Weil McLain HE II boiler
#1
10-26-05, 04:51 AM
Weil McLain HE II boiler
I have a Weil McLain HE II boiler, it's about 8 yrs old, installed by me, all has been working well with it, however at the beginning of this heating season I have noticed the boiler is cycling on / off before the water temp setting or thermostat setting is met. It turns on, lights starts to heat runs for a min, or a few mins, it's inconsistant, gas shuts off, blower purges, system shuts off, and then restarts instantly and goes through it's cycle and lights and runs for a few mins again. Anyone have any ideas what is causing this?? How does the boiler verify that there is fire? I do not see a fire eye or anthing, just the ignighter. Any input would be of great help here, as I am lost at this point, oh I forgot to mention, first thing I did was replace the thermostat, so I could rule that out.
#2
12-02-05, 03:58 PM
Weil-McLain HEII
I'm new in the forum and I wish I had joined earlier so I could have replied. Sorry that this is so long and maybe too little too late but here goes:
I also have a Weil-McLain HE II and it has been doing the same thing on and off for three years now. The problem always seems that its the purge blower or the pressure switch, etc. but, ultimately, it's the control panel. The big problem is finding the exact replacement control panel. I didn't have much luck.
The first time around the tech tried two different generic control panels and within a day or two, I had to call him back because they weren't working. Finally, he got an exact replacement and it worked ok for a year or so.
Recently, the same problem started again. The tech said the problem was the control panel and he would try to get a replacement. In the meantime, I checked out the HE II on the web and found that Weil-McLain no longer makes the HE II. Great, huh? A boiler that's only 8 or 10 years old is already obsolete and the manufacturer drops it.
Anyhow, the tech came with an 'exact' replacement but then found that it stated in the instructions that it wouldn't work if the system used a Bell & Gossett pump, which mine did. He started talking about how it would require the addition of a relay and that he'd rather try to find another 'exact' match and I never heard from him again.
I limped along with the heater until, just yesterday, the same thing started and I couldn't get it running again using the usual methods -- tapping the control panel or wiggling the wires. I finally called a more reliable company and was told that , yes, it was the control panel and that it would cost about $500 to replace it.
Bottom line, I got so disgusted I told the service company to get rid of the HE II and install a new heater. I was tired of fumbling around with the various controls, tapping parts, having it start only to poop out 30 minutes later. Hope you make out better.
I also have a Weil-McLain HE II and it has been doing the same thing on and off for three years now. The problem always seems that its the purge blower or the pressure switch, etc. but, ultimately, it's the control panel. The big problem is finding the exact replacement control panel. I didn't have much luck.
The first time around the tech tried two different generic control panels and within a day or two, I had to call him back because they weren't working. Finally, he got an exact replacement and it worked ok for a year or so.
Recently, the same problem started again. The tech said the problem was the control panel and he would try to get a replacement. In the meantime, I checked out the HE II on the web and found that Weil-McLain no longer makes the HE II. Great, huh? A boiler that's only 8 or 10 years old is already obsolete and the manufacturer drops it.
Anyhow, the tech came with an 'exact' replacement but then found that it stated in the instructions that it wouldn't work if the system used a Bell & Gossett pump, which mine did. He started talking about how it would require the addition of a relay and that he'd rather try to find another 'exact' match and I never heard from him again.
I limped along with the heater until, just yesterday, the same thing started and I couldn't get it running again using the usual methods -- tapping the control panel or wiggling the wires. I finally called a more reliable company and was told that , yes, it was the control panel and that it would cost about $500 to replace it.
Bottom line, I got so disgusted I told the service company to get rid of the HE II and install a new heater. I was tired of fumbling around with the various controls, tapping parts, having it start only to poop out 30 minutes later. Hope you make out better.
#3
12-02-05, 05:26 PM
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JGPa
Your experience with Weil-McLain are exactly the same as mine. That is why I will not sell or install their equipment without a written waiver signed by the customer & stating I reccommended against a W/M.
#4
07-06-07, 05:40 PM
Weil-McLain HE II won't hold flame
Like you guys: an HE II, about 10 years old. Two years ago, started with the losing flame (after 5 seconds, a minute, 45 seconds), then the attempts to recycle, and sometimes fail on purge, sometimes elsewhere in the cycle, then lock-out and no heat or hot water. Tried plumbers who clearly didn't know the beast, and were in a try-this-or-try-that mode.
It's fixed! But in the meantime, some good resources.
1) Weil-McLain technical support.
Right. Why not? After messing with some local plumbers and other "experts," I needed real help. So long as I ID'd myself as a "contractor" in the first round of call screening, the guys there were great. Detailed. Several steps to go through to isolate the problem. (Phone number on the W-M website.)
2) The igniter. Check it carefully for resistance range.
The igniter also proves the flame--which means that any variance from the allowable range (45-75 ohms) will cause a misread. After all the cycling mine had done, I figured it was worth $20 or so to install a new one.
3) Finally: like others of you, in our case, it was the board. I'd even dismounted ours, gone over it with a fine-tooth, and repaired a cold solder joint. (That gave us about 2 months--then it went again.)
But you probably can't find (and don't want) a board replacement. Instead, look for Weil-McLain Kit Part No. 382-200-448. It's a replacement board (and from a different manufacturer).
I found the kit at a local major plumbing supply house. If you ask nice, you might find a professional discount, which can get the kit price below $170.
Also: check out the W-M service bulletin about circulators and load limits of the relays on this board:
http://www.weil-mclain.com/professionals/services/Bulletins/SB0012.pdf.
It's not a big deal (esepcially if you're already this far into the thing) to add a relay--if you've got one of the larger circulators.
As for the older board: it is old, in the sense of design and electronics. Not a lot of on-board diagnostics 15 years ago when it was designed. So if guys really don't know this boiler, they don't have a clue. The W-M tech guys helped me narrow the problems, and raise the probability that it was the board.
The local supply house agreed ahead of time they'd take the board back if it wasn't the issue. Course if the problem hadn't been the board, by then I'd have kicked the damned boiler--heat exchanger and all--clear across the county.
It's fixed! But in the meantime, some good resources.
1) Weil-McLain technical support.
Right. Why not? After messing with some local plumbers and other "experts," I needed real help. So long as I ID'd myself as a "contractor" in the first round of call screening, the guys there were great. Detailed. Several steps to go through to isolate the problem. (Phone number on the W-M website.)
2) The igniter. Check it carefully for resistance range.
The igniter also proves the flame--which means that any variance from the allowable range (45-75 ohms) will cause a misread. After all the cycling mine had done, I figured it was worth $20 or so to install a new one.
3) Finally: like others of you, in our case, it was the board. I'd even dismounted ours, gone over it with a fine-tooth, and repaired a cold solder joint. (That gave us about 2 months--then it went again.)
But you probably can't find (and don't want) a board replacement. Instead, look for Weil-McLain Kit Part No. 382-200-448. It's a replacement board (and from a different manufacturer).
I found the kit at a local major plumbing supply house. If you ask nice, you might find a professional discount, which can get the kit price below $170.
Also: check out the W-M service bulletin about circulators and load limits of the relays on this board:
http://www.weil-mclain.com/professionals/services/Bulletins/SB0012.pdf.
It's not a big deal (esepcially if you're already this far into the thing) to add a relay--if you've got one of the larger circulators.
As for the older board: it is old, in the sense of design and electronics. Not a lot of on-board diagnostics 15 years ago when it was designed. So if guys really don't know this boiler, they don't have a clue. The W-M tech guys helped me narrow the problems, and raise the probability that it was the board.
The local supply house agreed ahead of time they'd take the board back if it wasn't the issue. Course if the problem hadn't been the board, by then I'd have kicked the damned boiler--heat exchanger and all--clear across the county.
#5
07-06-07, 06:33 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Delaware, The First State
Posts: 12,674
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DocLocke
I'm certainly glad you got some help from W/M. Whenever I've called them, which granted has not been recently, they acted like I was talking about a spaceship or something besides one of their boilers. I've even had a local major distributor call them to no avail. Maybe they've gotten their act straightened out.
