Importance of knowing the "direction" of your flow


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Old 11-14-16, 07:07 AM
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Importance of knowing the "direction" of your flow

I post this tidbit in the hope that it will prevent someone else from making the mistake that made my weekend more exciting than most.

I have a oil fired hydronic heating system, employing both a Taco 007 Circulator and a Taco 220 FloChek.

Early Saturday, my circulator ceased moving water through the baseboard, and even though I could hear the circulator running, it was't moving water. In the past, I have just changed cartridges (sealed armatures with the appropriate impeller permanently installed). I haven't yet diagnosed what the problem was with the failing pump as it's hard to bench check these because they must have water inside them to lubricate the ceramic bearings.

This time, I didn't have a loose Cartridge in my inventory, so I thought I'd remove the cartridge from a new 007-F7 Pump and put it into my 007-F5 housing; but I discovered that the design of the impeller had changed, and the housing pressure chamber was deeper to accommodate the slightly larger impeller . . . . so I quickly changed out the entire Pump, replacing the 007-F5 with the 007-F7; and without paying attention to the flow direction clearly shown on the housing.

After doing so, I started the boiler back up and discovered that I still had no water movement. and started doubting everything I had done !

Late last night I discovered that I had installed my new circulator to "push" water UP to the living quarters instead of pulling water DOWN . . . . and this may not be a serious problem except, my Taco FloChek valve is designed in anticipation of the water moving in the opposite direction.

Taco assumes that those of us who need a "visual" will take the time to look at the pictures they've embossed in their products; but some of us don't bother to look at pictures and just assume that we know what we're doing. A simple comparison of the FLOW ARROWS (--->>) shown in the boilerplate of the two castings would have revealed that they were installed in opposing directions, so that my FloChek was preventing the water from moving up to the living quarters.

So, this morning, I pulled this new circulator and reinstalled it to PULL water down from the baseboard, and push it through the boiler and the FloChek valve, and then up to the living quarters. Now everything is working fine.

What a fool I was! It's important to realize that the induction motors in these Circulators are designed to rotate in only one direction, and reversing the wiring won't change that. To reverse the flow is a function of how you position the casting in your piping.

So now I'll try to diagnose what went wrong with my old 007-F5 Circulator; and here's hoping that someone can benefit from my costly (in time only) mistake.

Glad that this is happening in early November and not in the depths of February winter when we'll have temps down in the neighborhood of -40°F !
 
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Old 11-14-16, 11:53 AM
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Thanks for sharing. It sounds like a stupid mistake, but I'm sure I could easily do the same thing!
Steve
 
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Old 11-14-16, 03:27 PM
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Keep an eye on your circulator. Running it at shutoff head, which you did, can damage the pump due to overheating.
 
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Old 11-14-16, 04:46 PM
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Thanks . . . . that sounds like a very good reason not to delay in obtaining a spare cartridge for the 007-F7; just in case I did irreparable damage.

I didn't let it run very long before realizing something was awry; but I recognize that some aspects of these pumps are quite sensitive.
 
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Old 11-15-16, 05:29 PM
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Just for info. A centrifugal pump will pump water in the same direction no matter which way the motor and impeller rotates.
 
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Old 11-16-16, 09:51 AM
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As I mentioned at the beginning of this thread, I just replaced a Taco Circulator 007-F5 with a Taco 007-F7, and realized that the Impeller (and thus the Cartridge) is different . . . . the F7 Impeller is larger, deeper, and the blades are better reinforced along the outer perimeter of the Impeller.

Even the Pump Body of the 007-F7 is larger and deeper to accommodate the larger Impeller.

In looking for a spare Cartridge and Impeller for the Taco 007-F7, I find many supply houses suggesting that the same 007-042RP that fits the 007-F5 will also fit the 007-F7 . . . . I can't seem to find anyone who'll state what the correct Cartridge Part# is for the Taco 007-F7 "with confidence".

Can anyone here readily clarify what Part Number is used for the replacement Cartridge on the Taco 007-F7; as it CAN NOT be the same 007-042RP used with the older (and more popular) Taco Model 007-F5 ?
 

Last edited by Vermont; 11-16-16 at 10:17 AM.
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Old 11-16-16, 02:35 PM
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Go to supplyhouse.com for a parts list for all of the 007 series pumps.
 
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Old 11-16-16, 02:38 PM
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I'm too late to insert these pictures where they'd be more meaningful; but here they are anyway:

Here's the popular Taco 007-F5 (1/25th HP) Cartridge and its Impeller:




And, here's the newer Taco 007-F7 (1/30th HP) Cartridge and its more reinforced Impeller:



I'd like to obtain the Taco Part# for the 2nd Cartridge shown above.
 
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Old 11-16-16, 03:36 PM
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The newer cartridge looks like an improvement to me. I think the impellers are nylon, and I've noticed some wear when I've inspected mine. Perhaps the newer impeller is slightly more efficient, explaining the slightly lower motor hp rating?

The older version has 8 impeller vanes. How many does the newer one have?
 
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Old 11-16-16, 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by gilmorrie
". . . The older version has 8 impeller vanes. How many does the newer one have? . . ."
I'd answer that question right off . . . . except I installed my only such Impeller in the Boiler last Sunday (so it's currently pre-occupied) !

I think it remains eight (8) but I'm not sure.

I have also come to believe the Part# for the Taco 007-F7 Cartridge is 007-063RP; however, many suppliers continue to show a photo of the older 007-042RP . . . . so I continue to wonder.

I went to the supplyhouse.com that you were kind enough to recommend; but they were out-of-stock, and didn't show any pictures.

Looking at the 007-063RP (if that is correct) image I obtained and displayed above, it looks like 7 or 8 blades/vanes between the two sidewalls of the nylon impeller.
 
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Old 11-16-16, 05:17 PM
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In my opinion, a nylon impeller isn't the best material. Bronze would be better. Nylon won't corrode, but it will erode. But, it always comes down to dollars.
 
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Old 11-17-16, 05:06 AM
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Originally Posted by gilmorrie
". . . Nylon won't corrode, but it will erode . . ."


This was one I removed a few years ago. I don't know what kind of plastic material it was composed of; but it certainly did corrode a bit, and then it started making excess noise . . . . but it kept on working.

That noise gave me advance notice that something wasn't right, and I could plan the repair.

This last situation with an 007-F5 was silent; the Circulator was rotating; but it had ceased pushing (or pulling) any water, and the Impeller looks intact.
 
 

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