Mystery input water line for heat system


  #1  
Old 10-16-06, 11:07 AM
C
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Mystery input water line for heat system

Hi All,

I am a newbie to heat systems and I am trying to understand the layout of my home's system. I have a 3-zone forced hot water system with an oil burner furnace.

I took a look at my forced hot water system and I noticed that there is a saddle valve installed on the input water supply line. This saddle valve is connected to the cold water supply by a thin, flexible copper tube. It appears that this saddle valve acts as a supplemental water supply to the closed forced hot water system.

I would like to understand what the purpose of this additional input line is. I am concerned because it looks like it is a flimsy connection to the forced hot water system. Also, more importantly, the saddle valve is installed INSIDE a backflow preventer and is directly connected to my well water tank. There is a shutoff valve in between the well water tank and the saddle valve, but if the valve is opened, I am concerned that the water from my closed hot water system might backflow into my well tank. This could present a hazard because the hot water system currently has an antifreeze compond in it (I was told Ethylene Glycol by our furnace technician).

I've put an image on my website that shows the arrangement of the input water supply line,

http://home.comcast.net/~cynergyou/watersupplynotes.JPG

Can anyone tell me what the purpose of this saddle valve and additional water supply line might be? Do you think it's advisable for me to remove this line? Should I be concerned about backflow from the forced hot water system into the well water tank?

Currently, I have the valve that connects the line and my well tank turned off, but I am concerned because it may have been on in the past.

Thanks in advance for your advice!
 
  #2  
Old 10-16-06, 05:01 PM
Grady's Avatar
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Delaware, The First State
Posts: 12,682
Received 41 Upvotes on 39 Posts
Mystery line

I have no idea why it is there. It is downstream of the backflow preventer & upstream of the reducing valve which puts it on the high pressure side of the system. I suggest disconnecting it & capping the saddle valve.

The anti-freeze better not be ethylene glycol. This stuff is highly toxic & hazzardous to your system. Boiler anti-freeze is proplyene glycol. If your boiler service person does not know the difference, it's time to find a new service person. This guy is going to kill somebody.
 
  #3  
Old 10-17-06, 03:20 AM
C
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Grady,

Thanks for the info. I will disconnect and cap the valve.

I have a follow up question - the furnace technician said that the boiler anti freeze can be corrrosive and he suggested flushing it since it can become corrrosive with time and damage the heat system. Is this true that the anti freeze breaksdown with time and becomes corrosive?

Thanks!
 
  #4  
Old 10-17-06, 03:25 AM
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: usa
Posts: 839
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Propylyne

As Grady said, it better not be automotive antifreeze as your tech suggested! If it is, it should be removed. If it is propylyne, it isn't toxic. It will eventually breakdown and become acidic as the tech mentioned. I'd think he be able to do a water test to determine the PH of the water, slightly alkaline is good. Acidic is bad.
 
  #5  
Old 10-17-06, 04:59 AM
C
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thanks for the information everyone. I think I'm going to have the antifreeze flushed from the system. I hope it's not automotive antifreeze. I'll double check with the company whose tech added the antifreeze (different from my current furnace company)..
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: