15-yr-old Buderus GB142, sealant on HX cover, rust, warm air leaking from cabinet - replace? And wh

Options
frozencombustion
frozencombustion Posts: 1
in Gas Heating

New England area. Buderus Logamax plus GB142-24 (aluminum HX), installed 2011, no known service history. The boiler feeds hydro-air coils in 3 air handlers (4 zones), plus an indirect water tank.

First service visit this week. Tech found:

- Red silicone-type sealant around the heat exchanger cover. He said someone sealed it because the metal must have warped, and that the prior technician tried to replace the gasket but the fit was poor so they had to seal it.

- Rust dust in the bottom of the cabinet and rust on a pipe below the boiler.

- Warm air I can feel at one spot on the back of the casing. He says the metal is warped and can't be fixed.

He didn't open the HX. He said doing so would cost ~$1k and likely still end in replacement. ). CO alarm in the basement hasn't gone off. Photos attached.

Questions:

  1. Does this look like end of life, or is anything here worth fixing? For example, if the heat exchanger is bad should we just replace that instead? or is it just not worth it since it's 15 years old with everything else that can break later or if the part is no longer available. I asked this question on Reddit and someone said that it doesn't look bad, but again, the issue is that we can't get this serviced since the technician doesn't want to open it up (he said he didn't have the sealant handy to reseal it afterwards)
  2. For replacement, what is the recommendation? This unit is about 85K BTU/hour, I researched Lochinvar Knight, Viessmann, and IBC. Anything else to consider? This is our first time replacing a boiler, so I am trying to figure out how to suss out what a good company is and what are signs of a good installer?
rich text editor image rich text editor image rich text editor image rich text editor image rich text editor image

Comments

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Posts: 7,763

    Its an obsolete boiler that's been poorly maintained. Replace it. See what reputable contractors recommend AND provide annual maintenance.

    SuperTech
  • Ironman
    Ironman Posts: 7,970

    What’s leaking is a dielectric union, it’s replaceable and not part of the heat exchanger.

    The boiler has been discontinued, but parts are still available.

    If replacing the union and cleaning the HX are all that’s needed, then you may wanna delay replacing the boiler.

    IDK why the technician said that taking the cover off would cost $1000. That’s nonsense: the boiler is designed where it requires no tools (except maybe a crescent wrench) to access and clean the HX.

    You may wanna look for a different contractor.

    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,298

    there are a few leaky fittings there which all appear to be fixable. the question is if that money is better put in to repairing those leaks for another probably 5-10 years or use or toward a new boiler and i think i could argue that either way.

  • SuperTech
    SuperTech Posts: 2,676

    I saw your post on Reddit. I'll say the same thing. That boiler can be cleaned but it takes a lot time. You have to repeatedly spray the heat exchanger with mineral oil and then reassemble the boiler and run it. They can get pretty nasty if they aren't meticulously maintained. It's a lot easier to clean most stainless steel boilers with a water tube or fire tube heat exchanger.

    That boiler might be repairable but it is 15 years old and they typically only last 15-20 years at best. It is an obsolete boiler and replacement parts location might be a problem.

    Lochinvar, Viessmann and IBC all make great boilers. I don't recommend Navien. But whoever does the installation is a lot more important than what brand is being installed. The quality of the installation and proper sizing determines how reliable and efficient a boiler will be.

  • psb75
    psb75 Posts: 1,176

    That heat exchanger really should be checked and cleaned. It can get very crusty. The mineral oil spray and run method will work IF it is done on a fairly regular basis. Otherwise there is a LOT of "dental work" to do scraping the aluminum fins in that x-changer. I just "retired" one of these at 18 yrs. of service. It was a good boiler. Buderus AND Bosch are…"no more." Parts can still be "found". I replaced the boiler with a Rinnai. Very good tech support. Good boilers. Lochinvar and Viessmann too. Not Navien.

Categories