Messed with GVD-7 damper. Now it stays open only. It is toast, right?

WillekesEaves

I needed to move my exhaust vent pipe because it was very close to the 3" union on the uninsulated header. I am adding insulation to my whole system at the moment, need clearance, have the room to reroute. I bought the field controls universal harness 8' extension kit and assembled/reassembled the gvd-7 a few times. Now, it doesn't seem to cycle back to the closed position, even with the original harness wire reinstalled. I think I broke it in the handling somehow, right? That sucks. Confirm my suspicions. Is there anything I can do to fix it?

Jamie Hall

Double check all your wiring, particularly any connectors. Did all the limit switches get reassembled correctly?

Steamhead

@WillekesEaves , you may have accidentally hit the switch that can do exactly this- hold the damper open when the boiler shuts off. It is located on the motor opposite where the wires connect. ISTR when the switch is slid toward the smoke pipe, the damper functions normally, and when slid back it holds it open. But it might be the other way around- I don't have one in front of me right now.

But if the motor is toast, you do not need to replace the entire damper unit. Get the replacement motor, Field part# GVD-RMA, which will save you roughly half the cost of a complete unit.

HVACNUT

Yes, check the switch.

And better to be stuck open than stuck closed.

WillekesEaves

My model is just the GVD-7. Not the GVD-7 PL . All of the replacement motor assemblies I can find say they are compatible with the GVD-7 PL. Should I buy that GVD-RMA PL with SKU 46491600? I can't find a supplier that says explicitly that its compatible with the GVD-7. Also, does PL just mean plastic base and I am way overthinking this? I think I just answered my own question…

WillekesEaves

Nevermind, the whole part is fine. It WAS the switch being in the service direction. Problem solved. Now to get to rerouting the exhaust vent pipe.