Adding water to OWB

[fourustircom]

Hi, Folks!

I probably read it somewhere, but how are you all adding water to your various OWB's? I'm thinking of installing a "Y" pipe with a gate valve to the cold/return hose to add water from the basement in the winter. This time of year, a water hose to the top vent wouldn't be a bad way, except for the need for a ladder.

Thanks!

 

[HUSKYMAN]

A hose isnt necessary, you will only use a gallon or two every few weeks.

If you can find a decent 2.5 gallon jug that is all you will need.

 

[crowbuster]

I've only had to add water one time when i had a leak in basement. I used a washer hose with female ends on both ends and hooked it to a valve i installed in the rear of my heatmor and the other end to a garden hose, i can turn hydrant(farm type) on and control flow at unit. When comes out overflow on top just turn valve off, turn off hydrant, unhook and done.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I have a tee and Gate Valve in the bottom of my tube/shell (sidearm) heat exchanger on the water heater in my basement. When it is time to fill or top off my OWB I connect a garden hose to my utility tub in the basement and connect the other end of the hose to the fill point. I need someone to watch the furnace and let me know when the water comes out the top and we use our walkie talkies for the task. I only had to add water once this winter - we had an electic power outage durig the day while I was at work and when the circulating pumps stopped running the smoldering fire was hot enough to boil water out of the OWB. We used this system rather than a hose as it allows us to put softened water into the OWB instead of the hard water from the outdoor spigot.

In the photo you can see the gate valve and hose connection in the very bottom of the sidearm plumbing near the floor. We put it in this location as it will also serve as the drain when it comes time to flush the system.

 

[Butch(OH)]

I just teed into the line loop in the basement like the banjo man and added a valve. Its all plumbed in solid. Crack the valve and by the tme I get to the basement window to watch the overflow its full. As someone esle said its not realy a big deal. Id guess that I dont add 5 gallon all winter. Usage will depend on how close your high limit is set to boiling. Mine is 190.

 

[R W Ohio]

We have a Hawken Energy 1000, I installed a cold soft water line with a back flow preventer and a ball valve into the incoming water line from the OWB. This made it easy to fill the unit for the original fill,but it is not needed for the small amount that our system evaporates during the heating season. I try to check and add water on the first of the month,that way I don't forget to check it. It only takes about 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon each month so I use a 1 gallon milk jug and pore it in the over flow vent at the roof of outdoor unit.In the spring at shut down time I fill it to the top of the vent to keep air out of the water jacket.

R W