AMCImportant procedure to follow when filling the tank

When filling the bending tank and/or the straightening pvc pipe it is crucial that all air is out of the piping system before the heaters and pumps are left on without direct supervision. It was found that adding any substantial amount of tap water to the redesigned system, to fill either the tank or the pipe, allows small air bubbles to collect in the pipes. The small air bubbles, at first, are not an issue as they do not impede water flow through the system. After a number of minutes, however, the air bubbles coalesce into fewer big bubbles that do block the flow of water. Because of this, the tank should be emptied only when necessary. If it is crucial to empty the tank, then this procedure (and great diligence) should be followed when filling it again. If this procedure is not followed, chances are good that you will break one or more pieces of equipment!

1. Make sure the valves are in the correct positions to either fill the tank or the pipe. Refer to this page for the proper procedure.

2. It is best to let the water into the system slowly. Turbulent flow will allow for more air bubbles to collect on the insides of the pipes.

3. Fill the tank until it is close to the desired level

4. Close off all outlet valves to allow the pressure in the system to equalize to the pressure in the UConn water system.

5. One at a time, open the outlet valves quickly (including the vta valve) to force any air bubbles out. Close the valve and let the pressure build up again. Do this a number of times until you see little to no air coming out.

6. Close off the tap water inlet valve and turn off the water.

7. Open the in and out valves in the tank, plug in a water pump and keep your hand over the the outlet. Feel that there is a decent flow of water through the outlet. Keep your hand there for a number of minutes. If the flow drops at all, unplug the pump and prepare to expel more bubbles

8. If the flow doesn't drop, it would seem that many of the bubbles have been expelled. Turn everything off, wait a few hours, and then repeat steps 4, 5, 6, and 7 again. If the flow is consistently strong for 20 minutes it is safe to plug in the heaters. The warming of the water may help expel any stubborn air pockets as well.

9. Monitor the heaters for at least 30 minutes. Feel them to see if they are getting hot spots on the top at all. The heaters do feel warm after a number of minutes running but they should never feel hot. If they are hot, unplug them, leave the pumps to run for a few minutes until the heaters cool down, and then unplug the pumps and repeat steps 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 until you are sure the heaters and pumps are all working well.

10. Even when it is assumed that all is working well and there is no air in the system, it is important to occasionally open the vta valve, especially in the first few hours of filling the tank. As the air becomes less and less of a problem the vta valve should still be opened on occasion. It doesn't harm the system to open the vta valve so it's better to see if there's air than to just assume everything's working well.

11. Repeat the entire process each time any measurable amount of water is added from the faucet.