glenn stanton @ burnham MPO147

[tmd66]

I need to get some info on wiring a L7248c aquastat for 3 zones with circ's or if it is even possible without a relay panel. New MPO147 in and runs great and is not as loud as old unit.

[Edited by tmd66 on 10-24-2006 at 08:23 PM]

[glenn stanton]

Sorry for the delay in responding as I somehow missed this one. The L7248C has no provision for receiving a signal to operate for just the high limit circuit from an external zone. The only way multiple circulator zones can be operated is via an external circulator relay(s) with the dry contacts of that relay bringing on the L7248C thermostat circuit. Hope this helps.

[tmd66]

Thanks, I just put in a Taco SR504 EXP. Works GREAT!!
MPO 147 boiler is very Quiet. Alliance 40 gal. is also new and holds temp. great. Big diff. from my old weil mclain that was 30 years old with a domestic hot water coil. Thanks again Glenn.

[glenn stanton]

You are most certainly welcome and thanks again for thinking of Burnham.

[MA HOMEOWNER]

Glenn, I'm new to this whole board, but you have provided thoughtful responses to several questions, so I'm just jumping in here.

I had a service technician from my oil company come out today to give my Burnham V-83 oil-fired boiler its annual tuneup. He ended up not doing the tuneup, because he told me that I had a "cracked boiler" and there was no sense in tuning up something that was broken. I was just annoyed since the boiler is 6 years old. Sorry for the lack of tech-talk here, but here's my explanation of what he said. He flashed a light into the boiler through an opening at the top-front-left and indicated a "mass," for lack of a better term, around a pipe.

Not sure if he's trying to sell a lady a new boiler (which I don't expect to pay for, BTW!), but it's obvious to me something looks not quite kosher in there. After having our old, faithful coal-converted-to-oil boiler fail after something more than 40 years of service (we're only the 2nd family to own the house) and spending a small fortune for the new boiler and the asbestos removal associated with the old one, you can tell I'm not thrilled at another potential cash outlay.

Now, question 1) Service man told me the Burnham model I have was supposed to correct the problems a previous Burnham model had, but that he's been replacing the V83 frequently. What Burnham model did the V83 replace, and what is a recommended replacement for the V83? When he said he was replacing the V83 frequently, he didn't indicate whether he meant the oil- or gas-fired model. I would assume the oil, since that's what we're dealing with.

Question 2) Why would I want another Burnham model, given the short life of the V83 and the supposed problems with the pre-V83 model? What, if anything, has the company done to win or ensure customer goodwill? I understand having to pay labor costs, but I will go kicking and screaming before I shell out that kind of money again for equipment from the same manufacturer if there has been a problem that has gone unaddressed for others.

Awaiting your reply, and thanks in advance!

[MA HOMEOWNER]

Glenn, I'm new to this whole board, but you have provided thoughtful responses to several questions, so I'm just jumping in here.

I had a service technician from my oil company come out today to give my Burnham V-83 oil-fired boiler its annual tuneup. He ended up not doing the tuneup, because he told me that I had a "cracked boiler" and there was no sense in tuning up something that was broken. I was just annoyed since the boiler is 6 years old. Sorry for the lack of tech-talk here, but here's my explanation of what he said. He flashed a light into the boiler through an opening at the top-front-left and indicated a "mass," for lack of a better term, around a pipe.

Not sure if he's trying to sell a lady a new boiler (which I don't expect to pay for, BTW!), but it's obvious to me something looks not quite kosher in there. After having our old, faithful coal-converted-to-oil boiler fail after something more than 40 years of service (we're only the 2nd family to own the house) and spending a small fortune for the new boiler and the asbestos removal associated with the old one, you can tell I'm not thrilled at another potential cash outlay.

Now, question 1) Service man told me the Burnham model I have was supposed to correct the problems a previous Burnham model had, but that he's been replacing the V83 frequently. What Burnham model did the V83 replace, and what is a recommended replacement for the V83? When he said he was replacing the V83 frequently, he didn't indicate whether he meant the oil- or gas-fired model. I would assume the oil, since that's what we're dealing with.

Question 2) Why would I want another Burnham model, given the short life of the V83 and the supposed problems with the pre-V83 model? What, if anything, has the company done to win or ensure customer goodwill? I understand having to pay labor costs, but I will go kicking and screaming before I shell out that kind of money again for equipment from the same manufacturer if there has been a problem that has gone unaddressed for others.

Awaiting your reply, and thanks in advance!

[tinknocker service tech]

sorry to say but glen may not see this tread because it is so old

i would recommend you start a new tread with a similar heading and he will come along quicker

burham has a great customer policy and i am sure they will handle your concerns in a very professional fashion

also get a second opinion

[beenthere]

The V8, is the replacement for the V7.

If this guy has been replacing alot of V8's, it may be that he is installing them WRONG.

You had a monster old coal boiler, it was a gravity system. They hold alot of water, they have special piping considerations when replacing them with a boiler sized to the load of the house.
If its not piped proper, its a problem waiting to happen.

Burnham has a good reputation for standing behind their boilers.
Your boiler has a limited lifetime warranty on the block.
Don't let this tech sell you a new boiler.

[skippedover]

We see a lot of failed boilers due to improper piping. The V-7 had an inherent weakness in it and Burnham acknowledged that fact and came out with the V-8 series. I have heard of a limited number cracking, nothing like the V-7 problem but my opinion, having worked for an oil company for many years, is that the boiler was probably not piped to accommodate all the cold water that can be in the system. If you had an old coal boiler you likely have some large water pipes and cast iron radiators of some volume. That means there's a lot more water in the system than in a modern system and when that old circulator comes on, it just brings a lot of cold water streaming back to the boiler. The proper way to deal with that issue is to pipe the boiler with what's called primary/secondary piping. It takes a little more work and 1 additional circulator but it's worth every penny. Unfortunately, most oil companies don't do this and the results are sometimes not good. :mad:

[glenn stanton]

I am sorry to hear about your V83 problem. By your description, what your technician is pointing to is the supply pipe connection to the boiler. If you are seeing a "mass" or buildup at that connection, it could be something as simple as a leaking pipe connection. Regardless of where the "mass" is, our representative will want to get out to your home to inspect it. If it ends up having to do with a fault in the boiler, then we will stand behind it.

Your service persons comments regarding multiple cracking V8 boilers is rather out of proportion. I have only seen one cracked V8 hot water boiler and that had a tankless heater (maintaining 190°F) and was connected to a large mass radiator system with tons of cold return water. As indicated by another poster, these realities exist and there are various ways of piping into these systems to eliminate that from happening.

My recommendation, as would be any manufacturers, is to have your service company or whoever you have work on this boiler, contact his Burnham Distributor. They in turn will immediately put a call into their Burnham Representative. Depending on where you are in MA, that could be any one of four different representatives. He will arrange a jobsite visit and make a determination as to what is happening and what should be done about it. There are any number of things that are causing that buildup at the pipe fitting and speculating as to the cause without seeing it is just that...pure speculation. Discussing it here isn't going to get it fixed. Your service person should have made contact with us immediately when he saw this and it would have been remedied by now. Hope this helps.