Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: gmviso on September 01, 2011, 01:00:34 PM
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I did a search and did not find this subject posted so, what do I need to do so that I can fill and/or top off the water in my boiler from inside house so I don't have to drag a hose outside in the winter. Thanks!
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i think it would be possable to tie your domestic cold water into your line in the house using a check valve and a shutoff to make sure no boiler water mixed with yoru domestic but for how little you will likley add...why do it? most OWB owners on this site add very little unless they ahv a boil over from some sort of problem. If i go out to put wood int he stove and notice it down a tad, i jsut take a small pail with me next time i go out
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I always just put a hose fitting valve on the boiler line inside the house. Then just use a washing machine hose to connect it. This way you don't violate any codes.
If you plumb it direct, you are supposed to have a backflow preventer. I don't think a simple check valve is enough.
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Thats what I did. Just find a cold water line close to your installation.
BTW: I did not install a check valve. The house water pressure is greater than the boiler water pressure.
Here's a pic: http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?action=media;sa=media;in=18;preview (http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?action=media;sa=media;in=18;preview)
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slim chance but a chance that the house water pressure may act as a siphon someday?
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Hmm... I've never done one inside, but on the bottom of the pump i use an isolater valve/flange. It has a flange with the ball valve built in, it also has a male water hose connection sticking out, I take a washing machine hose and hook it up there to fill the tanks. It seems to do great and ive never had an air lock issue at all. When a customer needs to take a water sample, he just has to crack that valve and fill up his bottle. There def not cheap though, around 30 bucks a piece for it
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I always just do a cross over line. You are correct, it works wonders on getting rid of any air lock problems.
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Hardy has that feature built in
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Menards carries just the valve you are looking for. I put one right at my pump (draw side) inside the house. I hook it to the washer hose, backfill the insulpex to the burner to remove air, close that valve at the pump, crank up the pump and fill everything from there. I put a ball valve on either side of the pump and both sides of the HX to isolate tham if I ever need to change something without draining the whole system. I don't recall how much it was, $30 seems higher than what I remember. It was in their boiler, radiator, section in plumbing. I'm sure Lowes and Home Depot have pretty much the same stuff.
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I did when I plumed my plate heat exchanger after my "cold" water tank...Here is a picture. I've gotten pretty good a figuring out how long i need to keep the valve open to add water ;D or ask one of the kids to watch the gauge. Works like a charm....
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I added a cold water supply at the plenum duct. I use it when filling up the system should I have drained it for some reason. For me, it is way more convenient than a garden hose.
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I did when I plumed my plate heat exchanger after my "cold" water tank...Here is a picture. I've gotten pretty good a figuring out how long i need to keep the valve open to add water ;D or ask one of the kids to watch the gauge. Works like a charm....
In your photo there is a Tee fitting which has a pipe going down and a pipe going up. What is at the top of that pipe?
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My boiler is filled from the house... Right from the oil boiler..Just turn the water regulator on..I have a closed loop system..NO heat exchangers... Not sure what kind of system you have...What if you tapped into the water regulator (right where the water back flow preventer is) then piped and tap into your owb boiler line with shut off valves on each end..I would think that would fill it....
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The pressure tank in my basement has a drain. I put boiler drains in my lines in the house. When I bled the air out of the lines I hooked the two together with a washing machine hose and a garden hose. I turned the water on at the house first to pressurize it. Then I opened the boiler drain. When I was done I shutoff the drain at the pressure tank then shutoff the boiler drain. This should keep any boiler water from entering the house water supply. I can do this same procedure if I ever need to fill the tank in the Winter.
mgw44