Boilermate trouble code has me stumped!

Tom M.

Did the control have one button or three? If it has one button, there is a pre programmed post purge. The burner will be turned off before the setpoint then the circ will continue to run to draw residual heat from the boiler. However if this happens during a call for heat, the burner will continue to run and you may be overheating the tank. If there are three buttons, the post purge is programmable. Try setting it to 0 for the winter months and see if that helps. If the homeowners are always mixing cold with it anyway, you may be able to drop the setpoint 5 or 10 degrees without affecting their comfort and give some extra room before the 155 degrees.

The aquastat on the boiler keeps the boiler from making steam when there is a call for hot water but not for heat. If there is a call for heat, it is overriden by the tstat.
Hope this helps.

Tom M.

Ken C.

Did I miss anything?

I went on a service call today for a customer with an Amtrol Boiler Mate Classic with a digital-readout Smart Control. She had plenty of hot water, but was concerned because the digital display was reading “Er2” instead of “On.”

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with Amtrol’s Smart Control, and there was no manual available. I called Amtrol tech support and was told the “Er2” code means that the boiler water going to the indirect is higher than 155 degrees.

The customer has a steam boiler. It had a tankless coil that was abandoned for the Boilermate (installed 2 or 3 years ago). There is a circulator on the boiler supply to the indirect, and a check valve on the return.

Amtrol’s tech support guy said one possible reason for the error code is that there could be steam, instead of water, in the indirect’s heat exchange coil. The boiler tapping used to supply the indirect was 20 inches off the floor, whereas the halfway line on the boiler’s sight glass was 26 inches off the floor, so the indirect’s supply line should be under a good six inches of water.

I looked at the aquastat on the boiler. I didn’t take down the part number, but the label said it was designed to open at set temp, which was 165. I assume this aquastat was for the old tankless?

Anyhow, I raised the water level in the boiler a few inches, and turned the boiler’s aquastat dial down to 150, hoping this might help keep the temp of the water going to the indirect low enough to avoid the high-temp error code. I ran all the hot water fixtures in the house for a few minutes, and the error code went away (the Amtrol rep said the display would reset itself when then water temp fell below 155).

I’m not very familiar with Amtrol Boiler Mates, but get the feeling they are tricky to install with a steam boiler. Somehow, I have a feeling I’ll be going back to this call, so does anyone have any suggestions as to what’s going on?

Tom M.

A couple possibilities.

Did the control have one button or three? If it has one button, there is a pre programmed post purge. The burner will be turned off before the setpoint then the circ will continue to run to draw residual heat from the boiler. However if this happens during a call for heat, the burner will continue to run and you may be overheating the tank. If there are three buttons, the post purge is programmable. Try setting it to 0 for the winter months and see if that helps. If the homeowners are always mixing cold with it anyway, you may be able to drop the setpoint 5 or 10 degrees without affecting their comfort and give some extra room before the 155 degrees.
The aquastat on the boiler keeps the boiler from making steam when there is a call for hot water but not for heat. If there is a call for heat, it is overriden by the tstat.
Hope this helps.

Tom M.

Terry

is the check a swing or flow type?

IF no flow check is there - the Indirect may be getting ghost flow, thus overheating domestic water past 155F

my 0.02


EIN