Anybody recognize this pipe fitting for the Watts Automatic Air Vent?

[dogwood]

Does anybody know what type of fittings the Watts Series FV-4M1 Automatic Air Vent Valve is connected to in Figure 1 on page 2 of the attached link: http://www.plumbersurplus.com/pdf/01317.pdf. According to the installation instructions, air cannot be captured by the air vent if piped water is flowing, unless the vent is placed over the fitting pictured. I was planning to only to tee off the automatic air vents at my systems high points. Is it important to be venting from the high point vents when the water is flowing?

Mike

 

[tbsdolmar]

The picture is an air scoop. Several companies make these such as Taco.

 

[dogwood]

TBS Dolmar, I checked out the Taco air scoop. It only has a 1/8" inch fitting on top whereas this Watts air vent has a 1/2" inch fitting. I'll look around at other makes. Thanks

Mike

 

[RobC]

You can put the vents at high points with a sweat fitting that has a thread tapped into it. There not inexpensive but you don't need to put air scoops at all your high points. You can also use coin vents that will help you do your initial bleeding, you will still need the have a sweat X thread fitting. Your air scoop(s) should be more strategically places and you may want to look into a "spirovent" unit that does a better job of removing air and incorporates the air vent all in one unit. Many times you will drop a expansion tank off the bottom of air removing devise. There are threads on where to locate these units depending on your set up.
Rob

 

[dogwood]

Thanks Rob, I do have a Taco Air Separator for over my expansion tank, which is necessary as you say. Somebody at work recommended the Watts Automatic Air Vents for the high points in my system, so I purchased three of them with 1/2 inch male threads. Maybe it doesn't matter that they only function when the system is at rest. I'm using black iron threaded pipe so I guess I'll use threaded tees to install them. All the air scoops I found, including Watts, only take a 1/8 inch male thread. Maybe there is some other kind of pipe fitting like shown in the link, http://www.plumbersurplus.com/pdf/01317.pdf, or maybe you have to jury rig something if you are using a vent with larger than an 1/8 inch thread. Maybe one of the pros have seen something to make this vent work when the water is flowing. or maybe that is a superflous function I needn't be concerned with.

Mike

 

[tbsdolmar]

Whenever I put in a system, the only auto vent that I put on it is at the air scoop. If you use the pumping away setup and bleed the system through the boiler you will not have any air problems. Go to heatinghelp.com to learn about it. The main thing is put a tee off of your supply with a boiler drain and then a ball valve between it and the air scoop. Put your air scoop, auto vent and a tee with your expansion tank under the air scoop with the fast fill water feed going into the tee above the expansion tank. The circulator and flo-check goes next. To bleed shut off the main ball valve and open the boiler drain, turn on the fast fill and fill the system through the piping and into the boiler.