Boiler Guys....Keep a Spare Circulating Pump on Hand and Know How to Change It

[benp]

I've had a looooong evening.

The neighbors are in AZ for the holidays. So, as usual, I'm in charge of the property, dogs, stove, snow removal, and whatever else comes my way. Pretty much business as usual.

And whatever else drop kicked me in the teeth yesterday.

On Wednesday I noticed the boiler was low on water. I mean low. So I filled it thinking that this fall when we fired it up we read the measure stick wrong. It was the inaugural stove firing celebration so anything was possible.

I checked it this morning and she was low again. I forgot to put the fill cap back on last night so I thought that "may" have contributed to it. So I filled it at 0500.

Got home from work today at 1500 and checked the water level. Poop. It was low.

The orange mark on the stick is where I filled it at 0500. This cockroach is hemorrhaging somewhere. This is not good Mav.



Grabbed the flashlight and checked the stove for any leaks. Nope all good . The shop was good at the pump and manifold.

Aside from breaking out the track hoe from its winter slumber and digging up the water lines to check them, the basement in their house was the last on the list.

Mixed a cocktail, rounded up the hounds and away I went.

I walked downstairs in their basement and holy sheep sh!t. Houston....we've got serious issues. The basement was a tad wet.

The Taco pump in the furnace room crapped the bed. It was spraying water out of it at the weep hole.

And these are the big Taco pumps. There is a grand tied up in 4 pumps.

I got the power cut off to that pump, shut off the supply, and cut the power and the supply from the stove pump feeding the house.

I got done at 0130 this morning pulling carpet up, getting big fans set up, and stuff moved out to a drier basement location.

For the TL/DR crowd, keep a spare pump on hand and know how to change it. If I had one, I would of been back in bidness in 15 minutes and still had to do clean up. But I would of been operational.

Being Christmas Eve, no chance of getting a spare.

Something to think about.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

That's a small pump if they only cost $250 each.
I replaced one on my boiler last year, was getting loud. The Taco version was $450. I put a same size Grundfos in for about $300.

The area the valving is in should be isolated from the rest of the basement... floor drain, sloped floor, pit with pump, etc.

 

[benp]

That's a small pump if they only cost $250 each.
I replaced one on my boiler last year, was getting loud. The Taco version was $450. I put a same size Grundfos in for about $300.

The area the valving is in should be isolated from the rest of the basement... floor drain, sloped floor, pit with pump, etc.

The pumps are larger than anything I have seen used around here for boiler setups. They are 125 psi.

It is. That was my saving grace. If the water would have been dribbling out of the pump it would of been a non issue. But spraying like a fire hose for 24 hours or more tends to go places.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Can't replace the packing? Most large pumps are rebuilable.

Everything here was open yesterday, just today is a holuday. I didn't work, was my first day off in months!

 

[farmer steve]

the best part is your neighbors have a great neighbor that knew what to do. that and "cocktails".

 

[benp]

Can't replace the packing? Most large pumps are rebuilable.

Everything here was open yesterday, just today is a holuday. I didn't work, was my first day off in months!

I think I may have been wrong on the weep hole part. There's a hole on the base of the pump.



There was no one open.

I wonder if I could JB weld that for the interem?

the best part is your neighbors have a great neighbor that knew what to do. that and "cocktails".

Thanks Steve. The hounds are happy. That's what matters.

 

[farmer steve]

jb is worth a shot Ben. guess it would depend on how much pressure is on the pump.

 

[benp]

jb is worth a shot Ben. guess it would depend on how much pressure is on the pump.

That I don't know. I think it's alot. Even with the power cut off to that pump and the supply pump shut down there was a 3 foot stream.

You want to discuss Electro Magnetic Physics I'm down......How a hydraulic valve bank works....not so much. You see what I'm getting at here. I just cut the grass.

I texted my neighbor the picture and asked what he thought about the JB weld idea. He's waaaaaaaaay smarter than I am.

 

[farmer steve]

i used jb on my dad's splitter pump a few years ago on the one fitting. i left it sit a few days to cure though. it worked which was cheaper than a new pump. hoping it blows out for the guy that stole dads splitter. good luck Ben.

 

[Axfarmer]

When you guys are plumbing your boilers you should consider some valves on each side of your circulator pumps. As a former heating tech I've only seen a few with shut off valves but I put them in my own home. Now I can swap out a bad unit without draining the entire system.

 

[benp]

When you guys are plumbing your boilers you should consider some valves on each side of your circulator pumps. As a former heating tech I've only seen a few with shut off valves but I put them in my own home. Now I can swap out a bad unit without draining the entire system.View attachment 473115

Yep. Completely agree. Makes life a whole lot less messier.

All of the pumps have ball valves on the in/out side.

Said offending pump.

 

[ash man]

My pumps are outside on the boiler. I've always thought about moving them inside the basement. Now after your experience, I think I'll keep them where they are. Merry Christmas

 

[benp]

My pumps are outside on the boiler. I've always thought about moving them inside the basement. Now after your experience, I think I'll keep them where they are. Merry Christmas

2 on stove, one in shop, and one in the house.

Ball valves and a spare pump on hand take the situation from thorn in your side down to a fly in your ointment.

Merry Christmas!

 

[zogger]

Well, that sucks. No fun at all. they make other epoxy that is supposedly even better than JB, different brands, plus some wrap tape that sets up hard. I've seen the stuff at like autoparts and hardware stores.

You'll figure it out. Thunderstorming here, I have to go check the lake for the overflow make sure the beavers haven't plugged it up.

 

[jgoodhart]

Bad spot in the casting, you could get it brazed.

 

[benp]

Well, that sucks. No fun at all. they make other epoxy that is supposedly even better than JB, different brands, plus some wrap tape that sets up hard. I've seen the stuff at like autoparts and hardware stores.

You'll figure it out. Thunderstorming here, I have to go check the lake for the overflow make sure the beavers haven't plugged it up.

Beaver shoot? You're taking a rifle with you right?

Although it being Christmas...I would let them slide today. It's the only free pass the vermin get here.

Go out tonight rip apart some of the damn and set up tomorrow.

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

I was lucky enough to have a good dealer that gave me all kinds of pointers on what would make my life easier when doing the layout of my system. I heeded those suggestions and for a little extra cost, it saves a lot of hassle and mess if repairs are needed. I had to replace one cartridge which he insisted on me buying spares when I first installed as well. 2 zone valve heads and a transformer. 1 due to lightning strike and the other was incoming power was 50 amp 170 amp on the 2 legs due to a neutral feed loss.

I added once in 12 years and it was barely on the low then.

If you plan on staying at your location and doing these heating systems, it is well worth the effort and $ to put the extras in. Took less than 5 minutes to change the cartridge and set a cookie sheet under it and that was way more than enough to clean up the dribbles that fell. My cartridge problem was a disenigrated impellor.

Also if you put a garden spigot at the ends of your lines you can bleed air out AND add water using a hose with a double female adaptor. When I added water I went pump the pump in the basement right to the end of the single 7 tube return. Quick and easy.

 

[benp]

I was lucky enough to have a good dealer that gave me all kinds of pointers on what would make my life easier when doing the layout of my system. I heeded those suggestions and for a little extra cost, it saves a lot of hassle and mess if repairs are needed. I had to replace one cartridge which he insisted on me buying spares when I first installed as well. 2 zone valve heads and a transformer. 1 due to lightning strike and the other was incoming power was 50 amp 170 amp on the 2 legs due to a neutral feed loss.

I added once in 12 years and it was barely on the low then.

If you plan on staying at your location and doing these heating systems, it is well worth the effort and $ to put the extras in. Took less than 5 minutes to change the cartridge and set a cookie sheet under it and that was way more than enough to clean up the dribbles that fell. My cartridge problem was a disenigrated impellor.

Nice setup!!!!!

Again, this wasn't my place. Just house sitting for my neighbor (who happens to be 10 feet away.)

If they would have been home the issue would of been discovered a lot sooner.

 

[H-Ranch]

I think I may have been wrong on the weep hole part. There's a hole on the base of the pump.

Oh that's a weep hole alright - it's just not one that the pump manufacturer put there intentionally.

I guess there is some risk of having the pump located in the basement, but I still think it is worth it to be able to change a faulty pump where it is warm and dry (at least in theory). Good advice on the spare pump and quick change valves - I still have a new pump sitting on the shelf hoping it never gets used.

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

Nice setup!!!!!

Again, this wasn't my place. Just house sitting for my neighbor (who happens to be 10 feet away.)

If they would have been home the issue would of been discovered a lot sooner.

Understood, I was just trying to stress what will make others lives a lot easier if they go the extra mile to set up their systems with future maintenance in mind.

This is what was offered for incoming/return piping when I installed mine 12 years ago. A LOT has changed. Good thing is I used HIQ tile( smooth bore) and I can pull a new line if needed with ease. Also put 2 extra new ropes in there at install so I could pull any other lines if I wanted to ad something.