Ultra problem/question

LEAD PIPE

When I went to take a shower for work tonight I noticed that the water wasn't hot and got cold as it ran. When I checked the boiler it was in hard lockout, E-4, was flashing which is the code for power failure. During the evening the power did go out in my house for about 1 sec.
Is it normal for the boiler to shut down when the power goes out? How can you take a winter vacation if this is the case? Any thoughts or Ideas

Thanks John

Kal Row

you cant take a winter vacation without..

putting a nat gas powered generator with auto start/stop/transfer switch and an uninterruptible power supply on the heating systems electronics

OR

Doing a full system drain, and using air, to blow out all the lines and putting antifreeze into all bowls and traps - and putting a battery backed up heat tape around the water meter and lead in

have a fried with a house by the beach had the heat on all winter and a power failure took him out

that’s another reason why people don’t put residential fire sprinklers in, it’s yet another freeze thing to worry about, unless you do a dry air pressurized system, that pressure-sense-servo-valve feeds the water, when any head opens due to fire, – can cost as much as the whole house – I like those new pex based sprinklers though, much more freeze resistant, a 10-20% antifreeze mix, should be enough to protect it in all but the coldest part of the country

LEAD PIPE

So

Kal this is normal???

Steve Eayrs

Is it true?

Does the Ultra lock out after one little second long power outage?

One other option: Install a freeze alarm, which can call you, and (2) other numbers if the temp. goes below what you set the alarm at. Will also call if the power outage is more than 2 hours long. Easy to install, and cost a little over $200.

Steve

lchmb

wow..

not even sure how the discussion went to a sprinkler system..but anyway, Kal how is the unit reset? by shutting on and off the system? would a delay on power reset help stop the problem?

Weezbo

Glitch...

hmmm.... that no sounding like a really "Good Designe Feature".

LEAD PIPE

I'm calling on Monday

If this is normal I will have a big problem with this boiler! I can't go away for the weekend without draining all the water in my house. Thats crazy.

Okay I tried to recreate the problem by turning off the power and the boiler worked fine, no lock out at all. I did this during several phases of the cycle and it worked every time. Could it have been a power surge that knocked the boiler out?

brett

Canadian fan depressurization test procedure. INFO NEEDED!!!

To anyone who can help in this inquire, thanks very much. I'm involved with a room which is under ground, has 2 nat. gas appliances 1 power burner and 1 natural draft with draft hood. inadequit outside air provided and down draft out both inlet of common chimney. I'm trying to find out what is involved to do, or have done, this particular test. My proof of negative pressure is needed to assist the rectification of the rooms problem. THANKS AGAIN.

Kal Row

probably a question for Weil

On page 20 of controls supplement E-4 is “power lost after lockout” requires manual reset
The reset is on the front panel next to the digital display
If you have any limits connected between 6 and 8, these will cause a manual hard lockout – maybe you have a low water cutoff and it sensed the power failure first and locked out the boiler – who knows – a computer with fluctuating power is like PMS, anything goes

Weezbo

i read some times...

Code E-4 ...as i read it it convets this meaning to me...there was a lock out for what reason we do not know...then when the power came back on (it is still on lock out however Heres the Designe feature.."*The error code information is lost") ...................hmmmm........ this could mean something other than the power outage was the cause......what? hmmm.......natural gas isnt my foreTe ....however perhaps a quicker acting control produced an error message then when the power came back up..it showed you the prescribed message although no clue as to the original lock out Cause*. it might be an engineered snivel cause built into the unit..so You are the E Vile demon and its all your fault! I dont know...

LEAD PIPE

I find it strange

that it would lock out after being on for 4 months with out a problem then coincidentally a power outage cane on and caused a hard lockout. When I checked the boiler everything was fine and it reset with out a problem. It’s been running fine since. I'm thinking there was a power serge which may have sent it into soft lock out then the power went out for a second and sent it into E-4. Does this seem possible? What can be done to prevent it, some kind of serge protection?
No demons here Weezbo we got Holy Ghost power.

Weezbo

oki.

a surge protector is cheap. and one of the battery backup things for your computer is probably high enough kw to run a few recirc pumps. still though....what if we are just hazarding educated guesses and indeed there is something else....then while indeed we now have installed a surege protection devise and a new state of d art x1200 backup system or whatever.... what if that aint the problem. fundamentally we fixing stuff that aint broke. it is entirely plausable surge or brown out caused some other problem the devise noticed first...just ta be sure i think the weil mclain guys deserve the call...

Floyd_5

Don't get too bent....

In a year since I have installed my boiler I have had to reset it one time. That time, the problem was a prolonged low voltage situation, followed by may on/off cycles. In that time there have been many occasions that I have lost power, I live in the middle of nowhere in central Pa. and the power grid here down right stinks!!!
I don't see this boiler as being any more prone to shut off then anything else out there.
On a standing pilot the thermo. can fail at any time, on an elec. ignition the mod. can fail.... bottom line is that with any thing the potential exists to have something fail at any given time.
One thing you can do that may help is install a surge strip, and/or a small UPS to help filter the power or help to keep the control powered if there is an interuption.

If you look closely in the bottom left corner on this picture you can see that I have done just that... my main concern here was that there is a small generator installed here and I wanted to filter the power and make sure that the boilers were always getting the proper cycles.

Floyd

LEAD PIPE

Thanks Floyd

I do feel better because like I said I tried several times to lock the boiler out and couldnt do it. When you had to reset your boiler do you remember if it was an E-4 error message?

thanks

Weezbo

floyd

that seems prudent to me maybe thats all that you need to do leadpipe..the picture speaks Volumes.

Floyd_5

I believe so....

been so long I can't say for sure.....it happened shortly after insatllation and I was concerned also at the time.
After more experience and alot more power failures, I haven't really thought about it.

Floyd

LEAD PIPE

It looks good

when you get a chance and you give me more details about the unit you use and what I need to to so I can communicate it to the electrition.
thanks

Mark Hunt

Just be careful


The WM rep in that area carries a 5lb. sledge hammer to look for calcium.

He may try to smash your boiler!

Mark H

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Floyd_5

Grainger...

cat. #'s 5JJ98 & 5JK03

LEAD PIPE

How close

do you think he would make it to my boiler with that sledge?

LEAD PIPE

Talked to Weil Mclain today

They feel it was a surge and then power failure which caused this problem. My wife told me yesterday that the fax machine wasn't working and that needed to be reset, it shuts down during a power surge. I do feel better now and will correct this potential problem this summer.

Thanks to all for the help

Weezbo

That is some worthwhile information!

Good thing you found this out,now. ...and from now on we have a definite reccommendation to a new installer of ultras.