Munchkin Boiler

grindog

Ther has been alot of things said about munchkin on this forum but i have had not had a single problem with this boiler yet. We have about ten of them running at the moment and a few more ready to install. As with any high tech piece of equiptment there can be problems and what you are inquiring about has and probably will happen. HTP has great tech support and you will enjoy your purchase.

Mark_46

Munchkin Boiler blower motor

I have read some info online from Munchkin owners that the blower motor is prone to failure (multiple failures, same boilers) and has to do with condensation on the intake side. Heat Transfer has since added a diverter to eliminate this?

I am considering matching a Munchkin with a Unico miniduct air handler and go the hydro air route for heat. Any thoughts/info on the blower reliability issue?

Mark_46

Munchkin Boiler blower motor

I have read some info online from Munchkin owners that the blower motor is prone to failure (multiple failures, same boilers) and has to do with condensation on the intake side. Heat Transfer has since added a diverter to eliminate this?

I am considering matching a Munchkin with a Unico miniduct air handler and go the hydro air route for heat. I have heard and read nothing but good things about the Munchkin up to this point. Dont want to 'buy into' a chronic problem. Any thoughts/info on the blower reliability issue?

Mark_46

Anyone online now have any info?

Alan(OnVacationInOregon)Forbes

Keep on grinning..........

dog; I wish I could. I've had two blower failures; make that three. I just got a call from a contractor who's house was where we just installed a Munchkin T-80M boiler that served DHW and heating. He said his boiler is flashing the dreaded E13 code.

It takes me 4 hrs. to replace the blower on a Munchkin (call me slow), but it's a big pain in the butt and I'm angry the whole time. I'm asking myself, "What the hell am I doing replacing a blower on a brand new boiler"? My customer is ask me the same thing.

Keith_8

4 hours?

That stinks.

We just installed (2) 399M,s.

On the initial commisioning we discovered one had a an issue with the blower motor. We are going to swap it out on Monday. That's 4 hours labor that was not part of my estimate. Not to mention the lost opportunity cost.

Keith

Alan(OnVacationInOregon)Forbes

Flase alarm

but maybe someone can explain. There are two molex plugs to the blower; one of them has white-black-red-blue wires; once unplugged, the blower came on; plugged it back in and the blower turned off with another E13 read-out. Unplugged it once more and the blower came on; plugged it in again and voila, the boiler started working.

????????????????????????

brucewo1b

Alan

I have also heard that there can have bad connection at the molex plug and doing what you did ie unseating and reseating the plug takes care of the problem

Wayco Wayne_2

The wall hung models

have both vents coming out of the top. There was a problem with water getting in the combustion air pipe and dripping on the blower motor. (D'oh!) Call HTP and they will send you little baffles that take 2 minutes to install in the boiler that will protect the blower motor from this. The new boilers come with them already on. Changing the blower motors is a royal pain in the tushie. I think HTP should come out with a Munchkin tool kit that provides specialized tools to expediate certain repairs. They should give me one for free fo thinking of it for them. Hmmmmmm. WW

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Mark_46

model differentiation

Gents, thanks so much for the replys so far. But I wasn't aware the wall hung model's vent locations differ from the floor standing models? Is the condensation problem only limited to the wall hung models?

Wayco Wayne_2

Yes

as far as I know. WW

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Alan(OnVacationInOregon)Forbes

Munchkin

Thanks for the info., Wayne. I'm with you on the tools; those allen head screws facing away from you with about 1" clearance are the worst; I use needle-nose vice grips from the side of the head.

Paul Rohrs

Time consuming project

changing out the blower assemblies. I take off the whole "J-tube" air arm/blower assembly off of the HX. Then I can use some long (7") T-wrenches running through the blower housing down to access those allen screws. It really saves me a lot of time. I think I can change one in a hour or so now. I can empathize, my first one took several hours.

Start with the 4 screws separating the gas inlet from the gas valve, then the two torx screws that hold the gas valve and venturi inlet from the blower housing. Then, it only takes a short time to remove the nuts from the front of the air arm and HX. Then the whole blower assembly comes up and out. The long Tee Handled Hex wrenches slide down parallel to the blower housing, down to the 4 allen screws.

Sincerely don't want to come across as a know-it-all, but this works for me when I do the blower-assembly-ectomy.

Regards,

PR

PS- HTP, I would love it if you would switch back to the phillips head screws attaching the gas-pipe inlet to the gas-valve. The allen heads seem REALLY easy to strip.

Biggerstaffradiantsolutions.com

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

tom_49

Alan,
Could it be a power problem? You do live in a state known for them.

A friend of mine had a blower go bad on him on Nantucket, the next day the place is losing all sorts of electronic gear. Problem, bad power.

Just a thought.

Guy_6

Munchkin

Paul has the right idea: It's a lot easier to work on these with the entire assembly in your lap. It also gives you a peek into the combustion chamber.

zurnie

blower motor

I replaced my first motor on a T80 because of no baffle on the intake side which has now being fixed. It took 45 minutes including cleaning the heat exchanger, spark and flame senser to have it running again. Must use a 5/16 9" T handle allen wrench and insert under fan cover with the burner assembly removed. The correct tools make the job very easy.

Hydrosteve

munchkin

Have been putting in Munchkins before they were on the market. Have at least a hundred out there. The condensate has to be perfect. The flue cannot trap. The CO Has to be dialed in or you may may have blower, gas valve, burner, problems. I have several blowers that are on there third try with the boiler, it takes me no more than 15 minutes to change them out. Four hours? Am jumping ship to Buderus, not a single problem yet.

B. Burke

hydrosteve

Just wondering if your installs are done as fast accordingly as your fan blower changeout........If so I wouldn't want you installing one for me "too many errors happen in times of haste"
Reguards BB.

CAB13

Code issue

I just installed a new board on a 140MR1 Munchkin Boiler and when I turned it on I am getting a E02 code. No where in the book does it show how to reset that code. Any ideas?

CAB13

Code issue

I just installed a new board on a 140MR1 Munchkin Boiler and when I turned it on I am getting a E02 code. No where in the book does it show how to reset that code. Any ideas?

BobC

maybe

About Munchkin boiler I know nothing, but molex connectors can be iffy depending on which series they use. If you can reach the wire side of it easily wiggle each wire to see if you can identify the bad connection, it could also be a bad solder connection if the mate to that connector is board mounted. And my favorite is when they don't strip the wire before the pin gets crimped on, those get intermittent real quick.



Bob

Jr_12

questions and answers

If it hasn't been said before...The E02 is generally associated with a new control that has not been programmed properly.

I cannot fathom how it takes four hours to change a blower motor on any of these units...does this include a three hour nap in the change out? I wouold also love to see what the blower motors looked like when they were pulled out. Are there obvious signs of corrosion and such?

hatemymunchkinboiler

for ever $1 you save on the gas cost you pay $2 for repairs on munchkin boiler

I wish I never heard of this munchkin boiler. I should have gone with an old fashioned boiler that most plumbers can fix. This thing not only needs a specialist, but it is also a painful process to find the parts for it. Right now we have been without heat for 4 days because of the time and efforts (not to speak about the price) to find and receive the parts needed. We owned it for 8 years and are at our third blower motor. For the price you pay to purchase and install this, it should have its own repair person on call. We are definitely looking to replace it before it does this again to us!. once we can save the money for new boiler.

Slimpickins

Sorry 'bout your problems

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!

Steve Whitbeck

Blowers

IF you are loosing blowers on a regular basis YOUR boiler is NOT installed properly. VENTING and draining are the most important parts. If the boiler holds water it will destroy the refractories and you will get F09's, (The flame rods will be red in color). If the boiler is not vented properly and you are getting exhaust gas reversion you will take out the blowers and electronics. ( the electrodes will be white in color) I ALLWAYS separate the two pipes ( I never use concentric ) by at least 18 inches vertically. When you take the cover off the boiler what does the aluminum parts look like, nice and shiny or dull. I am betting yours are dull. acidic exhaust gasses attack the aluminum and dull the finish. I have the original red cover Munchkins still running with no isues since I started working on them 8 years ago.

JoeM

Munchkin T80 shuts off

Thanks for the help on so many levels of reading replies. I just want to give out a solution that perhaps has not been discovered yet to a problem of my burner shutting down and leaving an error code. It's been almost a year and this seems to have solved the problem.

1st problem

My blower was noisy and I replaced it taking the whole J arm off was an easy way to replace this took me about 25 minutes and I am a novice.



The 2nd problem with the shut down was due to my burner being clogged.I replaced switches and sensors and to no avail.  I did not find any place in the literature on how to clean it. I was afraid to use something to caustic on the cloth sheath around the burner.  I am a mechanic from the old school and ruled out carburetor cleaner initially. I did use brake clean on it and blew it out with compressed air.  I read all the posts on this problem but for me this was what fixed it for me.  I hope this helps someone else.

Jones2109

Controller / Board Replacement

I have a 140MR1 with the original 925 Control Board. I had the blower go out and noticed that the display display board is bad. The Controller was working fine prior to the Blower motor dying. Is there a way to determine if the problem is the display or the controller? I would prefer to just replace the display if at all possible.



On another subject, has anybody tried replacing the blower motor with one from NTI. Both have the exact same sub assembly number (RG148/1200-2612). The NTI part is over $100 less.



Thanks

Jones2109

Controller / Board Replacement

I have a 140MR1 with the original 925 Control Board. I had the blower go out and noticed that the display display board is bad. The Controller was working fine prior to the Blower motor dying. Is there a way to determine if the problem is the display or the controller? I would prefer to just replace the display if at all possible.



On another subject, has anybody tried replacing the blower motor with one from NTI. Both have the exact same sub assembly number (RG148/1200-2612). The NTI part is over $100 less.



Thanks