Heating Help

My fave product

@ May 2, 2013 5:10 PM in Chemical for Cleaning Blocked Boiler heat exchangers?

Are you talking on the water or combustion side? The product I use to clean cast iron heat exchangers is a dolly to haul it outside and on to a truck to the scrap yard.  ; )

oops

@ April 14, 2013 11:55 AM in Radiator Hot, Thermostat Off WHY?? Triangle Tube Prestige Excellence

I wish I could have deleted my first post but don't know how. I didn't realize it was an Excellence. Heatpro and zman are right, get an expert in there. There isn't a PRV on the DHW and that is verrrry dangerous. You need a mixing valve and potable expansion tank too for the DHW. Also the heat side expansion tank looks like it's in the wrong place. It should be on the inlet of the boiler side because when the diverter valve is in DHW, it isolates the expansion tank and you have no thermal expansion protection. This is a pretty dangerous situation. Sorry I gave bad advice without really looking at the original post very well. Thanks for the backup Heatpro and Zman.

oops

@ March 28, 2013 9:17 PM in Help identifying what I've got

You're right Paul, just looked at an old manual. Been awhile since I've worked on a Munchie. I took a job and I've been doing more scorched error lately than boilers and I sure miss it.

Piping

@ March 28, 2013 8:53 PM in Help identifying what I've got

those tee's should be closer together and I like to have 12" of flow coming out of the tee before it 90's on the secondary loops. Also the primary pump should be pumping into the boiler, not out of the supply. I don't see a backflow preventer either.. Ice Sailor is right about the indirect piping, I would think it doesn't have the Vision Pro controller. If you repipe it it would be a good time to upgrade to the Vision Pro then you can have outdoor reset and domestic water priority. If you have cast iron drain pipes I hope there is a condensate neutralizer. Also do you know if the heat exchanger has been cleaned and a combustion analysis performed? Very important. I think you need someone familiar with correct piping, pumping and servicing the Munchkin boiler. I hope that didn't scare you too much. I've seen worse.

another picker

@ March 21, 2013 6:22 PM in I've always found better musicians here!

I've been pickin' bluegrass music since the early 70's. Was in a pretty good band back in the day called Blue Fungus, we will grow on you, as we used to say at gigs. I don't play out that often because there's so many great players along the Front Range of Colorado that actually practice. Paul, I will spare the banjo jokes but there's gotta be a joke waiting to happen involving a pipe wrench and a banjo.

Sorry 'bout your problems

@ March 7, 2013 9:45 PM in Munchkin Boiler

It looks like this is your first ever post on the Wall and though you are upset, it's not the best idea to visit just to slam equipment. If you want advice and help concerning your Munchkin, you've come to the right place. Most problems with boilers are installation related especially Munchkins and other boilers that use the same heat exchanger. If the installation manual is followed and it's piped, pumped and vented like the manual says, they are pretty dang reliable. Its not rocket science working on these units just the ability to read and having the right test equipment i.e. a combustion analyzer to do the service. Getting parts have not been a problem but I'm near a major city and if you're not, your service guy can get parts next day shipped from a supplier. Sounds like you need to find someone knowledgeable to help you out and you can do that by clicking "Find a Contractor" tab at the top of this page. Plus on this site you can get expert advice from the folks that visit this site and we can tell you why you're on your 3rd induced blower as well. If you want help, ask away!

check ground

@ February 18, 2013 7:05 PM in Intermitted gas furnance problem

Make sure you have a solid ground from the furnace junction box, to the service shutoff and to the main panel for openers.

Factory?

@ February 7, 2013 3:06 PM in Job pics!

So did the factory ask what your pressure drop was thru the system or did they just say it was OK with a baseboard system?

Trick

@ February 2, 2013 11:59 PM in Removing union nut / stem for replacement

I learned a trick i got here on The Wall on how to get the tailpiece out of the rad after cutting the nut off. Stick a socket that barely fits on the inside of the tailpiece to keep it from collapsing and use your pipe wrench. As far as the new tailpiece being shorter than the old one. If you have play up and down on the riser pipe, check out a Watts 65 angle radiator valve. It has the union on the bottom that goes on the riser and you can use the right size nipple to tie horizontally to the rad. Good luck!. http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=687

any luck?

@ February 1, 2013 9:08 PM in Removing union nut / stem for replacement

Just curious if you had any luck. I was going to reply but have been super busy. Let us know.

thanks

@ January 30, 2013 5:58 PM in Combustion analyzer reading

Well I was seriously thinking about buying a NOX filter so glad to hear that. Jim I took a combustion class years ago in Colorado Springs and didn't really gasp it at the time. Are you still putting on classes because I could use a refresher.

Idea

@ January 28, 2013 9:07 PM in New Gas valve receiving 24v wont open

This is not rocket surgery. Call back the company you used and tell them to send their top tech out. I would also be looking at the heat exchanger of that particular furnace and make sure it's not cracked before putting time and money into it. It's already twenty years old which is beyond the expected service life. I would recommend replacing it.

Thx Tim

@ January 28, 2013 8:58 PM in Combustion analyzer reading

Icesailor is right, that's what I was asking and thanks Tim for the explanation. Actually I have the new Bacharach InTech analyzer that I just purchased and liking it so far. Tim, I wish I lived closer and wasn't so busy or I would attend your class.

Eco Lyme

@ January 28, 2013 8:49 PM in Cleaning a heat exchanger

I just checked out the specs and its says it's OK for stainless steel. It sounds similar to Rydlyme which HTP recommended for cleaning munchie HX and I've had great results with it. It takes less elbow grease than CLR and didn't make the concrete of the mechanical room smoke : )

Combustion analyzer reading

@ January 24, 2013 8:45 PM in Combustion analyzer reading

Could someone explain what the CO(0) reading is on a combustion analyzer. In the manual it just says, CO referenced to %O2

thanks in advance!

oops

@ January 16, 2013 6:56 PM in New Gas valve receiving 24v wont open

I misread your earlier post when you said Honeywell small gray box. I should have know that Goodman has never used Smart Valves.

ignitor assembly

@ January 16, 2013 6:03 PM in New Gas valve receiving 24v wont open

Was the ignitor assembly replaced when the Smart Valve was replaced?

Serviced

@ January 6, 2013 8:11 PM in Trinity boiler error code

When was the last annual service and heat exchanger cleaning performed?

Congrats

@ December 21, 2012 1:08 AM in Burnham Alpine vs Weil Mclain Ulta vs Triangle Tube Trimax Solo

Pics please.

Labor talk

@ December 9, 2012 10:53 PM in labor hrs

Talking about how much labor it takes for an install is about like talking pricing. It's different for every scenario, very seldom do i do a change out without repiping the entire mechanical room and adding all new components. I don't think I could do a quality change out in 15 man hours, maybe in an ideal situation but that doesn't happen often. The pic in my attachment took me a full week and a 1/2 day after dismantling a 14 section behemoth and a full day commissioning it and a 1/2 day waiting on the building inspector.. Call me old skool but I believe in craftsmanship but not saying you don't either.

Thanks Mark

@ December 9, 2012 4:25 PM in primary secondary schematic

I see these errors in a lot of boilers I service by other companies. The manuals really should point out those critical pipe distances between tee's, 90's etc.

Rothenberger

@ November 19, 2012 11:33 PM in propress

I'll have to vouch for the Rothenberger. It can get into tight spaces and it seemed to not torque the pipe as you are pressing the fitting, making the pipe run crooked. If you talk to manufacturers reps of particular brands, most will give you a loaner to check 'em out.