Free checklist
Air and dirt separator annual maintenance checklist
The annual air and dirt separator service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IMC (mechanical code), manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 3
- Photos required
- 4
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The hydronic service tech on the annual mechanical service, isolating the separator to clean the internal element and service the vent.
When in the schedule
Once a year, paired with the rest of the loop service, the pass that opens the separator to clean the coalescing medium the quarterly blowdown can't fully clear.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Internal element
- 2 photos
Coalescing element cleaned or replaced
Separator isolated and drained, the internal coalescing medium pulled and cleaned or replaced per the instructions, magnetite and sludge flushed from the body before it closes back up.
Vent and connections
- 1 photo
Air vent serviced and connections resealed
Automatic air vent cleaned or rebuilt, float and seat seen releasing air and reseating dry, flange gaskets and threaded connections resealed with no weeping on refill.
Refill and pressure
- 1 photo
System refilled, vented and pressure confirmed
Loop refilled and vented at the high points, isolation valves returned fully open, system pressure and expansion-tank charge confirmed in their normal band with the make-up not running on.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Element left in place and only blown down, so a medium packed with magnetite and sludge keeps shedding dirt back into the loop.
- Separator isolated for service and the isolation valves left throttled or the vent capped afterward, so air collects with nowhere to go.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 4 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this air and dirt separator annual checklist cover?
- 3 items across 3 sections, covering internal element, vent and connections, refill and pressure. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The hydronic service tech on the annual mechanical service, isolating the separator to clean the internal element and service the vent.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, paired with the rest of the loop service, the pass that opens the separator to clean the coalescing medium the quarterly blowdown can't fully clear.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 4 of the 3 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a air and dirt separator annual inspection?
- Element left in place and only blown down, so a medium packed with magnetite and sludge keeps shedding dirt back into the loop. Separator isolated for service and the isolation valves left throttled or the vent capped afterward, so air collects with nowhere to go.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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