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[InBassAngler]

So I have been struggling with this for about a week now.  Here's is the story.

I had let my fire go out on the burner cause of warmer temps, but I fired it back up last weekend with the forecast of cold temps.  I got a good fire going and water temps going up as well.  I loaded it up before I went to bed on Sunday night.  Woke up to a cold house and went down to the exchanger to see if the water line was warm, but it was cold.  My though was the fire went out and had a blower issue.  I went out to the burner and saw steam coming out of the overflow tube.  Come to find out, the breaker blew sometime in the middle of night and so the fire kept heating the water to boiling point.  I flipped the breaker back on and added more water to the tank, not knowing how much water was steamed away. 

Turned everything back on, but the breaker kept overloading, but for the short time it would run, I had hot water flowing fine.  After some checking, I determined the breaker was bad and switched out the breaker. 

Now here comes the problem, I turned everything on and I could feel the pump running and the fan was turning on just fine.  I started a fire and got it going and heating water, but after about 2-3 hours, I had steam coming out of the over flow tube again.

The situation is now, that I have hot water going into the pump and the pump is hot too...now the pipe leading out of the pump is cool to the touch.  I am just assuming when the breaker overloaded the hot water, over heated the pump and seized up.

Now I thought I would take the pump off and verify my assumptions, I was going to drain some water out (drain valve is in basement of house below ground), but didn't have any water come out of it when I opened it up.

So, do I have frozen lines or bad pump or both?  Wasn't sure if any one has seen this?  PLEASE HELP!  I don't want to run the indoor wood stove for the rest of the winter.

[Scott7m]

Air locked? frozen?  But where?  What underground pipes do you have?

You may have ran the water level below the pump and now the whole system is full of air

Pump could have Also failed when it got starved for water

Does the pump have a bleeder?  If so crack it and let it blowout, close it, turn the ball valve off on your return, let it build 10 seconds them open it quickly and repeat several times


If it's air, that will usually force it through, "if" your pumps is sized accordingly.

[InBassAngler]

I have 1" pex pipe underground.  Grundfos 15-58 pump at the OWB.  I have thought about it being air locked but who ever owned the house before me and installed the OWB didn't install isolation valves for the pump. I think at the end of the day, I am gonna have to take the pump off and see what happened.

[InBassAngler]

unless its somewhere in the heat exchange, i havent been able to find one.

[Scott7m]

I meant what kinda insulation is underground, just trying to see where it could have frozen if it is, but I doubt it.

There is no valves to close anywhere in the system? 

I don't install bleeders but I do isolate the pump, I doubt your 15-58 has a bleeder in the end of the pump as well

You could pull a line off the stove and force water through the system with a garden hose


Supply on top or bottom??

[Scott7m]

unless its somewhere in the heat exchange, i havent been able to find one.

Doubt you have one, I never install them either.. 

[Scott7m]

Somewhat unusual I think because to fill almost every system there has to be a way to purge the air, but maybe.....

Nahh... I never have had an issue, I sometimes install isolator flanges with a water hose connection on them to use a water hose to push any air out, but thats rare

[Scott7m]

If his supply is on top, he's sucked it full of air and now the system is air locked

That's one of the bad things about supply lines being on top

[InBassAngler]

There isn't any insulation underground.  The pipe comes right into the basement that is heated.  The only possibly spot the lines could be frozen are at the OWB.  The only valves on the system is a fill valve in the basement on the feed line, then there are some valves that are used to bypass the water heater or not. 

I will say that who ever plumbed the system, I am not happy with.  I will be doing some re-plumbing this spring. 

The only way it purges air is the over flow tube at the top of the tank that has dual purpose of overflow and make sure it doesn't build up too much pressure.

I really appreciate all the help.

[InBassAngler]

Scott, the supply is on the top.  I bet when it over heated and steamed out the pump sucked air, not water.  Will I need to replace that pump?

[Scott7m]

If it were plumbed properly that one open pipe on top the stove would be all that's needed

No insulation underground is scary lol..  That could make you burn over twice as much wood


Is your supply line coming off of the top?


If it is I'd pull that line off the pump, take a garden hose and try to force water through it back to the stove

You could probably hold enough pressure with your hand to make it work? Listen for air entering the stove

[Scott7m]

Scott, the supply is on the top.  I bet when it over heated and steamed out the pump sucked air, not water.  Will I need to replace that pump?

That little grundfos is tough, it may have survived, but your air locked!

[baldwin racing]

Somewhat unusual I think because to fill almost every system there has to be a way to purge the air, but maybe.....

sounds like pump died they will hum and not be pumping......also check to make shure there is not scall or anything clogging it on the end of the pump.... I use the threaded valves that look like  (your out door hose valve). you can buy them threw lowes....they are brass i will see if i have any pics.....they have bleeders built right in and you can screw pex fittings in them on both ends.....at pump i just have the flare ends with ball valve in them....normally around $50 a set....

kelly
i run rv antifreeze in my system also when my out door died i run 3-4 full cases threw it and then unhooked it in middle of winter.....it worked and i still have rv antifreeze in my new indoor model....but when i filled the system i used water to delute it some....

[Scott7m]

I would guesss if the pump feels smooth and isn't rattling it is ok but you didn't do it any favors.

If the pump were on the bottom where it should be the weight of the water in the tank can also aid in pushing the air out..

[InBassAngler]

Yea the pump isn't rattling.  I plan on placing on the bottom for that fact of the weight of the water to help with pushing air out and not run out of water.