New Tech Ain't Always Great - New ECM Circulators From Taco

 
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SMITTY
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Post by SMITTY » Wed. Sep. 28, 2016 10:36 am

Long vid, but lots of great info here.

Basically, in an effort to go full-green, like so many industries are being forced to, they have taken a big step backward as far as maintenance is concerned in older heating systems. Due to the inclusion of a powerful magnet inside the circ, it's going to pull every bit of ferrous material (think of how much is floating around in a 50-60 year old system!) right into the circ.

Looks like heating is going the way of the automotive industry, where things are engineered to be green - common-sense & longevity be damned! :roll:

Welcome to the 21st century .... :sick:

This guy is from MA, in case you were wondering. He don't talk like me though - we're on different ends of the state. :D



 
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coalvet
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Post by coalvet » Wed. Sep. 28, 2016 10:53 am

I have a 66 year old house with black iron pipe and cast iron radiators. While my 007 circulators aren't that old I will pick up at least one for a spare before they disappear from the supply houses. I suspect they will be available for quite some time but you never know.

 
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Post by lsayre » Wed. Sep. 28, 2016 2:06 pm

If transitioning to ECM means transitioning Taco circulator production to Italy, could that have played a part in the schism that led to the formation of AquaMotion?

 
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Sep. 28, 2016 5:27 pm

You could always switch back to a Series 100. ;)

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Wed. Sep. 28, 2016 5:36 pm

Rob R. wrote:You could always switch back to a Series 100. ;)
Dredging up ugly memories indeed!!! :shock: :lol: That's what I replaced with the NRF-22 not long after we moved into the house. The Series 100 was always dripping to outright squirting water out of its packing gland and I was constantly messing with it and snugging it up until out it went. They actually still make the Series 100's, and they are mucho expensive. I hope no one is actually still buying and installing them.

 
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Post by CoalHeat » Wed. Sep. 28, 2016 9:26 pm

The Series 100 isn't what it used to be. My parent's house had one, installed when it was built in 1951. Ran fine for years and years. Sometime in the late 1990's the ceramic seal failed and it started leaking water. I went to get a new seal set for it, the supply house sold me a complete new pump instead. That one lasted about 5 years or so, I replaced the whole unit again. We sold the house in 2008. The difference in the quality between the old pump and the 2 replacements was amazing. I still have the old one, just needs the pump seal and it's good to go.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Wed. Sep. 28, 2016 10:23 pm

Smitty my guess is Taunton...
He has a bunch of videos, one of them is a old oil tank as a burn barrel...
He has a set of fans to boost the flames too...
Had to snake out our drain with power auger and root cutters...
45 year old cast iron between house and tank filled with roots...
I will do a wait and see on the new pumps...
Lots of iron pipe in this system...
Seems to be a bad engineering f***up if you need to put in a iron trap...
To keep your expensive new ECM pump from corkin' itself...


 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Thu. Sep. 29, 2016 5:29 am

Well, we will see how one survives in my system. I installed an ECM circulator yesterday.

 
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Post by Paulie » Thu. Sep. 29, 2016 8:55 am

Sounds like East Boston, As far as the pump........built in maint or face failure is not so smart. No way
home owner is going to clean a trap every month. Some will, but very few would is my guess. Don't believe old style pumps will go away, think they are just expanding product line. As with anything mechanical, less is always more !

 
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Post by McGiever » Thu. Sep. 29, 2016 9:36 am

Old tech pump motors may not have the permanent magnet of a ECM but it is magnetic repulsion that makes most motor operate. :)

I am running a Alpha ECM w/o the magnet trap, however like a lot of old boiler being repurposed, a fine screened wye strainer was plumbed in to protect any and all pumps.
If iron becomes a problem with the ECM and its magnet, I guess I could always open the wye strainer long enough to drop in a 'cow magnet' :)

 
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Post by CoalHeat » Thu. Sep. 29, 2016 9:38 am

The Y strainer is a good idea! When I get around to installing that pile of radiators I have sitting here that would be a smart addition to the install.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Thu. Sep. 29, 2016 9:51 am

If you watch enough of the videos... :oops:
Most of the travels are in the 195/44/24 area...
He is a Frenchie...
Plus a bit of the Fall River/New Bedford twang...
But he lives in the 'Country" with a decent sized property...
I think the Wye strainer with magnet then if that is pickin' up stuff...
Add the company Magnet Strainer down stream from the Wye...
I like the concepts in the AquaMotion site...
http://aquamotionhvac.com/products/

 
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Sun. Oct. 17, 2021 12:39 pm

Anyone have some longevity experience with these ECM circulators?

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Oct. 18, 2021 1:56 am

I have one that has been in use for 5 years. No issues yet.

 
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Post by Freddy » Mon. Oct. 18, 2021 6:00 am

I'd like to see some magnetic studies and residual build up studies. Every electric motor runs on magnets.... either electromagnets, or in the new ones, permanent magnets. My gut reaction is that the old style electromagnets are not much different than the permanent magnets in strength..... they just use more electricity as they constantly use it to power the electromagnets.


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