Moving Boiler Lines Opinions

[chris.cavage]

Our house was built in '73 and had electric baseboards.

We had a two car garage evidently then.

When they added hot water baseboards and an oil burner in our garage, they divided the garage down the middle with a partition wall to close off the room with the tanks and burner.

The plumber ran the pipes very low below the ceiling - they are always bumped. Sometimes I hit my head off of them also!

I removed the partition wall and want to build a laundry room downstairs finally, so I would like to move the pipes into the ceiling.

We have two zones in our home.

There are 4 total lines that I'd need to move. One is a 3/4 in copper feed line, two are 3/4 in copper return lines back to the burner.

The fourth is a 1 inch copper feed line that makes me wonder a few things.

First of all, the 1 inch feed line runs about 20 feet across my garage ceiling (as all the other pipes do), and then it tee's off into two 3/4 inch lines.

I was going to cut all the lines and use an oxygen barrier pex - then meet them back up with the copper on the other end of the garage.

Why is there a 1 inch copper line? Can I reduce the 1 inch line to 3/4 right away and just tee off for the other 3/4 feed?

I'm assuming they did the 1 inch for a reason: to fill both 3/4 lines that are tee'd. But is it necessary?

One reason I was wondering if I can just use 3/4 pex is because I cannot find a 25 ft stretch of 1 inch oxygen pex anywhere!

Thanks for any feedback. I'm new to these forums and find them great!

One person had already recommended I keep the 1 inch line, but to find the pex I need somewhere.
I was also going to use SharkBite push fittings a various points where using a flame is not the best. The SharkBites are supposed to be ok for hydronic heating uses.

Anyway, I appreciate the advice.

 

[hj]

There are a couple of confusing things.
1. If the 1" line breaks into two 3/4" ones, they have to merge together again since there is only one 3/4" line going back to the boiler from them.
2. Why is there a "by pass" between the feed and return, because all that would do is let the flow short circuit and avoid going through the boiler. It would make "some sense" if this were a steam system but not for hot water.

 

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[chris.cavage]

I am no plumber but wondered the same thing: why would they tee it off and then return to 3/4 for the return? My first thought was: a 1 inch line is better to allow both 3/4 feeds to circulate water faster/more efficiently. But, then I realized there was a 3/4 return. So I figured that would negate that.

Not sure where the bypass is that you are referring to. Can you tell me where that is?

Thanks.

 

[chris.cavage]

Here is another picture showing the lines where they tee.

 

[hj]

The bypass is the 1" line, with a valve on it, that comes out of the feed, above the boiler, and then connects directly into the return just before it connects to the boiler.

 

[chris.cavage]

I see. Thanks for getting back to me.

So the vertical black pipe that comes up out of the boiler is the supply, correct? The supply SENDS the heat from the boiler into the baseboard systems. My vertical supply then breaks off into two zones: the 3/4 in pipe and then the questionable 1" pipe. Do I have that correct?

Can you think of a good reason why they would use that 1" pipe, even though there is a 3/4 return on that line?

With all this being said, can I just reduce to 3/4 right after that zone's shutoff and then tee off where it is now with the 3/4 pipe?

Also, do you have an opinion on using SharkBite push fits? Their site says they are approved for hydronic systems, but I'd like a professional's opinion.