Replace Peerless or install Prestige and fork over another $4k?

Dick Charland

If I may ask, where are you located? I work for the Peerless rep in New England.

Gaylyn

We have had a four year saga with our Peerless Pinacle PI-140 - one replacement, three fans replaced, it whistles like an ugly sounding bird, and now it has to be reset almost daily. The supplier is giving us this option: He will replace the Pinnacle with a new one (we have to pay for installation about $500) or he will give us a Prestige 110LP which will cost us about $4000/2-3 days to install because we have to rip out practically everything in our mechanical room. It seems like everyone likes the Prestige but I am sick about spending $4k to rip out perfectly good venting/electrical/plumbing installation. Based on the reviews I won't get a Munchkin. So should I bite the bullet and do the Prestige? Or should I save $3,500 and have them replace the Peerless and hope this one isn't a lemon and if it is hopefully get 4 years out of it and replace it with something that can use my current configuration?

I have attached a picture of my mechanical room. Basically everything behind the Pinnacle would have to be ripped out and replaced to install a Prestige

Ted G

Your installation may have some installation issues. Please have the installers correct these issues first. Why pay the extra money for the other unit to be installed. Instead use that moeny to correct installation issues.

Unknown

Like Ted said

There has to be some installation problems there. Replace the boiler, refine the installation, take the 3500 and put it toward a solar system, get 2000 back in tax credit.
win win win
TONY

singh

Did you

purchase the pinnacle yourself, and installed it yourself? I think you did.
These cant be piped any old way, and correct exhaust is critical.
And shame on the supplier for selling a boiler directly to owner if they did, and offering to replace it with another make.
Hire someone with know how to make the corrections.

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

[Deleted User]

hideous

TK03

I would install a peopwely sized cast iron boiler, sidewall vented with ODR. You will be further ahaed in life cycle costs.

Gaylyn

Hi,
Thank you so much for your fast feedback and I am in agreement that there must be something wrong with the installation or this particular boiler. First, we did not install this ourselves but had a professional do it. He has been great as well as the supplier in trying to get our problems resolved over the last four years (only charged us a total of $120 - and he was sorry for this! - for all the repairs and replacements). We have had two other plumbers look at the installation and they can't find anything wrong. However, D.S. might have highlighted something - the exhaust. The unit is vented to the side of the building and the external pipe has a 45 degree angle, so maybe it isn't getting enough airflow? I am going to move forward with having the unit replaced and change the vent to go straight up and hope this solves the problem.

Again, thank you, thank you for your sanity check and recommendation on what to do!

Charlie from wmass

The best of equipment is not worth a dime with a poor installation. and vice versa. Being sorry may not be what you need in a contractor, Being competant and familiar with the equipment is. Remember most high end boilers need special piping and wiring for the most out of your boiler.

bob_46

Sick bird

The sick bird sound may be coming from the flexible gas connector. You might try replacing it with a larger diameter one or better yet real pipe. ...bob

Charlie from wmass

Bob you may be on to something there. I always had fun as a kid scaring my sisters by blowing through the flex supply tubes.

Ross_7

piping

That install is hideous. It is not piped to the manufacturers specs by a long shot. Before you throw in the towel on this boiler, have your installer change the piping. Good luck!
Ross

Jim_64

Installers

I wouldn`t trust them to correct anything if they couldn`t do it right the first time.

tim smith

Gaylyn, a few things about that installation and your problems

you are having. You must get rid of that gas flex, I think there is no way your installer is able to get proper combustion numbers off that install with that gas flex in there. Has he used a digital analyzer to check combustion on your boiler, it must be tested when fired up and adjusted as needed. Also you must have this type of boiler serviced and cleaned once a year to keep it reliable and check combustion at same time. The install is quite messy so I wonder about the details being done as stated above. PS, the Peerless is a Munchkin, just different label. Also does your boiler have outdoor reset, I seem to remember the Peerless version did not?? I work on quite a few Munchkins around here and know a fair amount of the quirks so make sure that combustion testing is done and meets specs. I would have a tough decision on whether to go to Prestige or not, it is a better design and quite trouble free. My favorite boiler and I have installed both, with a lot more Prestige in than Munchkin/Peerless. With that said, we have kept all the Munchkins that we either installed or service running quite reliably over the last 5 years. Ps, when was the last time you had this boiler serviced??? Tim

scott markle_2

I agree that the work is sloppy, but can you point to any specific piping mistakes I don't think the photo gives enough information. But if you can spot a specific it would probably be more helpful than just getting pissed about sloppy work.

Peerless is no longer re-branding the the munchkin, their new condensing line is called the pure fire. This could be a better machine, I have no direct experience and it's relatively new, but if peerless is giving up on the munchkin this tells me something. Have they offered you a new purfire or a "new" pinnacle

tim smith

Scott, I would agree that you cannot judge the pipe correctness

by the pic, that's why I did not say anything specific about that. From the post, I think he is being offered another Peerless/Munchkin but that is only a guess at this time. Tim

Brian R

I like my Peerless

I've had this exact same boiler in my home going on the 3rd year now. I installed it myself (ducking for cover), and did a major re-piping of my heating system at the same time. I've had the whistling sounds you refer also. By the way, I too have gas-flex on the inlet, without any problems. This was done to help silence resonance transmitted to the gas pipe attached to the floor joists. Early on I did NOT have enough length differential between the combustion exhaust, and fresh air intake, which caused a recirculation of exhaust gas to the combustion. THIS IS BAD. Once corrected, the boiler hums like a baby. I also discovered that the burner needed to be setup (via digital combustion analysis) during BOTH cold weather, and warm. It's very sensitive to air density at varying temperatures, and finding a good average combustion analysis at both extremes of outdoor temp. eliminated the "bird whistling" syndrome. Also, the boiler needs to be piped to manufacturer recommendations, NO EXCEPTIONS. If you scour this forum, you will find many problems with this boiler caused by not following the manufacturer's piping, and pumping recommendations. Lastly, I have found tech support to be extremely good. I suspect a replacement boiler from Peerless will be a some what a different animal.

Ross_7

Well, Scott...

I don't think I was getting "pissed", but I do get "pissed" when people can't follow the instructions. The boiler is clearly not piped in as a Primary/Secondary piping per the manufacturer's instuctions. The flexible gas connector is another problem. After it is re-piped correctly, then it should be looked at to see what the problems are.