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Author Topic: Plumbing mystery  (Read 805 times)

Hawkmoon

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Plumbing mystery
« on: November 24, 2020, 12:54:53 PM »
Background: I live in a suburb that was the boonies when the house was built. I'm on a well. Water heater is an Amtrol external heater that operates like a heating zone off the boiler. Water heater was replaced about 12 years ago.

This morning I awoke and found that when I opened the hot water tap in the bathroom I got air mixed with dirty, rusty-looking water. Cold water ran clear and continuous. After running for several minutes, the hot water appears to have cleared up but it remains to be seen what's going to happen if I don't touch it for several hours.

I've looked in the basement and crawlspace and I don't see any sign of leaks.

Any thoughts as to what's going on?
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K Frame

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2020, 12:59:33 PM »
Yeah... and I'm afraid it's probably not good news. It sounds like that dirty, rusty water is actually water from your boiler, leaking into your water heater from a breach in the tank coil.
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Kingcreek

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2020, 01:08:57 PM »
Quote from: Mike Irwin on November 24, 2020, 12:59:33 PM
Yeah... and I'm afraid it's probably not good news. It sounds like that dirty, rusty water is actually water from your boiler, leaking into your water heater from a breach in the tank coil.
My first thought also.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2020, 01:28:21 PM »
Unfortunately, that was my first thought, too.
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K Frame

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2020, 01:45:36 PM »
I don't know if you can replace the coil in the Amtrol units or if you have to replace the entire unit. I'm not that familiar with them.
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K Frame

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2020, 01:55:05 PM »
OK...

I've looked at a couple of the Amtrol indirect-fired water heaters and it looks like all of them have a removable heat exchange coil, so hopefully you won't have to go through replacing the entire unit.
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Jim147

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2020, 02:30:32 PM »
Depending on the unit sometimes the labor puts cost of repair or replacement unit side by side.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2020, 04:13:39 PM »
Quote from: Mike Irwin on November 24, 2020, 01:55:05 PM
OK...

I've looked at a couple of the Amtrol indirect-fired water heaters and it looks like all of them have a removable heat exchange coil, so hopefully you won't have to go through replacing the entire unit.

Mike, where did you find that info?

I installed the one that's in there now. I'm half inclined to say it would be less work to replace the whole thing, but I don't know how the cost compares.
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K Frame

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #8 on: November 24, 2020, 04:21:01 PM »
Amtrol's products website for their indirect water heaters.

Not sure which model you have...

Premier: https://www.amtrol.com/product/premier/

Hydromax: https://www.amtrol.com/product/hydromax-indirect-fired-water-heaters/

Boilermate: https://www.amtrol.com/product/boilermate-indirect-fired-water-heaters/

But if you scroll down to the specs, all three say that the coils can be removed for service or replacement.

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Hawkmoon

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #9 on: November 24, 2020, 06:52:21 PM »
Mine is a Boilermate. But they have changed the design -- the connections for mine are on the bottom, and they are not easily removable for cleaning and servicing. I'm not sure they're removable at all -- don't remember.
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K Frame

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #10 on: November 24, 2020, 09:24:35 PM »
You need to call Amtrol with your serial number and model.

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Hawkmoon

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #11 on: November 27, 2020, 03:23:32 AM »
Good news! The water heater isn't leaking.



But ... I need a new boiler  :facepalm:
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K Frame

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #12 on: November 27, 2020, 09:19:25 AM »
Ah crap.

Sorry guy...
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Ron

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2020, 09:59:24 AM »
On a Holiday weekend no less ... sorry to hear that Hawkmoon.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #14 on: November 27, 2020, 10:52:07 AM »
God is good.

The service technician arrived this morning, and found that the leak wasn't the boiler after all, it was a pinhole in a copper elbow just outside the boiler. He replaced the elbow and things seem to be okay. I am greatly relieved, because I'm not really in a position to pay for a new boiler right now.
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griz

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #15 on: November 27, 2020, 11:00:49 AM »
I suspect you're one of the few genuinely thankful for black Friday!   ;)
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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #16 on: November 27, 2020, 11:55:14 AM »
Quote from: Hawkmoon on November 27, 2020, 10:52:07 AM
God is good.

The service technician arrived this morning, and found that the leak wasn't the boiler after all, it was a pinhole in a copper elbow just outside the boiler. He replaced the elbow and things seem to be okay. I am greatly relieved, because I'm not really in a position to pay for a new boiler right now.

Awesome!
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Kingcreek

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #17 on: November 27, 2020, 12:03:23 PM »
Quote from: Hawkmoon on November 27, 2020, 10:52:07 AM
God is good.

The service technician arrived this morning, and found that the leak wasn't the boiler after all, it was a pinhole in a copper elbow just outside the boiler. He replaced the elbow and things seem to be okay. I am greatly relieved, because I'm not really in a position to pay for a new boiler right now.
Great news!
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K Frame

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #18 on: November 27, 2020, 12:26:34 PM »
And that was the cause of the dirty rusty water coming from your hot water taps?

Great news, though!
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Plumbing mystery
« Reply #19 on: November 27, 2020, 01:52:46 PM »
Quote from: Mike Irwin on November 27, 2020, 12:26:34 PM
And that was the cause of the dirty rusty water coming from your hot water taps?

Great news, though!

I'm still trying to figure out how that happened. Somehow, at points in the cycle the pinhole must have allowed air into the system a,d the air moving through the system dislodged some sediment. I guess. I dunno. I found the tag on the boiler from when my mother had it installed -- 1985. So the boiler is 35 years old, along with all the piping associated with it.

I'll just have to see if it spits out any more air when I open a faucet. Meanwhile, I have two fans running to dry the basement floor.
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