Lochinvar / Knight Boiler 80-285 Issues
Here in Alaska. It is getting cold quick. I had purchased this home a couple years ago. I had issues with this unit 2 winters ago and replaced the sensor and igniter (very easy, two screws). after i did that, the unit worked well-enough until now.
Right now I have the thermostat set to 75 and it is less than 65 inside. Tolerable, yet still quite cold for my son and myself.
A couple noteworthy observations:
The hot water heater appears to still be producing hot water which gets its heat from the boiler installed right next to the water tank. But, the baseboard heating is not giving off any heat…hence the cold house.
I will happily answer any questions and provide photos or whatever in an effort to revive this unit.
Question is: What could be the cause of this? what parts should I order or what measures to take and this issue needs to be remediated quickly due to an Alaskan winter rapidly approaching.
Attaching the SM here and also providing a link to the SM ( )The current screen says "Setpoint met" and "Service Due" but no errors other than service due.
Any input, advice would be greatly appreciated.
Comments
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Well, we probably need more information, but… several clues and a couple of places to start looking.
First, you are still getting hot water, and therefore the boiler will and does run — when something tells it to run.
Now we need to go and figure out what tells the boiler to run for heat, and what transfers that heat to the baseboards.
Sorry, but the first question is… does your thermostat take batteries? And, if so, are they fresh?
Does anything happen on the system when you turn up the thermostat?
What makes the water from the boiler reach the baseboards? There must be a pump somewhere. Is there also a zone valve? In the simplest arrangements, the thermostat on the wall will either turn on the pump (usually with a relay) or will open the zone valve. Can you describe what you have along those lines? In systems with just a pump, sometimes the thermostat is wired directly to the boiler — or through a control board. Do you know what you have for that, and describe it for us? In systems with a zone valve, often the thermostat opens the zone valve, which in turn has contacts which turn on the boiler…
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England1 -
is it in outdoor reset?
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream
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here are some photos are other mentionable things. please excuse if some of this information is or seems non-relevant. I am just going to give as much info as i can.
before the sensor and igniter were replaced i had a construction contractor come over and talk about some projects, he noticed the exhaust coming out of the vent outside of the house and commented that the amount of exhaust seemed very excessive and expressed some concern. also, when the exhaust was expelled, sometimes we can hear a fairly loud noise that sounds like a whale sound / call or a very deep moaning sound for lack of a better descriptor. after replacing the two parts, that sound continued and the excessive amount of exhaust remained as well.
I just went down to look at the unit and take some photos and also look under the top panel. In the SM it says to check the fuses so I went to remove the top panel to look at the status of the fuses the boiler unit "kicked on" (for lack of a better term) and the message on the LCD immediately changed. maybe coincidental, idk. have a look at the photos…you'll see the message on the LCD change from "service due" and "setpoint met" to "BLR: SH"
I am starting to think it's a lost cause.
Is this house we have baseboard heating.
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thank you so much for this. I have added a post to this thread, including photos and other, possibly irrelevant, information..:-P
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The boiler changing its message the moment you touched it suggests another avenue to explore (or rabbit hole…): check — or have an electrician check — all your wiring related to the boiler, from the boiler right on back through the fuse box/circuit breakers to the electricity meter. Some controllers which your system may have are fussy about being properly grounded.
On the exhaust — what is "excessive exhaust"? Depending on temperature and humidity, you may see quite a bit of exhaust. The only way to find that out is to make sure that the air/fuel ratio is correct, and that takes a combustion analyser — which not every tech. knows how to use, or even has. Out of adjustment combustion can also account for odd sounds.
I notice a red pump in one of your pictures. When does it run? What is it pumping from and to?
I also notice a picture of a pump in what looks like a pan or sump of some kind. What does that do? (It looks like a sump pump to me…?)
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England0 -
so yes. the "sump" i believe is responsible for waste water? there are two red "pumps" attached to the copper pipes. One appears to be on the "inlet" and one affixed to the "outlet." the sump pump appears to be working…
i am sort of guessing it was coincidence that the unit kicked on when i touched the top panel as opposed to some rabbit hole electrical problem — thinking optimistically of course.
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i'm not sure but thank you for your input. I hope it is something as simple as this sounds.
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i think am beginning to understand this….the flame will not necessarily stay lit, considering the "setpoint" has been met? it sounds like the issue might be with the red pump attached to the copper "outlet" pipe?
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Apparently boiler runs but the hot water is not being moved to the radiators, hence the very quick temp spike after it lights. Either the circ, or a valve, or air lock is not permiting circulation.
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Do either or both of the red pumps turn on when the thermostat is calling for heat? If only one, which one?
Do either of them turn on when calling for hot water?
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England0 -
i would imagine the thermostat is always calling for heat. as they are set to 75 and its only 65 inside. i will check to see if i can analyze the functionality of the red pumps
thank you so much for all your wondering input..i'll check this out and respond after
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it doesn't appear the red pumps make any noise whatsoever.
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testing things, looking at things and trying to understand the complexities of this system. I think i have located the copper pipe going to the baseboard heating. attaching a photo with explanation.
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testing things, looking at things and trying to understand the complexities of this system. I think i have located the copper pipe going to the baseboard heating. attaching a photo with explanation.
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maybe this red pump thing needs to be replaced??
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I see a zone valve over the left circulator,
it should have a manual lever on it, and with it's thermostat calling, the lever should swing freely, side to side, that might prove power to that stat and valve,
the left circulator, use a long screwdriver, or wood dowel, handle to your ear, and tip to the circ, you might detect a whiring, compare to the lower circ,
try tapping / wrapping on the circ with the screwdiver handle, or dowel, not too hard, just some sharp wraps,
is it whirring now?
and you mentioned work in the house?
anything to do with the heating baseboards, an air blockage was suggested above, and can't be discounted,
I think you're looking for a flow issue
known to beat dead horses1 -
i will have a look and report my findings
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is it this thing?
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nope, that's a transformer, go to the right,
similar size silver box mounted on the piping,
follow from the upper red circ, to the green valve handle above, to the right, the zone valve,
known to beat dead horses0 -
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you mean to the left of the zone valve?
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that's a zone valve,
lever?
known to beat dead horses0 -
yes i have identified the zone valve. and the red circ to the left of the valve is the one you speak of?
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sometimes pictures post in mirror image, left, right, left, , ,
that Honeywell silver box in your last picture,
I can see the lever under it hiding in the shadows, it's small and sticking out of the base of the silver box
known to beat dead horses1 -
yes, circ to the left of the zone valve,
is it even hot?
known to beat dead horses0 -
and does the lever swing freely?
known to beat dead horses0 -
the circ is not hot..and both valves..close easily
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yes the green lever handles both close easily on both side of the circ
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open the green valves(circulator isolation valves) back to the way they were,
look under the silver Honeywell zone valve, there's a small lever sticking down, does it swing back and forth in it's slot, look carefully
known to beat dead horses0 -
a rapid temperature increase suggests the system is not flowing
A defective pump, air lock in the boiler or piping
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream2 -
and yes moves quite easily
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could you tell if either circ is running?
you need someone there with a meter and knowledge to use it,
wrapp on the 2 circulators a bit, knock, knock, knack, carefully, at the base by the piping,
known to beat dead horses0 -
Moves back and forth from auto to manual with ease
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ok, so you kinda know you have power holding the valve open,
now you need to make the circulators spin,
Do you see any air vents above the boiler? at the ceiling? or at the baseboard radiation?
known to beat dead horses0 -
i have a meter and i know how to use it..just need to know what setting to put it on…=D
going to wrap on them now
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I feel like I'm helping you about to hurt yourself now,
what setting on the meter?
trace a circ wire back to it's controller, either read amps on a leg, or voltage at the terminal ends, this is 120 volts we're talking here,
can't you call a friend for help?
known to beat dead horses1
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