Greenwood 100 Post Power Failure - Help!

[antos_ketcham]

Wouldn't you know it? The generator I have had on order since December and was supposed to be installed Friday didn't come - is coming next week. And then we have an ice and wind storm and for the first time since I have had the GW 100 I had the power fail.

I watched helplessly as the temp. gauge rose to 240 degrees and great boiling sounds erupted and my glycol began spilling out of the expansion tank. The float vent began steaming as well. This went on for some time. The power came back on for a few hours only to go off again. My glycol boiled off. I added what I had left and almost got it back to where it was supposed to be. In the process I noticed that the sight glass on the expansion tank was cracked.

It is supposed to get cold tonight and I'd like to get the boiler going again now that power is back.

Okay - so here is what I need to know:

Any risks to starting it back up at this point?

The manual says that the aquastat and pump on the back of the unit "could be damaged".

Any thoughts or advice our there for me.

Thanks.

Pete

 

[steam man]

You should be able to jump across the aquastat terminals to check the pump operation. You can also take the aquastat off and put it in a pot of heated water on the stove. Then use a multimeter to check for switch closure at the correct temperature. I'm betting your ok.

 

[Eric Johnson]

If it only got up to 240, you should be OK. If nothing is leaking and the boiler holds pressure, then I'd fire it back up with a very small fire and see how it goes. As steam man says, you should probably test your pump before you start a fire. Just bypass the aquastat and make sure that it still runs. Be sure your system is full of water and vented before trying the pump.

The most likely candidates for damage would be the expansion tank bladder and any pex you have in your system. If it holds pressure, then both are probably OK. If you had to refill, make sure you bleed all the vents.

 

[antos_ketcham]

If it only got up to 240, you should be OK. If nothing is leaking and the boiler holds pressure, then I'd fire it back up with a very small fire and see how it goes. As steam man says, you should probably test your pump before you start a fire. Just bypass the aquastat and make sure that it still runs. Be sure your system is full of water and vented before trying the pump.

The most likely candidates for damage would be the expansion tank bladder and any pex you have in your system. If it holds pressure, then both are probably OK. If you had to refill, make sure you bleed all the vents.

Thanks Eric.

here are a couple of clarifying questions.

1) How do I know it is holding pressure?

2) How do I vent it after I refill it?

3) How would I know if the expansion tank bladder is damaged? I didn't think the little open system expansion tank had a bladder. It has an open hole in the top where you add glycol.

4) The only pex I have is the line from the expansion tank to the boiler and it seems okay.

Thanks for your help. Burning stuff I am expert at, plumbing - still a novice.

Pete

 

[Donl]

If it only got up to 240, you should be OK. If nothing is leaking and the boiler holds pressure, then I'd fire it back up with a very small fire and see how it goes. As steam man says, you should probably test your pump before you start a fire. Just bypass the aquastat and make sure that it still runs. Be sure your system is full of water and vented before trying the pump.

The most likely candidates for damage would be the expansion tank bladder and any pex you have in your system. If it holds pressure, then both are probably OK. If you had to refill, make sure you bleed all the vents.

Thanks Eric.

here are a couple of clarifying questions.

1) How do I know it is holding pressure?

2) How do I vent it after I refill it?

3) How would I know if the expansion tank bladder is damaged? I didn't think the little open system expansion tank had a bladder. It has an open hole in the top where you add glycol.

4) The only pex I have is the line from the expansion tank to the boiler and it seems okay.

Thanks for your help. Burning stuff I am expert at, plumbing - still a novice.

Pete

Normally most Greenwood installations are open, therefore, if so, you don't have to worry about holding pressure and your expansion tank should not have a bladder and it will vent on it's own.

Good Luck!
Don

 

[Eric Johnson]

Yep!

 

[antos_ketcham]

So I had a neighbor/friend who is the plumber who set me up come over and help me get back online last night. Things seem to be working alright. My only issues/concerns are -

1) Knowing that I have the right amount of fluid in the boiler. The plumber seemed to think there was "enough" but I am stickler for preciseness. How do I know for sure. Can I add more via the open expansion tank or do I need to fill via the float valve? If the latter, can this be done with the furnace warm or do I need to let it go out and drain the whole thing to know what I have?

2) I am getting the sound of air in the system as it goes through the circulating pump. How can I bleed this out?

Thanks.

Pete

 

[slowzuki]

Usually in a closed system there is a vent. In an open one you just circulate the system. You may wish to review some of the air sealing threads on here for the Seton/greenwood style units. Your damper should be able to shut the fire down in a power failure.

 

[DKerley]

Sorry to hear about the boil over. FYI, on my installation, I have a battery and inverter set up to supply power to the greenwood in the event of a power failure. The inverter keeps the circulation pump, damper, etc. functioning. To dump off the heat in the boiler, I have a loop above the boiler made of baseboard fin that has a zone valve wired to open with loss of power. So far, this has worked during testing and during some very short power failures.

Additionally, I have all of the essential house circuits wired to a generator transfer switch to allow me to use a generator to run the house in the event of a longer term power outage.

Cheers