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Need help choosing a replacement for Weil Mclain Ultra 80 series 2

aj2024
aj2024 Member Posts: 3
edited October 16 in Radiant Heating

I have a 19 year old hydronic system with the above mentioned Ultra 80 at the heart of it. It finally died. I have no interest in resurrecting it. It would need a new board and a new heat exchanger. This boiler has been a problem since I bought the house 11 years ago. I put a new gas valve/venturi on it a couple years ago. So recently I shut the system off and hacked the indirect DHW tank out and put in a heat pump water heater. The boiler only ran 3 circuits: DHW, 1200SF of garage radiant floor and a hydronic hanging register fan in another garage (I have stacked garages). I just want to heat the garages. Looking for a straight forward-ish swap. All the zone valves are the same. The red zone pumps are the same. I deleted the DHW because it couldn't keep the temp consistent and always seemed to circulate through the heating loop, weather the the DHW was asking for priority or not. I talked to a local contractor. We were going to add a valve to the DHW zone for better control—then I got his bid. Everyone that has come to look at this system stands there and scratches their head. Initially when I was trying to get contractors to fix it, I would come down and check on them and they would be on the phone with the supply house asking questions about what to do next.

I had considered replacing it with another ultra 80—it's twice the cost and 1-2 months back ordered. We have a menards close by and I was considering a hydro smart boiler.

First night below freezing last night—somehow the summer got away and now it's crunch time. Any help/recommendations are greatly appreciated.

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Thank you!!

AJ

Comments

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,298

    The Ultra gas Series 4 is a nice boiler IMO. They've come a long way since what looks like a Series 1 or 2. O

  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,539

    I can’t get enough clarity to see the details in the piping, but if I were doing the job, it would be time for some sawzall surgery.

    Removing the indirect was unwarranted: all you needed was a check valve.

    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    HVACNUT
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,298
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1814729#Comment_1814729

    Looks like a DIY job so I didn't even get into the piping mess. That's nasty.

  • aj2024
    aj2024 Member Posts: 3

    This was a contractor’s own home—not diy. I didn’t want to add a new boiler to a 20 year old indirect DHW tank. It’s an 80 gallon tank and replacing it would have added significantly to the cost, and would have forced my timeline. Thanks for the input on the Ultra 80–unfortunately it is back ordered for 1-2 months. So I am looking at other options. I know I would have a add a zone controller, but I would I need to change out the valves to match the controller?

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,298

    Its not really who makes the boiler that should be the concern as much as who's installing it. But it doesn’t seem like your getting much help with local contractors. Where are you located?

  • aj2024
    aj2024 Member Posts: 3

    I'm not. I went to Google to see if I can find someone that is a least familiar with Weil Mclain. There's a place that does geothermal and some radiant and mentions Weil Mclain specifically on their website. I'm planning on calling them on Monday. I'm 10 minutes south of Iowa City, Iowa. At this point, I'm just looking for a plan. If I could get a new Ultra 80 in a few weeks and flush the system and swap it out, I'm leaning towards that. If I could get a decent quote, I'm happy to pay. But I won't get bent over. It can unused and I'll put in a larger 2 zone mini split that will heat and cool both or a separate one for each. The bottom garage is a concrete bunker and the upper is well-insulated. I cool it all summer with a small window unit.

    Main questions:

    1. I'm not sure why each zone has a circulator and a zone valve

    2. I don't see any check valves—but the circulators function as check valves—or not?

    3. It says (weil mclain manual) to use potable water that hasn't been softened or run through reverse osmosis—currently my makeup water is coming off the cold water supply manifold (after the softener). My water is hard as hell (on a well), but I had an iron curtain installed a couple years ago, and I could plumb a line to after the curtain and before the softener

    4. what should I flush the system with to clean it? I imagine it's full of crap. I can bring city water in from my shop—it's what I do to make coolant for my CNC machines—but if the make up water is the problem, then what?

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