed so it won't circulate through the side arm, or will shut offs on the domestic side of the side arm stop the thermo siphon action? I'd guess the second way there would still be heat loss through the steel of the valves though.

I know summer is a long way off, but I believe the water heater sprung a leek, if i was going to add shut off valves now would be the time to do it.

[slimjim]

Definately use the ball valves

[CornFarmer416]

I didn't relize we have to run the water pumps year round? I just figured you shut them off after winter and just let them circulate one day in the month?

[juddspaintballs]

First of all, every zone or circuit should be on brass ball valves so you can isolate it for repairs or shut it down if you don't want to use it.  Keep the water heater isolated out all summer regardless of whether you're running the circulator so it doesn't thermosiphon backwards. 

Secondly, I only ran the circulator for my system about once a month during the summer and never had any issues. 

[slimjim]

Agreed, and in the past I have always shut my circs off in the warmer months, however after cutting open the tank on the 9 year old Wood Doctor that I am repairing and seeing the settled sludge and corrosion in the bottom of the tank, I think I will now let my Wood boiler loop circulate constantly all year.

[ijon]

Would that  make condensation ?

[mlappin]

I have gate valves in the bottom and top of my sidearm, come spring when I let the boiler go out and I turn the water heater back on those valves get shut.

[yotehunter66]

Agreed, and in the past I have always shut my circs off in the warmer months, however after cutting open the tank on the 9 year old Wood Doctor that I am repairing and seeing the settled sludge and corrosion in the bottom of the tank, I think I will now let my Wood boiler loop circulate constantly all year.

I completely drain and flush my system every year. I would think that would keep the build up down and fresh boiler treatment in the system.

[aries9245]

So just by continuously circulating the pump it will not sludge up? Is it because the water moves and doesn't give it a chance to settle or does it just build up inside the tank by not moving .. I would think being an open system that Oxegen is the key killer regardless..

[slimjim]

Well the moving water certainly would keep the crap in suspension better and that particular boiler has about 1/3 of the bottom as dead space that water does not circulate in at the moment but when I put it back together it will as I will be putting a return port at the lowest point.

[aries9245]

Ok Slim what do you feel is the cause of most sludge is impurities in the water breaking down when heating or the steel realesing impurities as part of its breaking down be the cause ?

[mlappin]

Ok Slim what do you feel is the cause of most sludge is impurities in the water breaking down when heating or the steel realesing impurities as part of its breaking down be the cause ?

Even "soft" water still has crud in it, just let a faucet drip here and you'll still have rust stains even though the "Culligan" man has been out to test our water and said they can't get it any softer than the 3rd party softener we have is.

Can also be dust, mill scale, oil, etc on the steel when the boiler is built. Add in any residue from your fittings, pump, HX, lines, etc and you end up with crud in your water.

[juddspaintballs]

What about a coolant filter like on big trucks?

[Jwood]

Now for us Bl owners that have piped our returns to the top as suggested by this site I now feel that may have been the wrong move and should have the return on the bottom?

[slimjim]

I'm not sure why you would think that Jwood?  As long as the water is moving, it should keep any sediment in the boiler suspended and allow a filter to remove it regardless of which direction it is moving, this particular unit that I am working on had no ports on the bottom 1/3 of the unit so all the debris settled to the bottom of the tank, your boiler is a dry base boiler, it has ports at the top as well as the very bottom of the tank.