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rinnai call backs

Jim Wy.
Jim Wy. Member Posts: 43
in THE MAIN WALL
We put in a radiant floor system in a 2500 sq. ft. new slab house using 2 rinnais W/ non brrier pex in 2004. The system heats the house just fine when its working but I get at about 2 callbacks a year to clean the filter or clean bugs out of the combustion fan or chaimber. Rinnai no longer suggests their commercial unit for heating and the customer hates the noise of the rinnai so I'm going to redo the system @ material cost w/ no labor. I am looking for the least noisey most reliable system. The costomer is wanting something tried @ true if possable.

Comments

  • kpc_49
    kpc_49 Member Posts: 12
    well since it...

    is a non- barrier tube system you will need a HX of some type.What type of set up is it? staple up? slab?
  • tim smith
    tim smith Member Posts: 2,800
    Use a Triangle tube Prestige boiler, stainless construction

    use non ferrous pumps and components and you will be in great shape. Super reliable. ? are you going to still use Rinnai for domestic, if not, use a Superstore indirect with Prestige. You will like this setup, fair price on it also. The only other boiler I might lean towards if you for some reason did not want Prestige would be the Viessmann $$ Vitodens 200 but I prefer the TT Prestige boiler due to value.
  • Jim Wy.
    Jim Wy. Member Posts: 43


    slab/ probably not to many quiet heat plants that are made to handle the oxygen ?
  • Mark Custis
    Mark Custis Member Posts: 537
    Rinnai, tech help

    sent me a cad of how they want them piped to a flat plate heat exchanger and a three way mixing valve. The one I have in service does heat and DHW. The guy said use in heating will reduce the warranty by half.
  • Jim Wy.
    Jim Wy. Member Posts: 43


    It is piped to the diagram in the design manual of 2004. I guess they desided that it doesn't work well to put the unit directly in the closed loop any more. I'm not sure how a heat exchanger would he me though.
  • mark ransley
    mark ransley Member Posts: 155


    Why are you responsible for bugs that get in their system or noise. I am a customer and I would not blame you. Consider having a sound proof enclosure that is bug proof built around it. Its pretty easy to dampen the sound alot, screen keeps out bugs.
  • Randy_30
    Randy_30 Member Posts: 28
    screen

    The noise is probably the bugs throwing the fan off balance. put a screen (1/16th to 1/8th) over the intake and tell the customer to check it occasionally.
  • Jim Wy.
    Jim Wy. Member Posts: 43


    Thankyou for the suggestion. the vent terminal is an extreme cold weather through the roof model so it would be difficult to get to for cleaning and winter removal. The bugs do make it more noisey before cleaning.
  • Jim Wy.
    Jim Wy. Member Posts: 43


    I apreciate that, but I put in a Rinnai & rinnai doesn"t suggest their product for radiant heat in this application any more. Add in the call backs & I don't have much to argue with.
  • Randy_30
    Randy_30 Member Posts: 28


    That was a given but i expected you excepted that. Rinnai and the other instantaneous are not boilers.
  • Jim Wy.
    Jim Wy. Member Posts: 43


    4 or 5 years ago I would have attemted to argue for the tankless but now I must agree
  • Randy_30
    Randy_30 Member Posts: 28


    Then we were in the same camp. After thinking about it over the years they just are the wrong appliance for the application. I do have some successful Rinnai installs but always small loads through a HX and doing domestic also (800 to 1200 sft). I really don't expect them to last more than 7-8 years.
  • Jack
    Jack Member Posts: 1,048
    JIm, what is plugging the screen?

    If the screen gets plugged it limits flow to the unit and stresses the flow control valve which over time in this situation will cause it to moan and groan prior to failure. That component with good clean flow is very reliable and operates quietly. I'd suggest replacing the flow control valve and see if it quiets it down.

    Are you in the New England area? If so, I'm your rep. I'd be happy to help. Give me a call if you'd like 617 834-8751.
  • Jim Wy.
    Jim Wy. Member Posts: 43


    I think the rinnai might be cooking some mineral out of the water and then when it comes back around it gets into the filter. The domestic unit doesn't have filter problems
  • Jack_42
    Jack_42 Member Posts: 9
    Water test

    Get the water tested and compare it to the limits in the installation manual. That document is available at www.rinnai.us Any on demand unit needs good clean fluid to function properly. Are you getting LC (lime control) error codes on the touch pad? Sensors in the Rinnai will indicate when that is happening.
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