Re: Re: Re: Polybutylene caused 2 boilers to go in 9 years. Help !


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Posted by Tony Conner, TBP Industrial Steam Systems on January 08, 1998 at 16:56:11:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Polybutylene caused 2 boilers to go in 9 years. Help ! posted by J Boulanger on January 08, 1998 at 14:39:47:

:
: : : According to all of the experts and technicians I have had, the polybutylene plumbing in my 9 year old home is the reason I have just installed my 3rd furnace. The class action suit people say no help because the pipes don't leak.

: : : I cannot keep installing new furnaces at this rate. Can anyone give me any information or suggestions?

: : J: This is a new one to me. What is the reason you're being given? Tony

: One technician is telling me that my polypipes are
: letting air into my system which is oxidizing and
: forming barnacles on my domestic coil causing
: the boilers to develop holes or splits.

: Another one is telling me I have bad water
: causing sediment and barnacles in my system.
: I have a water filtration system in my house and
: have had the water tested which shows
: acceptable levels.

: Another says it's a combination of water, pipes,
: and poor quality steel boilers. The latest boiler is
: cast iron, but I'm told this will only last a little
: longer than the steel.

: Any suggestions?

J: Dan Holohan's book "How Come?" specifically mentions polybutylene as a flexible plastic tubing material that has been used for radiant in-floor heating for over 25 years. I think that (at best)you're being given poor informatation. Does the relief valve on your system regularly discharge small amounts of water? If it does, then your system is not likely installed properly. If you have this symptom, I think that the oxygen that's causing your corrosion is coming in as dissolved air in the make-up water. That won't happen if it's piped correctly. Check that you haven't lost the air charge in your expansion tank. The proper piping arrangement is: boiler, short section of pipe to circ pump. In this short section of pipe is the air separator. Off the air separator should be another short section of pipe that goes to the expansion tank. Between the tank and the air separator will be the make-up water feeder. The location of the make-up water connection is REALLY important. You can live with some of the other things, but this feed point is critical. The tank is the "point of no pressure change". If the make-up water is piped in close to the tank, the pressure reducing valve in that line can't be affected by the circ pump. Let me know how you make out. Tony.


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