Munchkin Condensate Drain Failures

Tim Doran_4

I had a leak(CO) at the coupling on a 399. When I pulled it apart I foung the edge of the rubber rolled inward where it went onto the heat exchanger. I was told by HTP that this was absolutely impossible. Who do I believe? HTP or my lying eyes? Since last Thursday we have had 2 failed(disintegrated) swirl plates. One on a 6 month old 80 that we installed and one on a 199 that was installed last year by another firm. I went to play with the Tekmar 363 settings on a job today and found water under the 80m, another drain leak. The rubber is crumbling and this one is not high temp. It is a total radiant home with a design temp od 105f. What is next?

Tim D.

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Tim Doran_4

Munchkin Condensate Drain Failures

I have had 4 condensate drain failures on Munchkin boilers in the past few months. The molded rubber drain seems to be tearing away at the boiler connection. In some cases it looks as though the clamp is cutting through the rubber. Has anyone else seen this problem? I have 19 Munchkins in the field and am concerned that I may now have a CO liability on my hands. Any thoughts?

Tim D.

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R. Swatton

Failures

I have been priming the condensate traps before firing with a cup of water dumped into the exhaust. This will prevent hot exhaust pushing through the trap at first fire.

Rich Swatton

bobbyg_3

Tim,
I just had a Munchie that was about 4-yrs old and it's hose was eaten away at the connection to the boiler. It was the first one I had seen like that also. I was wondering what could've caused that to happen.
Anybody else?

Chas_2

munchkins

I have a few munchkins out there and i have yet to have any issues with the condensate trap but just about all of them i have installed are all set up for max temp on design day of only 160 ,could that traps be going due to high temp operation and losing the trap prime and the hot exhaust be wearing the rubber ,just an idea i'll have to check the few i have out there to be sure ,thanks for the post peace anbd good luck clamy

Tim Doran_4

Prime the traps

We also prime the traps before start up. It is posible yhat high temp operation could be causing a lack of condenstae. I am thinking of setting up a trap remote from the boiler with a large resivior to see what that does. If the unit can not sustain a trap seal in the high temp mode then there is a potential breach of the "sealed combustion" and I will have to rethink my product offering. I have several of another brand installed with no problems, even with large high temp loads like dhw production.

Tim D.

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Ted_5

Just like PVC

This is the way PVC will fail over time. Hot flue gases from boilers not running with low temps. The rubber is failing for the same reason! J.M.O.

Ted

Steve M_2

Vent coupling leaking

I installed my first Munchkin a couple weeks ago, a 199M. Everything went great except I was called back to a leak and found it was the vent coupling clamp. I tightened it and seemed to slow it down but still dripping. Is is a regular mission coupling or something special? I went ahead and order another one from our HTP sales rep. Any tricks here?

Steve

bobbyg_2

I received a call from a contractor customer yesterday who had the same thing this past weekend on a new install. He had one of those slinky-snake cameras. It was a pin hole at the clamp... Luckily, he had a retrofit condensate hose kit in stock to replace. Luckily, it was raised where he could get to it.

What is up with the hoses?