Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Has anyone had problems with Dunkirk Boilers?

Has anyone had problems with Dunkirk Boilers? We had a Dunkirk Quantum 90 boiler installed about 18 months ago and have had several problems with it. Along with the cold days and nights in our home, we have been frustrated with the response, or lack of, from the Dunkirk reps. We would get the run-around, promises of parts that never showed up, reps who would say they would call our heating company here in Elkhart but then no follow-up calls, etc. It's been very frustrating for us and our heating company which has been very helpful.
«13

Comments

  • dave_58
    dave_58 Member Posts: 2


    I have repaired a Dunkirk that was not set up correctly. 2.5 " WC at the manifold was the requirement. Alluminum block raises concerns regarding dissimilar metals and protecting against electrolosis. High levels of CO and flame outs were the initial problem.
  • John Mills_3
    John Mills_3 Member Posts: 221
    Wiring

    We tried them for a while but ended up having to correct the wiring in the units before firing them up. Between that and a lot of shipping damage, we gave up.
  • peter desens
    peter desens Member Posts: 41
    Factory Assistance

    Mr. Phipps,

    Please let me assure you that your Q90 Dunkirk boiler is not only a technologically advanced boiler, it is simple in it's operation. I'm sure with the help of your heating contractor, we can resolve any problem you have with the boiler or the system it is supporting.

    Please feel free to contact me at our office to discuss this further. With more details, I'm sure we can provide the necessary assistance.

    Peter Desens,
    Technical Service Manager,
    ECR International - Dunkirk Boilers
    1-800-325-5479, ext. 4128
  • Luke Lefever_2
    Luke Lefever_2 Member Posts: 7


    I am Dennis' heating contractor. Between the location of the pressure switches being wrong at the beginning of the production of the Q90 and some inadequate wiring in the house, there have been many (12+) nuisance no-heat calls. At this point, I want to be able to assure Dennis that the boiler will work reliably... but I don't know that I can say that. The number of difficulties with this particular boiler is far outside my ordinary experience with Dunkirk. I have defended Dunkirk previously here on "the Wall", and would like to continue to do so... but my customer is frustrated, I am frustrated and solutions do not seem to be forthcoming. I am willing to accept responsibility for the installation issues that complicated the situation, but there doesn't seem to be any way for me to assure them that the boiler will settle down and become reliable. I am at a loss as to what to suggest, or what to try... I am open to suggestions, either from the factory, or from other Wallies. Please help, Luke Lefever, Lefever Plumbing & Heating, Inc. Elkhart, Indiana.
  • RonPR
    RonPR Member Posts: 10


    > Mr. Phipps,

    >

    > Please let me assure you that your

    > Q90 Dunkirk boiler is not only a technologically

    > advanced boiler, it is simple in it's operation.

    > I'm sure with the help of your heating

    > contractor, we can resolve any problem you have

    > with the boiler or the system it is supporting.

    > Please feel free to contact me at our office to

    > discuss this further. With more details, I'm sure

    > we can provide the necessary assistance.

    >

    > Peter

    > Desens, Technical Service Manager, ECR

    > International - Dunkirk Boilers 1-800-325-5479,

    > ext. 4128



  • RonPR
    RonPR Member Posts: 10
    Q-90

    Have only used one so far showed up and the ignighter failed after two days , had to order parts in and recived the wrong one , no heat for 3 days in the home , this was installed after removing a lennox complete heat for the 3rd time that had failed in less than one year , Have had no problems with the unit since , around 3 months since the install , lennox is useing them to replace the complete heat under warrenty issues , hope they choose well this time ?
  • Dunkirk Quantum 90

    I have one of these in my own home.
    4 years and the ignitor just went out this month for the first time.
    I have never seen another one installed yet.

    Mine is serial number 004. I had NO problems with wiring or gas pressure.

    There was a flood in my basement in August of 2002. The controls got wet. Ordered controls (never got them), so to dry out the controls, I placed them on top of the clothes dryer and left them for a week. I placed them back in service, and have had no problem since the ignitor issue the other day. Bought another ignitor just in case.

    My only gripe is with the supply houses that cannot or will not order parts for these "cutting edge" boilers.
  • Dunkirk Quantum 90

    I have one of these in my own home.
    4 years and the ignitor just went out this month for the first time.
    I have never seen another one installed yet.

    Mine is serial number 004. I had NO problems with wiring or gas pressure. I use it for both radiant and baseboard (have not completed the radiant yet, so the baseboard stays) loads, and am contemplating the use of a Tekmar 250 to do reset.

    There was a flood in my basement in August of 2002. The controls got wet. Ordered controls (never got them), so to dry out the controls, I placed them on top of the clothes dryer and left them for a week. I placed them back in service, and have had no problem since the ignitor issue the other day. Bought another ignitor just in case.

    My only gripe is with the supply houses that cannot or will not order parts for these "cutting edge" boilers.

    i never mentioned the Dunkirk, cause I thought all of the Munchkin guys would make fun of me!

    When I find the picture of my system, I'll post it.
  • Wayco Wayne_2
    Wayco Wayne_2 Member Posts: 2,479
    I had some trouble

    with one I put in 3 years ago. It had intermittant short cycling that was causing ignitor failures. Since there were no diagnostics it was hard to catch. The HO and myself were getting pretty upset after 2 years of intermittant trouble but after I found the problem and fixxed it it's been running well. The trouble was the air pressure switch for the flu piping was adjusted wrong and would cut out and then immediately start the ignition cycle again. It would only happen when the aquastat was nearing 180 F.

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Rodney Summers
    Rodney Summers Member Posts: 748
    piece of junk- Dunkirk Q90-125-200 Direct Vent Hot Water Boiler

    I am a developer in Erie, PA. This past year I built
    a beautiful home for my family and included a Dunkirk Q90
    as my primary heat source. After less than a year, I am
    on my 3rd new boiler. 1st boiler aluminium casting leaked
    within 2 months, factory wanted to replace whole unit. However, factory only wanted to pay my heating contractor
    1/2 of his fee, and stated they do not expect my heating
    contractor to make a profit on the reinstall, only want to
    cover his expense to do the work. He is being shorted by
    $450.00 dollars. Guess who is suppose to pay the $450.00?
    Also, both the dealer and Dunkirks marketing rep., C & C Marketing, respond as uninterested in helping to resolve
    the claim. Next, after an unreasonable period the replacement unit arrives, boiler is installed only to leak,
    boiler bushing is fixed by my plumber on install day, but
    5 days later casting plug is leaking on replacement. Replacement boiler in less than 5 days and has had 2 different leaks. Factory Rep. admits to me over phone, in the mean
    time, that Dunkirk has had some problems with their castings
    for this model. Again, Dunkirk wants to replace whole boiler with 3rd boiler, but does not want to pay more than
    1/2 of my plumbers fee leaving me out another possibly $450.00.
    I consider myself a fair person, but after many calls
    to some of the upper people at Dunkirk and the parent, ECR
    International, Inc., I have to say no one seems interested
    in helping resolve my plumber fees.
    As of today, who knows if I will need a 4th or 5th
    hot water boiler and how soon. My 3rd boiler still has to be installed and everybody points the finger at someone else. I wish the lemon laws applied to these guys. At one
    time I think Dunkirk probably was a good name; but now, watch out or you might find yourself battling, and hoping
    your boiler lasts (tonight in Erie is around 30
    degrees) until fairness is achieved. The leak is getting
    worse, and I sure hope my family does not loss heat anytime soon as winter has set in.
    I can honestly say I really doubt the people at Dunkirk
    Boilers care whether my troubles are addressed. As proof,
    I pointed out to the Dunkirk people my company is currently
    developing over 300 home/condominium units in my County.
    They just yonded. Any questions? DBSAWAU@Velocity.Net




  • wmmurphy
    wmmurphy Member Posts: 1
    Lennox GWB9

    Is the Dunkirk Quantum 90 the same as Lennox GWB9 Thanks
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    edited December 2010
    Dinkirk Q90 IS Junk

    My Q 90 is 4 years old. The first year it shut down randomly, usually when it was cold out so we would wake up in a freezing home. Our plumber would come and that year he changed a board and the burner or twiddle something to coax it to life. This went on all winter. As it and his labor were under warranty at least it didn’t cost me any money, unlike year two. The second year the story repeated, my plumber was only too happy to come over and try to fix it, and at his hourly rates I would be happy too. His wife and kids were probably happy too in their new car given the  hundreds and hundreds of dollars I paid for emergency calls  to repair  my new Dunkirk POS . Lets rename the the thing, "Introducing the new Dunkirk POS90"

     

    Year three was a little better after a modification to the exhaust pipe to reduce the back pressure and some more twiddling with parts. Here were in year 4 and tonight I notice its getting cold in the house. A quick trip to the basement confirms what I already knew, the Quantum crapped out again! Bang on this, push that, flip the switch, wait and pray, and  shazam…heat again.

     

    I replaced my old boiler because it was 20 years old and I wanted to upgrade before it went bad and have piece of mind, instead I have a piece of crap. If I had the money I would rip out the Dunkirk Q90and sell it for scrap (which is all it is worth) and replace it with another brand. My confidence in this product is absolutely ZERO. It is a stellar example of an engineering failure, poorly trained field staff and accompany which doesn’t stand behind their product, because if they did, they would have been upgrades sent out to the field to retrofit the ones in peoples homes.

     

    This is my opinion based on my experience with Dunkirk Q90 Boiler. My recommendation to anyone considering this product is the following. Do not under any circumstances waste your time, money or your family’s health on a Dunkirk high technology product.



    Lastly as I write this the Dunkirk POS Q90 has  locked out twice.

    Its 11:45PM, most likely it will happen again tonight, we’ll be waking up cold in the morning, there will be no hot water for a shower before we leave to go visit out daughter at school. Well return Monday afternoon to a freezing house here in NY, broken boiler and a plumber who will get that much richer working on my Dunkirk POS90. I will have to bite the bullet, take out a loan and replace the Dunkirk Q90 with a more reliable product.
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,367
    Have You Tried...

    Contacting Dunkirk directly. Pete Desens 1-800-325-5479 x4128.



    What size is your boiler? What is the code it's locking out on?



    I can understand your frustrations, but the purpose of this forum is to ask questions and get help, not vent your anger at people that are willing to help to help you at their own time and expense and that have had nothing to do with the installation and service of your boiler.



    You are also incorrect in your assessment of Dunkirk and their reps. I know many of them personally and have seen them go out of their way to help a customer when they didn't have to.



    There was a burner upgrade on some of these boilers. I don't know if yours would be one or not. There are also tech bulletins available on Dunkirk's web site.



    How far did your plumber check any of this out? Did he set the burner up using a combustion analyzer? I personally would not continue to use and pay someone who could not fix the problem or get answers as to what the problem was. For him to keep charging you and not fix it, when he was the one who installed it, is unethical. Unless you purchased the boiler yourself and bypassed a trained/certified dealer. In that case there would be no warranty on it from Dunkirk



    If you want help, then there are people here, as well as at Dunkirk, that are willing to help you. But you'll have to ask and be co-operative.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    Dunkirk Q90 issues

    Dear Bob,

    Regarding the burner, yes it was replaced, maybe even twice if I recall and so was the controller board and nope, did not install it myself. It is a 175, and this time the purge light was blinking and the blower was running, other times just the top green light is on but the fan stays running. In the past it has been other combinations of lights. In fact, I would call the plumber and tell him what the trouble code  lights were so he could call his guru and ask before coming out!

    spending more money to have my plumber or another plumber come and work on it is somewhat of an issue. How do I know if he/she has the experience needed to trouble shoot the problem?  I have no way to know who has gained the experience on a large base of installed field units and clearly it is not a simple problem on my unit. Or, who has run into a complete spectrum of unique problems which would enable him/her to compile a workable data set of knowledge deep enough and wide enough to trouble shoot the unit in a strategic manner.  Specific product experience and sound trouble shooting skills will win the day, nothing less.

    Thank you for leading me to Mr. Desens, this is valuable and useful information, I will contact him on Monday on our way back. Maybe he is in a position to authorize one of their field experts to come out and assess the unit, confirm its calibrations/retrofits/upgrades and ensure it is operating to its design specs. Then maybe even suggest a strong service person in my area who is experienced with the Q90. Once it is confirmed the unit is functioning to factory spec, I would feel very comfortable engaging a designated service person to maintain the unit.

    Thanks for your sincere reply, Ill post again after speaking with Mr. Desens and let you know what happens.

    Have a great weekend
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    edited December 2010
    Cold morning

    Just to confirm, woke up cold this morning, red purge light flashing. Turned off the boiler, waited, turned it back on, and it fired up. Looking foward to speaking with  Mr. Desens on Monday to hear his sugestions.

    Thanks again for your kind reply.
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    Dunkirk Q90-- Last entry

    Dear Bob



    Since my last entry I have spoken to two Dunkirk factory service people and have had a heating contractor come to service the boiler. you shold know  that the boiler checked out fine.



    The factory reps were helpful with many suggestions to investigate, but basically, it can be anything wrong with any of the parts to cause the problem and of course you have to pay a heating contractor to figure it out. They refused to send a factory person to my house to diagnose the system issuse.

     In the end here is what I take away from this experience.

    Unlike more conventional non condensing boilers running at 87% and its simpler, proven design and technology, these newer high efficiency products are not simple, by any means. They have electronic controller boards, multiple pressure switches, inducers, and boilers which are made of non traditional materials. Overall as a system of more advanced components, it has a significantly larger exposure and opportunity for failure than a conventional system. I’m sure in a few more years of experience the engineers will learn from the field failures and root cause analysis and be able make a robust product with a life expectancy on par with what we are used to. . But, as with any new technology product, you do not want to be one of the early adopters unless yo are willing to accept the exposure and pain which goes with it.

     

    As for the warranty, from Dunkirk its pretty light after the first year, other than for the boiler as each part they purchase from a manufacture to build their unit has its own  warranty from what ever manufacture they buy it from. Unfortunately, you have to go to each part manufacture to see what their individual warranty is.  It would be great given the failure record of the Q90 and related units if Dunkirk warranted their “System” so the homeowner had one company responsible for the problem instead of a dozen.

     

    The heating contractor(s) I spoke with all stopped installing these, the one I selected stopped after his first ten, the units failed too often and several ended up with cracked boilers so he no longer sells the Dunkirk or other related products from that family. But, working with 10 failures gives him more experience than the others with only 4 or 3 failures so I picked him. Nobody I spoke with likes these things, they will only install them if requested by the home owner.

     

    Here is the real rub of it all. At 90% it is only 3% better than a conventional non condensing boiler at 87%, which has a simpler design and control system and costs less. So the 90% saved me  ~3% on my $4,000 heating bill which is  only about 120 bucks in savings per year which is about half of what it costs for each service call on my Dunkirk Q90. Given that I have spent over $800 in service calls so far in the 4 years I’ve had it, this thing now needs to run perfectly for the next 6.6 years for me to save enough in gas to pay for the service calls!

     

    My advice to anyone looking for a new boiler is not to buy these advanced systems, you will not notice the insignificant difference in your yearly heating bills between 90% and 87%, but you will notice is waking up cold, paying hundreds for multiple service calls and most importantly, loosing your peace of mind if you go with the Dunkirk Q90. With the money you save buying a conventional boiler, you can purchase additional insulation for your home!



    The above  has been my experience with the Dunkirk Q90, If the factory is interested to understand the issues they mayto contact me through this post.
  • Charlie from wmass
    Charlie from wmass Member Posts: 4,318
    I was wondering

    Can you post a photo or 2 of your boiler?
    Cost is what you spend , value is what you get.

    cell # 413-841-6726
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/charles-garrity-plumbing-and-heating
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    New news on problematic Q90

    If anyone could shed some light on this I’d appreciate it.

    Further investigation into my intermittent Q90 revealed the following:

     Measuring the input gas rate by timing the meter as described in the manual calculated out to 200K BTUs.

    Measuring the differential pressure with a digital manometer showed 1.97”

    Both results are perfect for a 200Kbtu boiler, except that mine is a Q-175!

    Is possible that Dunkirk that sold 200kBTU boilers labeled as 175K’s?

    Is it possible that when the heating guy changed out the old burner with the upgraded one that it changed the boiler from 175K to 20OK

    Any insight would be appreciated.



    Thanks all
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,367
    200k BTU

    You now have a 200k btu boiler. Dunkirk used one size on the upgraded burner to do both the 175 and the 200. See attached tech bulletin



    I' ve also attached the I & O manual. If the boiler locks off again, get the code and look in the manual for the fault and remedy before you reset it. Then you'll at least have an idea of what the problem is. Post it here and we'll try and get an answer to get it resolved.



    In regard to your earlier post about Dunkirk sending a factory tech. to repair your boiler, they can't do this because of legal and liability issues. They will work with a licensed contractor to advise, but not actually do repairs. This goes for any boiler manufacturer as far as I know.

     

    You should also have the burner set up with a digital combustion analyzer.



     I'd encourage you to read the manual through and see if there's anything in your installation that is deficient and have it corrected. The vast majority of boiler problems are the result of improper design and installation practices but everyone wants to blame the appliance.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    Q90 Set up

    Thank you for the manuals.

    I've read through them and my installation appears to be sound particularly the vent pipes fall within the length and elbow limitations.

    I'll perform the combustion analysis this weekend, one question, what do you recommend best to seal the exhaust pipe with after drilling the hole in it for the analyzer tube? Bacharach, the manuf of my combustion analyzer, they didn't have a recommendation and I have seen many different types of tape/plugs used on flue vents during my Energy Audits although most of them were not adhered well.

    My concern is that the exhaust  has some positive pressure in it instead of "draft"

    What do you think?
  • Gordan
    Gordan Member Posts: 891
    Why would you expect negative pressure?

    This is induced draft - exhaust is "pushed" and not "sucked out."
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    edited December 2010
    Its drafty

    Thanks for the reply,

    Exactly, I said "positive pressure" instead of draft,

    Maybe its a silly question, but given the POSITIVE pressure present while the exhaust gases are being pushed out and after drilling the sampling hole I want to ensure the pipe is sealed correctly and semi permanently (semi because I want to periodically check the combustion) . Ive seen many heating  contractors use duct tape to seal an exhaust pipe, and the stuff always seems to dry out and fall off.  Because this is a positive pressure exhaust we don't want CO blowing out the hole into the home, so the question is what is proper method to seal the sample hole in a plastic pipe ,positive pressure system>  Also considering the corrosive environment within the pipe. Any suggestions?

    Thanks
  • Gordan
    Gordan Member Posts: 891
    Ah, get it now.

    Sorry, misunderstood your question. I'll let the experts answer it, though.
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    It sDrafty

    No problem!



    Thanks for taking the time to reply.
  • Robert O'Brien
    Robert O'Brien Member Posts: 3,540
    PVC

    I use a brass plug to seal the hole. It will tap itself into the plastic.
    To learn more about this professional, click here to visit their ad in Find A Contractor.
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    PIpe plug

    Thanks, for the tip.

    Brass will hold up to the flue gasses for a while?
  • Chicacold
    Chicacold Member Posts: 3
    Same issue!

    I've been living the same nightmare BadQ90 has for the past five plus years.  I really need some help.
  • I would bet,,

    The problems lie with the venting,,, those proving switches are a spring/diaphragm/micro-switch activation & are very touchy if there are irregular offsets.  
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    edited December 2010
    Q90 vents

    Hi Dave, and thank you for your input.

    My pipes fit well within the manuals specifications for venting being less than 60 ft and 4 x 90 elbows. They are parallel runs at 30-35ft. The intake leaves the boiler transitions to 3" white pipe and has 1 x 90 and 2 x 45 before it goes up through the house,  the exhaust leaves the boiler, transitions to white pipe and has 2 x 90 and one 45 before it goes up. As I mentioned before, measuring the differential pressure yielded a perfect 2".  Also, the 90s are the gradual kind not the right angle type.

    What kind or irregularities were you thinking about in the vent pipes?

      
  • Rick_1234
    Rick_1234 Member Posts: 1
    Q90 Mystery Solved!

    My Q90-100 was intermittent and kept acting like it had draft pressure problems.  After a whole evening of checking for ice, cleaning out the vent and exhaust pipes, and even cleaning out the heat exchanger, it seemed to work for a while.  Measuring the pressure differnential, though, it was just right at 1" WC across the pressure switch test ports. 

    And sure enough, it dipped below that and locked out with the purge light flashing again.

    So I tried to cycle it a few times, and it was clear there was something seriously wrong with the airflow.  But when I disconnected the vent intake, still no good, so it wasn't a clogged or iced intake.  Taking apart the exahust (again), it struck me that there was quite a bit of water in there.  Then I realized, what if that water is not supposed to be in the inducer area? 

    Sure enough, the condensate drain at the bottom of the heat exchanger was plugged with crud.  I took the hose clamp off and slide the hose off.  The inside of the hose was dry as a bone.  Then I poked a screwdriver up into the fitting on the bottom of the heat exchanger.  A gusher of brown cruddy water dumped out.  I poked in an out a few more times to make sure it was clear, put the hose back on, and fired her up.

    Wow!  about 3" WC of pressure diffferential.  Plenty of airflow.  And when the flame came on, it was dead solid, no flickering or stuttering on startup. 

    So I guess having the exahust passages and inducer housing filled with water kind of makes it hard to get decent airflow.

    I suppose it kind of explains the intermittent operation and cold weather sensitivity as well.  Running in the cold days, a lot more condensation.  And maybe it was draining just slow enough that after being locked out for a while, it would be back to the verge of draining enough to just barely start working again.

    Bottom line: I would recommend anybody having issues with purge switch lockouts to check the condensate drain!
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    BadQ90

    It’s been several weeks since my last post about the poor design issues with my Q90, but don’t fret, I’m back!

    As they say, there are a few things in life you can count on, death, taxes and problems with a Q90.

    The thing has shut down several times more for no apparent reason,  even though I have had it serviced and checked the fuel flow and pressures myself with my dual channel manometer combustion analyzer. It’s funny (not really) mention this boiler to a heating person and they all make that strange face and say they no longer sell them because they have too many problems.  Shouldn’t be too hard to find an expert witnesses against this thing.

    As I sit here writing this, it is 51oF cold in the house, because, you guessed it, the POS Q90 crapped out AGAIN last night! This time it is different than the usual blinking lights problem, this time there are no blinking lights at all, no sign of life, dead. Ya know, I kind of miss those lights.  I checked all the simple things like AC power and 24V to the control board.  The heating technician will be here in a little while, in the mean time all of you out there, sitting in your freezing pajamas, thinking how you are stuck with this expensive boat anchor in your basements, wishing you could afford just to get rid of it and get something different yet functional, would anyone be interested in joining me in a class action lawsuit? If enough of us respond, I’ll do it because what we are experiencing is not within our reasonable expectations when we purchased a new heating system.  

    It post again once the technician gives me the bill.
  • Chicacold
    Chicacold Member Posts: 3
    Class Action

    Keep us posted.
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    BadQ90

    Here is the update I promised you all regarding the LATEST failure of my Dunkirk Q90.

    As you recall, we last left our frigid hero in his pajamas, in the basement staring at the lifeless Q90. He tried all the usual tricks of cycling power, wiggling wires, praying etc, but nothing would make the little lights come on so once again he broke out the checkbook and called in a heating professional.

     

    This time there was a new discovery, a NEW SYMPTOM, unlike any before it!  For some unknown reason the high temperature switch located on the top of the boiler got tripped and it shut the whole thing down. The technician reset the switch with one swift push of his finger on the button and the boiler roared to life yet one more time.

     

    Now the question, “Why” did it trip for the first time in the several years I have had it? The technical looked as if I had just asked to explain how the universe was formed. He replied, “No idea” but when he had asked the factory about this problem which he has encountered several times the only solution they offer is turn down the set point! So that’s what he did, he lowered my set point from 180, to 175. ritual.

     

    As I may have mentioned in a previous post, I was a service manager for several years and, THAT is the kind of answer, just lower the temperature, if the type of answer you give out when there is a known design problem, and there is nothing you can do about it. So if you are keeping score, my boiler fails several times per season for no apparent reason, it has had the burner upgrades which turned it from a 175,000 to a 200,000 BTU so it is now incorrectly sized, all operational parameters have been checked and are within spec and I must spend hundreds of dollars a year on service calls to keep my new Dunkirk Q90% high efficiency boiler running.

     

    Now for the very most important and disturbing thing of all for you to consider, Given all my troubles and verbose documentation of these troubles in this posting forum, wouldn’t you have expected that someone from Dunkirk would become aware of this situation and reach out to me either directly or through a rep in an effort to understand the root cause of these failures and get them resolved?

     

     If it were my company and I believed in my product I would have had somebody knocking on your door months ago, even if I had to drive to your house myself with a new boiler in the trunk!  Because to their lack of contact one can assume that Dunkirk has an unmanageable, unreliable product on their hands that they wish never existed and now can’t retrofit enough to correct the fundamental design flaws.  I  believe they would have tried to contact me and do something otherwise.

     

    If anyone has any idea as to what can intermittently cause the high temp switch to trip, I’d be interested in hearing what you think and would share the info my heating technician.

     

    Thanks
  • Andyk
    Andyk Member Posts: 13
    Dunkirk Issue

    I work for a distributor in upstate NY and I sell the Utica equivalent ( UB90 ) of this boiler. I can honestly say that I have had little or no issues with this product. I have a few dozen of these in the field although all of the ones I have sold are no larger than the UB90-125.  I will say that there is always an exception to the rule but I can't understand why you are having support issues from Tec Service at ECR.

    Peter Dessens is not only the head of Tec Svc but he also has design input on their equipment. I know Pete and if I have had an issue with any Utica product he has always been there to rectify the problem. He is well versed in the products they supply.



    Charles Garrity asked early is the post if you could post a pic or two of the install. Is that a possibility ? Pics are worth a thousand words.



    Have you contacted the distributor where the boiler came from ? Is there a local rep agency that handle the Dunkirk Product Line ?



    Good luck with your problem and I hope it's solved sooner than later.



    Andy
    "Call a Pro~in the end you will save some dough "
  • Chicacold
    Chicacold Member Posts: 3
    The streak is over

    It was too good to be true.  After six weeks of fairly consistent performance the beast has once again started to shut down for no reason.



    Has anyone heard of a suggestion to add an additional loop just outside of the unit to help avoid overheating?  The suggestion was made by someone I'm considering bringing in to make some changes.  The thing did not fail during the coldest parts of the winter but now that it is getting warmer he believes that since perhaps only one of my two zones are kicking in there may be too much heat building up.  This really stinks.



    If anyone has a Dunkirk rep. in the Chicago area that they can recommend I'm all ear.s
  • BadQ90
    BadQ90 Member Posts: 21
    Q90, dead again, for a little while!

    Hello friends,

    Just came home from a nice dinner into a cold house… the Dunquirk  Q90 had failed for some amount of time while we were gone, the house is freezing.  Its running now, I didn’t do anything to it, oh the joy to discover a new failure mode, random  intermittentness.

    Isn’t there a factory expert out there who has had enough of my ramblings, or out of  curiosity  or even the  quest for knowledge  want to discover what the root of these product  problems are? Doesn’t anybody from Dunkirk want to take on this challenge? How about just to prove me wrong - that after all is said and  done it was my fault all along, and watch me eat crow ( which I would gladly do in exchange for a reliable heating unit) in front of this message board?

     

    Or, is it that you guys know this unit has latent engineering problems and understand there is nothing that can be done to fix it. The gauntlet is down gentleman, I’m hoping that a few of you go into a meeting in some conference room and decide that it is time to raise Dunkirk customer service to a new unheard of level and jump into this game.

     

    And to AndyK who wrote “Peter Dessens is not only the head of Tec Svc but he also has design input on their equipment. I know Pete and if I have had an issue with any Utica product he has always been there to rectify the problem. He is well versed in the products they supply.”

    I had contacted Mr. Dessens a while ago, via phone call and left a mesage for him,  he passed the message onto another support person who while being kind, had no real resolution to the problems. If you are out there Pete, please reach out to me, I could use your help.
  • EddieG
    EddieG Member Posts: 150
    Has????

    Has any of the tech's preformed a combustion test on your boiler? Have they drilled a hole in the PVC flue pipe (which would have a plug in it)?
  • Andyk
    Andyk Member Posts: 13
    Re:Dunkirk Issue

    CALL Utica tech and ask for Scott Dam, I spoke to him yesterday about your prolonged issues. These guy's are pro's and this is a good product.

    1-800-328-5479
    "Call a Pro~in the end you will save some dough "
  • bwa
    bwa Member Posts: 4
    Dunkirk disasters

    Not surprising. We had so many failures of the Q series aluminum boilers here in Colorado, ECR (dunkirk) sent their chief engineer and their product engineer out here for two days to look at half dozen installations where their Q90's failed, typically leaking heat exchangers. the only thing they could find quote "wrong" is that we do not use auto fills - (don't believe in them, I would rather have a boiler go down than flood a house). After their visit they would never return my phone calls or emails. Just a poor excuse for a boiler. They replaced 5 boilers in one customers home in 5 years and could never find anything wrong with the installation or fluid. Since then the later failures dunkirk would give you a new heat exchanger and no labor - takes a day to change out + plus you have to pay for return shipping 100 lbs of aluminum. Better to just take the heat exchanger to the scrap yard and install a IBC stainless steel boiler - which we have done on some 20 occasions.
  • bwa
    bwa Member Posts: 4
    Dunkirk Q90 parts

    Since we have removed so many Q90 aluminum boilers we have cheap parts for awhile anyway.

    bwadams2@msn.com
This discussion has been closed.