Embassy ONEX

kcopp

You probably have air trapped in the unit. Generally there are two ways this happens. Either the "Hy vent" on the top left has stopped working or as a general happening the bleeder valve on the domestic tank needs to be bled out. It's underneath on the left side.

kcopp

With regard to the leaking HX.... I had one of these 1 year ago. Its the only one out of about 30 of these units I have worked on.
It was directly in back of the HX. They did honor the warranty.

miimi082

I have the Embassy Onex and woke up to no heat and hot water on the coldest day of the winter thus far (-1). Error code L 01 comes up each time you press restart button. A tech came in and stated it was the Power Control Board. We bought that and it's still reading the same code and not heating at all. This unit isn't even a year old yet. Manufacturers are of no help. Seems I was better off going with Navien which was what we wanted originally and listened to the plumber instead of following our own minds.

Tom_133

Miimi, we may need a bit more info. Does it light at all? Can you hear the fan when you try to start it? LP or Nat? Was it setup properly (did plumber leave a print out from a combustion analyzer)? Maybe even a pic or two, we all love to help.

kcopp

Do you have the right gas pressure? LP or Natural gas?
I have worked on/ installed a bunch of these.....

kcopp

looks like another drive by.... didn't want help,. just wanted to complain.

Mytoy6

ONEX Combi is vibrating unit Randomly. I had been hearing the vibration which was not normal but hadn't been able to see it for myself until today while I was in my garage. The unit was vibrating like a unbalanced fan for a second then stopped and then again about 10-15 second later. It only did it three times and was back to normal again so I couldn't continue seeing when in the cycle it would do it. I believe it did it during the hot water demand cycle and the boiler is firing but it's only a guess right now.

Anyone have an idea what might be happening?

kcopp

The unit is out of tune.... It prob needs a cleaning and set up w/ a combustion analyzer.
Was it set up when it was installed? LP or Natural Gas.?

Mytoy6

No it never had a combustion anaylzer used on it to my knowledge. Its a natural gas unit.

Tom_133

Mytoy6, the key then is to find a qualified tech in your area that will clean the heat exchanger properly and set the boiler up with a combustion analyzer. You could post the area where you live and we could recommend someone, or you could look in the "find a contractor" section here on the wall

kcopp

@Mytoy6 ... Where are you located? These units can be finicky. You really need to get it set up.

Mytoy6

I'm located in Anchorage Alaska. Just had an addition completed to my house and then noticed the problem so I think the plumbing contractor did something to it. General contractor claimed it was serviced and cleaned once they completed the work on my house but I had problems with him so I don't think he did that for me. I scheduled my local plumbing company (Air Temp) to come and service my boiler on Tuesday with your advice that the boiler was out of tune and needing a cleaning. I will let you know what they find. Thanks

ksmith96

Had the Embassy installed in January 2012. Lately, I have noticed that there is excessive drip below the unit (maybe that's normal?) enough to leak into the adjoining drywall and start molding it. Woke up this morning with no hot water & no heating. FILL error.
Have tried a manual reset, bleeding both the line on the back left side of the unit. Pressure will not get above 0. Boiler will fill and attempt to light, I can see the ignition, but it won't stay lit and the pressure gauge doesn't move.

I'm not sure if it is a pressure tank malfunction, if so how is that checked? Should the condensate trap be emptied?

I've never had a problem with it other than right after install when there was a faulty mix valve replacement. Any help would be appreciated.

kcopp

Sounds like you have a leak...
The boiler will not fire if the pressure is below 10.
You need to add water.
The pressure tank, if blown, would read high pressure. and the relief valve dripping.
You could have a couple things going on.
When was the last time you had a service.... Pull everything apart, clean and combustion test?

ksmith96

I did eventually have a call with a plumber. The recent earthquake in Alaska caused a lot of stirring in the sediment of wells and one of the pressure release valves was clogged with sediment. It was an easy enough fix by taking it apart and cleaning it.

Mytoy6

Well had boiler tech from Air Temp come and look at the boiler and he serviced it, but only found the probes in the heat exchanger dirty and cleaned them. Today I had a dish washer problem and when I turned the dish washer on the boiler again vibrated just like before. If the tech used a combustion analyzer on my boiler what would he be doing? I ended up recording the maintenance with my video camera from the other side of my garage and I did not see him testing the exhaust of the boiler. Would this have been done for the tech to troubleshoot the problem. I ended up just paying for the service of the unit only. The boiler tech never went outside to test the exhaust so I'm just not sure if everything was done. Tech even noted I needed a pressure tank install in the system not knowing this system had an internal pressure tank. Doesn't seem they install many of this type of boiler here in Alaska so they just are not familiar with them. Could the pump in the dishwasher have anything to do with the vibrating. I'm pretty familiar with plumbing but I just don't understand and it is really hard troubleshooting when it doesn't do it very often. Any suggestions?

kcopp

The vibrating has nothing to do w/ the DW. One of the odd things I have noticed w/ this boiler is if you have the concentric venting set up at times when the wind blows just right and the boiler is running in med/ fire you can get that vibration sound. It could very well be sucking flue gas back into the unit.....
The testing if the flue gas can be done right from the test ports at top of the boiler inside....you don't need to go outside.

Mytoy6

Contacted the boiler company I just had do the cleaning of my boiler and they stated that if they did the maintenance per the ONEX owners manual it would cost over a thousand dollars and the cleaning of the combustion chamber is not in the scope for normal yearly boiler maintenance. I ended up talking to one of the owners of the company but didn't get anywhere. Problem is still occasionally occurring and I no longer believe it is related to the dishwasher but is in the start up cycle of the boiler when you ask for hot water. Vibration is very short in duration but it is not a normal vibration you would expect from a boiler more violent like a combustion issue. I plan on pulling the boiler apart once it is warm enough to do so without cold weather requiring boiler for heat. I think it is something with the fire cycle now and I'm done with boiler techs which know less about the system then I do. Plan on having set up with combustion analyzer after the inspection and cleaning by myself. Funny I have been having them do yearly maintenance cleaning the system and all they do is clean the flame sensors and look at it. I thought I was getting more for over $200.00.

kcopp

This is what I did first thing this morning. LP gas Onex boiler. About a year and a half since I last cleaned it. Before and after pictures. Some clean water a Scotch-Brite and a bunch of elbow grease. Boiler was installed in 2009.

SWEI

Mytoy6 said:

Contacted the boiler company I just had do the cleaning of my boiler and they stated that if they did the maintenance per the ONEX owners manual it would cost over a thousand dollars and the cleaning of the combustion chamber is not in the scope for normal yearly boiler maintenance. I ended up talking to one of the owners of the company but didn't get anywhere.

Find another service company.

Mytoy6

Well another company and I got the same thing. System didn't vibrate during the inspection and then two hours after he leaves I get it on video while in my garage and the covers off the boiler. I took the whole boiler apart and cleaned it myself the way the manual says and elbow grease. I ended up changing the flue gas temp sensor after a L 06 error. After that it ran good for a few hours and then back to the old problem with it vibrating randomly. I'm now running with the flue gas possibility after I found the concentric piping rusted through on the exterior of my house. I'm splitting the exhaust and air intake apart and hoping it's the problem. I'm planning on having the system setup again with combustion analyzer after it is competed.

kcopp

How much was the vent piping extending off the side of your house?

kcopp

You are on to something w/ the concentric venting. It does sound like it is cross contamination.
I have never done the split vent although I have a number of installs where I wish I could have. That vibration is common... annoying but common.
This unit is a bit of a pain to dial in just right.
I have about 15-20 of these out there that I installed or service.

Mytoy6

Kcopp- To answer your questions the split vent system adapter to the boiler was $295.75, roof exhaust vent kit(do not recommend) was $137.75 and the 3ft x 3in extension tubes are $26.75, 90 degree and elbows are 23.75. I purchased from Houseneeds.com so I paid shipping to Alaska.

Mytoy6

If you are asking about the old 3 foot Concentric Extension I had rust out it was $59.75. I needed it so the exhaust wouldn't go under the eve of the roof.

kcopp

The first thought is that it rusted out due to the water off the side of the roof. However that is not the issue. Its the exhaust eating away the mild metal as it whips around from the termination.

Mytoy6

Well Think with the help of a friend we figured out the problem. I split the exhaust and intake apart only to find the problem was still occurring. I performed a complete cleaning myself and the combustion chamber was not that bad but was needing to be cleaned. this still changed nothing. In an attempt to solve the problem the only thing left was the gas valve and the control board. I purchased a new gas valve and a Testo 310 combustion tester and attempted to put the boiler in low test and the vibration start as soon as the test started. I turned the boiler off and pulled the gas valve to find it had a lot of small shavings like in the screen filter of the input to the gas valve. I took pictures of it and decided to just change the valve out with the new one. started the combustion test to set the gas valve up and I was able to get the low sit set but as soon as I set it to high the flame would shut off before anything could be set up and readings taken. I'm starting to think the control board is also bad but after I got out of the maintenance mode I turned all the faucet on in my house to hot so it would run on high and set the high level without any problems. Crossing my fingers now this boiler is fixed. test shows it is running at 89% efficiency. Is says it runs at 94% but I could not get any higher with adjustment. Is anyone else able to get higher?

Mytoy6

boiler test before removing gas valve and finding debris in filter screen.

kcopp

Interesting.
They have revised those numbers to pretty much 91% in literature.
The metal filings are a new one... are they magnetic? If not they are from the valve it self when they made it.
The boiler almost always makes that Hurmph noise when its put into low fire.

Mytoy6

I have video and can not seem to figure out how to attach or I would show you what it was doing. it is a violent vibration that was occurring and the only way I was able to repeat it was in the low test mod for combustion testing the system and setting new gas valve up for operation.

Mytoy6

To clarify the debris are from the old gas valve not the new one and they are not magnetic. I think it is from the commercial service as the boiler is installed right inside from the gas meter. we have had some problems with our gas here after the earth quake in February and it might have caused the debris to pass into the home and get caught by the screen in the gas valve. I have a trap in the gas line so I didn't suspect it until I had nothing else to look at. The debris is very light so I figured it was a buildup inside the pipe that broke free after earthquake and was able to be pushed passed the gas trap before the boiler. I'm going to check the trap later if the gas ever gets turned off again at my home. I just can not imagine it filled the trap up in 6 years as I replaced all the gas pipe for the new boiler location.

kcopp

post it to youtube then post the link here.

ekc

I have 4 year old embassy onex and for last week I notice floor below it was wet . There is a very slow drip from dhw heater white foam insulation area. That never happen before. What can cause this?

Danny Scully

Any chance the air eliminator on top is dripping down and through, showing up there?

ekc

I took case cover off. Did not see any water dripping from top anywhere. Looks like it is coming out between styrofoam insulation. Thanks for suggestion. I will double check air vent on top.

kcopp

There is a bleed port on the left side. Could be leaking there. Cold also be leaking from the condensate trap.... its Directly above that.

rick in Alaska

Mytoy6: Your co2 number looks low on your readout. I am not sure where this unit needs to be, but I would guess around 9%m or more. I know on the Lochinvar KHN I have been installing that it likes the co2 on the lower side of there spec sheet, or it does rumble at times. I would try bringing it up to 9% and see how it responds. Also might want to clock your gas meter to see how much it is using.
Can't believe you bought your own analyzer! NIce!
Rick

Danny Scully

@rick in Alaska is right. For natural gas it's 9.2+-.1

ekc

It was the automatic air vent leaking water creating that slow drip down below. I had to get a step ladder to see the vent up there. It appears corroded with mineral deposit. Thank you for your help in figuring this out.

ekc

Hello. I want to replace the embassy onyx expansion tank. Looks like the metal brackets are riveted in place to hold the tank. Aside from wedging and forcing tank out, is there an easier way to take it out without damaging it? Thanks.