Boiler feed
#1
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Boiler feed
Just a question here out of curiosity. We all know that feeding cold water into hot boiler can cause damage. If a leak happens and the auto fill valve kicks on when no one is around there is a fair chance cold water could be fed into a hot boiler.
Here is the question. Why not pipe your feed line from your domestic hot water? I would much rather have 120 degree water going into a hot boiler than 55 degree water.
Just been pondering this.
Thanks
Clint
Here is the question. Why not pipe your feed line from your domestic hot water? I would much rather have 120 degree water going into a hot boiler than 55 degree water.
Just been pondering this.
Thanks
Clint
#2
I've seen it done and suspect that this is why... but...
Common practice nowadays should be to pipe the water feed to the boiler to the PONPC, where the expansion tank connects to the system, and this should be on the hot supply out of the boiler, so feed water should travel through the system first...
Although in the case of a leak, there could be a lot more than normal water going in and the pump might not be running when it does... but still, unless a catastrophic leak, the small amount of water that could be feeding wouldn't be enough to cause a problem.
It's mainly for the massive purging that ppl have been doing where massive amounts of cold water will be pumped first through the boiler then then zone and out the drain that the issue could be a problem.
Common practice nowadays should be to pipe the water feed to the boiler to the PONPC, where the expansion tank connects to the system, and this should be on the hot supply out of the boiler, so feed water should travel through the system first...
Although in the case of a leak, there could be a lot more than normal water going in and the pump might not be running when it does... but still, unless a catastrophic leak, the small amount of water that could be feeding wouldn't be enough to cause a problem.
It's mainly for the massive purging that ppl have been doing where massive amounts of cold water will be pumped first through the boiler then then zone and out the drain that the issue could be a problem.
#3
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Let's just take this one example of not being home during a leak.
Your boiler heating system develops a leak and you're feeding the boiler with domestic hot water.
As the boiler leaks it's replaced with domestic hot water and since your not home and don't realize this it keeps feeding & feeding & feeding & feeding.
What happens when you take shower after shower after shower or worse still, bath after bath.
Are you getting the picture.
Unless you have a huge endless domestic hot water supply your tank is not going to keep up with the demand, the water will be cold anyway. It's like keeping your hot water faucet on 24 hrs. straight.
Now you not only have aflooded basement but a high utility bill if not a burned out hot water tank.
That's just covering the Not At Home issue.
Your boiler heating system develops a leak and you're feeding the boiler with domestic hot water.
As the boiler leaks it's replaced with domestic hot water and since your not home and don't realize this it keeps feeding & feeding & feeding & feeding.
What happens when you take shower after shower after shower or worse still, bath after bath.
Are you getting the picture.
Unless you have a huge endless domestic hot water supply your tank is not going to keep up with the demand, the water will be cold anyway. It's like keeping your hot water faucet on 24 hrs. straight.
Now you not only have aflooded basement but a high utility bill if not a burned out hot water tank.
That's just covering the Not At Home issue.
#4
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Thanks guys makes sense, I was just wondering out loud. Especially in the case of an indirect in the summer and a large leak. It would be a cycle......... feed, run, feed, run when other wise it would not run maybe once a day.
#5
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Leaving a house unattended and not looked into during the winter I think is an invitation for disaster - no matter what the piping arrangement is. In my area, if I didn't have a neighbor to check the house, I wouldn't leave during the winter.
#6
I wouldn't leave during the winter.
So, I don't leave home in the winter.
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I agree about leaving the house in the winter, too much to go wrong. Heat quits, pipes burst, floods. We usually go on a cruise every other year or so, but I am pretty lucky to have family around to check in on things here.