Lochinvar ODR reads 60-65F when its 28F
The tech that installed my Lochinvar Noble ODR put the sensor on an exterior wall that gets direct morning sun AND is covered in aluminum siding. I've measured against a reasonably accurate kitchen thermometer and the ODR has been accurate during our typical cloudy winter weather in New England.
This morning I had my first sunny day though and…WOW. My kitchen thermometer reads 28F and my ODR sensor reads 60-65F. The house is not uncomfortable, presumably because it's getting baked at the moment from the east, but the west-facing rooms are cooling down more than I'd like them to.
My best idea so far would be to re-locate it away from the aluminum siding and out of the sun. I assume the high temp is just due to the direct sun and my aluminum siding heating it up. Anyone have any other ideas?
Comments
-
North side of the building, under the roof overhang if possible. It's seeing the solar influence where you have it.
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream0 -
They installed the sensor in the wrong place.
This is in the manual:
"Mount the sensor on an exterior wall, shielded from direct sunlight or flow of heat or cooling from other sources."
They need to come out and reinstall it in a proper location.
1 -
The vent hoods to the left of the boiler terminations, what are those for?
The venting section in the manual give you a lot of detail about what is acceptable.
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream0 -
@hot_rod those hoods are for an ERV that was installed before I bought this house. The ERV intake has already been blocked off by the boiler installers because it's too close to the boiler exhaust, so it's just providing negative pressure at the moment. When I turn it off, the house becomes too humid.
I think I have to choose between relocating it 1) east-facing and under 1 foot+ of roof overhang or 2) north-facing and on the exterior wall. What do you suppose is the least bad option?
0 -
Choose north facing.
1 -
Agree with north, the east wall will become warm from the sun, even if the sensor is tucked under the eve. I just went through this with my HP sensor on the east wall. Any time the sun was on that east wall the sensor read above ambient temperature.
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream1 -
It’s laughable how much I paid for this install and how incompetently they’ve handled it. I wish I had never called them.
0 -
So just to be clear, they installed the exhaust in the wrong place as well and now you are having issues because you can't run the ERV?
I'd make them move everything, unfortunately they have now put all those holes in the side of your house.
On the venting, is it at the correct height? The bottom of the intake elbow is supposed to be 12" above the max snow level for your area. Not sure what that number is, but if it was me I'd have the microscope out at this point.
Have you made final payment yet?
0 -
"Unnamed 2025 contractor" did not put those holes there - they were pre-existing.
"Unknown 2012 contractor" installed the ERV intake and put it too close to the boiler exhaust (unless it was code-compliant at the time - circa 2012). I never knew this was an issue (I'm not an HVAC tech, just a 1st time homeowner) until 2025 contractor pointed it out.
The ERV is running negative pressure, but it is running. EDIT: and to be clear, I don't think there's any issue with it at the moment. See below.
In 2025, contractor went to install this Lochinvar unit, they pointed out the issue with the ERV intake and said they couldn't re-route the ERV intake that day but also couldn't leave it sucking in boiler exhaust. They installed the boiler intake/exhaust in the same spot it's always been, but changed it from a bay vent to a snorkel. To make the boiler replacement code-compliant despite the ERV intake placement, they closed up the ERV intake hood, opened the ERV intake duct indoors, leaving the intake to pull in air from my boiler room. They want to come back and re-route the ERV intake to a different spot far enough away from the boiler exhaust. At this point, I don't really want them doing anything on my house again, but I will have someone look at it and propose solutions.
That's a good question about snow level. My gut reaction (FWIW) is that I'm not overly concerned about it. If "max snow level" is an official measurement, I don't know what it is for Burlington, VT. We get less snow than the rest of Vermont - we're practically at sea level and we warm up frequently during the winter (if anything, I would like more snow). Do we get 3 feet of snow once in a blue moon? Yes, which would be higher than what's installed. In practice, I always shovel away from the vents and the relatively warm exhaust from the ERV facilitates a lot of melting. The old vent was in the same spot and in my 4 years living in this house, I've never been remotely alarmed by how high snow has fallen around it. I've been living in the area for 10 years, and only once have I seen enough snow fall to potentially overwhelm that venting.
EDIT: @KC_Jones I have not made final payment yet
0 -
@Kaos @GroundUp @psb75 @tcassano87 @hot_rod @Steve_Wheels @KC_Jones
I did get the installer to come back, put in service valves (I think they still omitted 1 but I am tired of pulling teeth), re-locate the ODR, and space the tees more closely together. I'm a complete layman and could not have convinced them to re-do any of this without your help. THANK YOU!
3 -
Is there a window above where the vent is? If not you can extend the vent up and far enough away so you can keep the existing ERV intake. The installation manual of your unit will show the clearance required (somewhere around 3' to 6'). Can also angle the elbow so it exhaust away from the ERV intake side.
Keeping the ERV intake in the basement means pretty much 0% efficiency. Not something you want long term.
P.S. It looks like they did install the proper isolation valve set for the DHW.
0 -
there is a window above the vent.
I plan on fixing the ERV intake. Just haven’t had the time to find a new contractor to do it.
Oh good, glad to hear you confirm the DHW isolation valve looks right.
0 -
The boiler should throw a fault code if it can't get combustion air. You may get a whopping snowstorm "off the lake" someday. Admittedly you ARE in "the Banana Belt" of VT.
1
Categories
- All Categories
- 86.8K THE MAIN WALL
- 3.1K A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
- 56 Biomass
- 425 Carbon Monoxide Awareness
- 108 Chimneys & Flues
- 2K Domestic Hot Water
- 5.6K Gas Heating
- 105 Geothermal
- 160 Indoor-Air Quality
- 3.6K Oil Heating
- 69 Pipe Deterioration
- 962 Plumbing
- 6.3K Radiant Heating
- 385 Solar
- 15.3K Strictly Steam
- 3.4K Thermostats and Controls
- 54 Water Quality
- 44 Industry Classes
- 47 Job Opportunities
- 18 Recall Announcements