Keysoker by Pass Loop

I just had a keystoker kb-8 installed and the installer never put a by pass loop in. So now I'm trying to figure out a easy way to do it.If you look at the picture. I was thinking if I hook the feed and return together a the t's it will make a big loop. will this work? should I use the same size pipe 11/4 or reduce it. I think reduce to like 3/4 for a little back pressure so water will push to my heating coil. my circulator pump is on the return side will this matter?

Pictures of by pass loop done correctly. ..

Is there an unused return port on the Keystoker?

2 ports on bottom of the boiler. In my set up one port simply has the boiler drain. If his is the same, the loop could be connected there and the drain simply T'd off at the bottom.

Wiz wrote:Pictures of by pass loop done correctly. ..

20131102_092916.jpg

20131102_092857.jpg

I would think you'd want that bypass return to tie in before the circulator , not "T" into the side after the circulator. Or, am I not getting something ........

FYI from keystoker

Oops

oliver power wrote:

Wiz wrote:Pictures of by pass loop done correctly. ..

20131102_092916.jpg

20131102_092857.jpg

I would think you'd want that bypass return to tie in before the circulator , not "T" into the side after the circulator. Or, am I not getting something ........

Plumber I used is a certified master plumber. During install he had question the by pass loop with keystoker themselves. I'm going to say it was done correctly

Rob R. wrote:Is there an unused return port on the Keystoker?

Yes
..

Also

My question would be how does the bypass loop work in your system wiz as there is no circulator making it flow? Gravity? Or are you taking the hot water off the bottom? Even looking at the schematic put up I don't understand what makes the water flow. I installed a small circulator from the top back to the bottom of my VF3000 and it worked great.

Kevin

KLook wrote:My question would be how does the bypass loop work in your system wiz as there is no circulator making it flow? Gravity? Or are you taking the hot water off the bottom? Even looking at the schematic put up I don't understand what makes the water flow. I installed a small circulator from the top back to the bottom of my VF3000 and it worked great.

Kevin

It's set up taking hot water off off the bottom then returns it to the supply prior to boiler. Allowing hot water to mixes with return line on top of boiler. It works.

So the circulator is pulling away from the boiler? Why does that not just pull cool water from the supply(now the cold return) across and bypass the boiler? Water is like electricity and will follow the path of least resistance if given a chance. I saw one set up this way in Maine and was baffled. It seems that you are mixing cold with hot and reducing the output water temp. And dumping cold right on top of the hottest part of your boiler, inducing more boiler shock?
I am missing something simple here.

Kevin

That dang schematic needs some arrows for flow.

kevin

What Keystoker calls a "bypass loop" is really an "equalizer loop"...but it sort of functions as a bypass if you have it piped correctly.

The way that Wiz has his piped, some water will flow through the "bypass" due to a pressure differential created by the circulator, but how much is a mystery and uncontrollable without a valve.

EFM recommends installing a valve in the return between the boiler and the bypass, this allows you to throttle how much flow bypasses the boiler. This is useful when you have a high mass system such as a converted gravity hot water system...the hundreds of gallons of water take a long time to heat up, and adjusting the bypass reduces the volume of cold water that hits the boiler.
The other reason to install a loop from the supply to return, with or without balancing valves, is to keep the temperature in the boiler uniform when it is idling. Van Wert called this a "bypass equalizer ". Without it the water in the boiler will stratify and the hottest water collects at the top of the boiler. Notice in the illustration that the equalizer loop connects to a separate port in the boiler, it is not connected to the return piping.
In this case I would add a tee in the piping coming out of the top of the K8 and connect it to the unused return port. This will prevent water from stratifying in the boiler. Considering the large mass of the boiler compared to the small diameter piping and water to air heat exchanger, the system should operate fine without a true "bypass".