plumbing to the front of an EFM 520?

 
Soupy6914
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Post by Soupy6914 » Tue. Feb. 27, 2018 7:23 pm

So my question is, can you plumb the return side to the front of the boiler as opposed to the rear? i see that it is plugged off with 11/2" plugs. The reason i ask is it will make my install a lot cleaner and less cramped if you know what i mean. I'm attempting to tie into the existing plumbing and to do so i need some valves to isolate the oil boiler from the coal boiler
thanks.
Scott


 
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Tue. Feb. 27, 2018 7:37 pm

I can't imagine that the water will know the front from the back......

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Tue. Feb. 27, 2018 9:16 pm

Thats why there's a plug there, so you can do it your way. Run a short nipple and a TEE with a drain cock opposite the nipple and plumb from the TEE at 90°. That way the boiler can be drained, the valve removed and the belly can be rodded out. Hopefully decades away but it's the right thing to do.

 
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Post by CoalJockey » Tue. Feb. 27, 2018 9:26 pm

I don't see any problem with plumbing into the front of the boiler, just keep in mind that the most typical place for the aquastat is at the rear so you may see some temperature variance between the gauge reading and the aquastat setting. Perhaps the well near the front could be used for the aquastat if it is not too small.

Most importantly just dont forget to have a bypass of some sort, that is key to keeping a more even water temperature throughout the entire boiler. On one of the 520s that we run on the property we actually plumbed a pumped bypass into one of the front outlets.

 
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windyhill4.2
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Tue. Feb. 27, 2018 9:40 pm

I have no bypass on mine, but 1 circulator runs constantly.

 
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Post by CoalJockey » Tue. Feb. 27, 2018 9:48 pm

Right, the system at my old place runs just like yours. Sort of one big constant bypass. :)

 
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Tue. Feb. 27, 2018 9:52 pm

CoalJockey wrote:
Tue. Feb. 27, 2018 9:48 pm
Right, the system at my old place runs just like yours. Sort of one big constant bypass. :)
Well... like this :?:
My 1 circulator that runs constant is hooked to about 600' of pex,it runs thru 2 water to water plate exchangers (1 each in 2 houses) b4 returning into the boiler. :)


 
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 6:20 am

Just my opinion, but I think those plugs are there to allow the boiler to be cleaned - not because you should connect the returns there. It will work, but remember that pumped water always takes the path of least resistance. I think you will end up with a lot more flow up around the sides of the firebox rather than through the heat exchanger in the back.

For maximum performance and efficiency, I would pipe off the returns on the back. Considering the space required for the flue pipe, there should be plenty of room for the returns.

 
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Post by Soupy6914 » Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 8:02 am

The flow through the heat exchanger was my concern and thoughts. I will find a way to make it work out the back.
Thanks

 
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Post by Pacowy » Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 8:22 am

Soupy6914 wrote:
Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 8:02 am
The flow through the heat exchanger was my concern and thoughts. I will find a way to make it work out the back.
x2, and thanks to Rob for rowing against the tide. On the front they are "flush plugs", and on the back they are the returns. And if possible both returns should be used, for the same heat exchange reason that you use the tappings on the back.

Mike

 
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 9:14 am

Pacowy wrote:
Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 8:22 am
x2, and thanks to Rob for rowing against the tide. On the front they are "flush plugs", and on the back they are the returns. And if possible both returns should be used, for the same heat exchange reason that you use the tappings on the back.

Mike
Well,Rob ain't rowing against my tide....
I had actually started typing more to my first post,as i was thinking that while water didn't know the front from the back, i was thinking that somehow it wasn't the best choice to return in the front. For some reason i was thinking that the front ports were higher in the boiler than were the rear ports & would result in improper mixing. I pulled up some pics of the boiler & the front & rear ports are at the bottom... so i didn't put more thought into it & just cut my post short.I personally am glad that Rob brought this point up... it verified what my subconscious common sense was trying to tell me. :)

 
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Post by Scottscoaled » Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 7:46 pm

I would think that the hotter water in the exchanger would naturally rise to the top and would be displaced by the cooler water in the front.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 7:54 pm

If you let it gravity flow, yes. If you pump it, no.

 
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Post by Scottscoaled » Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 8:43 pm

If what you are saying is true, then there would be no reason to have anything other than the exchanger if it was piped from back. I think you would have to have massive flow for it not to work like I suggest. As you suggest, the water would only flow up thru the shortest path between the two outside set of plates to the top. Your way is without heat added.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 8:45 pm

Look up the changes that have to be made to convert a gravity hot water system to a pumped system.


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