Mart
Member
I want to entirely decommission my Kitec in-floor hydronic heating system, which I intend to replace with a mini-split multi-zone air-to-air heat pump system. I am looking for advice on how to best clear any residual water from the loops/tubes and I am hoping to be able to do that with an air compressor set as low as possible.
After recently discovering one fixture was developing a leak on one zone, that brass Kitec T-connection was recently adapted to connect the Kitec PEX-AL-PEX tubing (orange) to new fittings via small segments of PEX tubing (red). But the return Kitec fitting at the manifold also started dripping, so I figure it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the Kitec fittings started leaking, and also possibly, the Kitec tubes rupturing from dezincification. To minimize any risk of a catastrophic water problem, I have gravity-drained the radiant heating system’s four zones by shutting off the boiler power and main water supply, opening each valve (fill tubes above each valve), and draining at the manifold return via the drain tube (bottom right). The boiler now shows no pressure.
Would it be possible to cut the Kitec tubing zone-by-zone on the supply-side (above the valves), adapt each of those Kitec tubes to PEX, re-connect those PEX tubes to an air compressor, and then blow out any remaining water at maybe 50-70 psi through the return drain manifold? The Kitec tubing is stamped with a max 125 psi rating @ 180F and the Slantfin boiler is rated at max 50psi, although I expect the latter wouldn’t be engaged at all if my proposed “solution” might suffice.
Also, knowing that oxygen is the ultimate boiler-killer, I am curious if anyone can tell me how long I can let it sit empty without doing too much more harm than I might have already done by draining it as far as possible with the power off. Will a few months empty make much difference, in the event I should decide to salvage it to only heat my basement with the non-Kitec tubing (PEX, I think) that currently runs under the concrete, as opposed to the Kitec tubing that was used for the main floor and upstairs?
Any feedback would be GREATLY appreciated, and apologies if this is not the best forum for this thread.
After recently discovering one fixture was developing a leak on one zone, that brass Kitec T-connection was recently adapted to connect the Kitec PEX-AL-PEX tubing (orange) to new fittings via small segments of PEX tubing (red). But the return Kitec fitting at the manifold also started dripping, so I figure it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the Kitec fittings started leaking, and also possibly, the Kitec tubes rupturing from dezincification. To minimize any risk of a catastrophic water problem, I have gravity-drained the radiant heating system’s four zones by shutting off the boiler power and main water supply, opening each valve (fill tubes above each valve), and draining at the manifold return via the drain tube (bottom right). The boiler now shows no pressure.
Would it be possible to cut the Kitec tubing zone-by-zone on the supply-side (above the valves), adapt each of those Kitec tubes to PEX, re-connect those PEX tubes to an air compressor, and then blow out any remaining water at maybe 50-70 psi through the return drain manifold? The Kitec tubing is stamped with a max 125 psi rating @ 180F and the Slantfin boiler is rated at max 50psi, although I expect the latter wouldn’t be engaged at all if my proposed “solution” might suffice.
Also, knowing that oxygen is the ultimate boiler-killer, I am curious if anyone can tell me how long I can let it sit empty without doing too much more harm than I might have already done by draining it as far as possible with the power off. Will a few months empty make much difference, in the event I should decide to salvage it to only heat my basement with the non-Kitec tubing (PEX, I think) that currently runs under the concrete, as opposed to the Kitec tubing that was used for the main floor and upstairs?
Any feedback would be GREATLY appreciated, and apologies if this is not the best forum for this thread.