are all v7 doomed?

smp74

Hi all. First post here. Recently getting a bit more concerned about the 15 yr old v713 I have. Last week a co-worker of mine had his v7 steam boiler crack so it's got me thinking.



Are all of the v7 ultimately doomed to fail by crack?



Also, where is the most common place to have the crack happen? Is there anything I should keep an eye on. Or just hope for the best or maybe start getting estimates for replacement??



Thank you for any input.

CMadatMe

V7 Crack

Second Section Mid.....Bad casting. While yes it was a major problem back in the day Burnham stood behind it and made it right.

smp74

probability

So, the feeling I'm getting is that being a V7, the chances of failure are higher than other models but, it may be just fine for many more years, hopefully.



Given its age, would it be possible to get any support from Burnham if it does go south?

CMadatMe

Ten Years

If the boiler is over ten yrs old and it develops a crack the warranty will be pro-rated. Burnham with either replace the block/jacket at a discounted rate based on the age or they will offer a rebate equal to the pro-rated value for you to install a new V8H or MPO series boiler. The rebate is given after installation of a new boiler. Remember you are also responsible for the labor and the replacement must be installed by a contractor. The rebate is the better deal.

Paul Fredricks_3

I believe

They no longer have V-7 blocks. You have to go at least V-8.



IT has been suggested that the problems occur when the water temp changes too rapidly. Down-firing the unit helps, as does a bypass loop to keep from shocking the boiler with cold water.

smp74

volume

I did some measuring of the piping for the heating zones. All total it looks like there's about 5 gallons in all of the piping (~180 ft of 3/4 copper). How does that sound? There is no bypass.



Also, does anyone have a preferred contact at Burnham for the V7 problems. My co-worker may be interested given that he's got one going on right now.

russiand

C3/C4 is a V7 series

I never fully confirmed this, but Burnham has a C3/C4 boiler which looks exactly like the V7 series. I downloaded the manual and it looks like it's basically two of the V7 varieties. Essentially it's a V713 and another model. From the part numbers C3/C4's match the V7 parts exactly. So in a way it should still be possible to get a replacement V713 block since it is part of a currently produced boiler. Other V7x blocks you can't order from Burnham any more for sure.

CMadatMe

Contact

If you call Burnhams customer service dept they will only tell you whether the boiler is in the warranty period and in what period it is in. You must contact a heating contractor to get any warranty or rebate. Here is how it works.



Burnham will replace a V7 block as per the warranty. You will get a block and a jacket. The contractor will have to strip the current boiler of it's burner and aquastat and put them on the replacement block. He will then have to set the burner up. With labor the next option is a much better one.

The customer purchases a new packaged VH8 or MPO Series boilers and Burnahm will rebate the customer back the amount in dollars that the old V7 is worth.

You must be the original homeowner of the V7 to get any of these options so if your not the original homeowner your on your own.