Burnham V7 boiler big problem!!
My boiler installed in 1999 is now leaking. I was turned down by burnham for any help because I am not the original home owner (we all know how hard changing owners can be on a boiler). My internet research shows that Burnham knew this problem existed and it has happen to a ton of people with the V7's. And some with V8's. The steel casing on the boilers are not welded properly from the factory. My tech says we need to replace the furnace! Why cant we get someone to re-weld it? Any thoughts? Thanks I would be pretty pissed if Burnham, knew about the problem and they won't help you out in any way. I would write a letter to the CEO, COO, CFO and any other CO ( is there more ) along with documentation of the problem that they are aware of. I would iterate how displeased you are and through this experience you would avoid Burnham, products due to the lack of support. You never know you just might get some help, like a repair or a big discount on a new boiler? As for finding a company to do a repair like that good luck. Most companies don't want the liability. If they spend hours repairing that and it leaks you are going to be pissed and want compensation in some way or another. So replacing it is their route. If it were me I would call a welder and see if it can be welded and get a quote. If the price is reasonable I would have it repaired and send the receipt along with the letter. If the repair is too costly I would try my hand at welding. You got to look at it this way, if you fail, what do you lose? As of now you have to replace it. If you succeed, hey you don't have to buy a new boiler. Thats just my opinion and some of the pros will be by to give you their thoughts and suggestions. Good luck and keep us informed how things go. I am very surprised at Burnham's refusal to help you out. Most equipment warranties are very specific about second owners how the warranty is limited to other than the original owner. If the boiler has been installed elsewhere you bought it used, there is no warranty at all. If the boiler was installed in 1999 you now reside in the house where it was installed, I think you should be entitled to some help. BTW, the V7 is cast iron not steel therefore not weleded. There is a gentleman at Burnham who MAY be able to help if the boiler has not been moved from the original installation address. His name is Glen Stanton (if he is still there). Glen is still with Burnham, and is a regular poster on many of the pro boards. If the OP wishes to contact me via this forum's private message system, I will pass along his contact info. Pete I have the same problem with my burnham boiler tankless. I am told by my oil service company that Burnham will not cover it, also becasue I am not the original owner, I'm the second. They also said they have seen this quite often for this series and therefore no longer recommend Burnham. This is ridiculous. I have not contacted burnham directly yet. Any advice when I do? Would I get farther with them if I work with an service company that still installs Burnham boilers? There is no way I would go with another Burnham if they do not do something to help rectify this. What is standard warranty in the industry? What are come companies that stand behind there product better? I commonly see many recommendations on this sight for burnham but can't imagine why if this is how they treat customers. They sure don't build things like they used to. I have contacted three companies for quotes, and so will need help later also. The important question is how long will the installer warranty the job. Labor is very expensive. The boiler block may only be several hundred bucks from the distributor. What good is a free block, if the labor costs three times as much?? Check the boiler warranty, and also be sure you know how long you're covered for the labor as well. You may have ten years or lifetime on the block, but the installer may only give you one year free labor if the block fails. Pete Is the problem with the boiler itself or the tankless coil? My experience with Burnham has been nothing short of very good. In fairness to all, I have to say I've only had to deal with original owner problems Burnham gave me no hassle at all. Do you have any way to contact the original owner. If he will play along, sell him back your boiler for a dollar and lease it from him for a dollar on an annual basis. Then ask him to contact Burnham and get his boiler replaced. Buy it back from him when it is fixed. Burnham is usually very good and I have not had this problem with subsequent owners. Both replacements I did last year were original owner and went very smoothly with Burnham. Ken The problem is with the boiler itself. The casing is cracked. This clause about original owner is crap but I understand it is an industry standard, even though they all advertise there product reliability and warranties as a plus to the buyer. In most cases its the contractor that buys the product, not the homeowner (for new homes). It needs to be challenged by State Implied Warranty Laws. Until then??? I also understand these problems are limited their oil fired boilers which is more common in the Northeast as oil is a comon heating fuel here. Unfortunately, there are a lot of these boilers installed in the Northeast. Many problems have been detected and I bet many more will be detected. I have spoken to several oil service companies in the Notheast and they all tell me the same story. So to be fair they may have a better product in their gas fired product or their new MPO product (to be determined with time) but that does not excuse them doing nothing for the thousands of people that have a defective product that assume it would last for at least 10 years regardless who owns the home. So have you tried contacting the gentleman Grady, suggested since none of the service companies want to help you? I am working with a service rep to try to get something out of Burnham. They have a good relationship representative at Burnham so we will see how far that takes me before taking furher steps. Currently, if Burnham offers some relief I may go with their MPO boiler. If not probobly a Buderus. Although other contractors are coming to give estimates with Kenmore and Dunkirk equipment. Are they in the same league. I don't see them mentioned as a preferred oil burner on this sight. One the same. You might want to look at Crown. I've used them for years been quite happy. If you want a boiler with a tankless coil, which I most others suggest you do not, Buderus Burham's MPO are out. They do not have a tankless coil. So you know/like Dunkirk or not or are indifferent? Are they comparable to the others? My guess is no!. Have not found anyone here that works with Crown but will ask. I am considering Buderus and Burnham boiler with an indirect water heater, not a tackless coil. My series 7 burnham had a tankless coil, worked great for hot water until it cracked but I am told tankless coils are less efficient. While the extra cost of the tank is an expense this seems to be the recommneded approach from DOE EERE, see below quote from its website. I like recommendations as its hard to come up to speed on a new area to be an informed consumer but I appreciate the reasoning behind the recommendations to that I am not just a dumb terminal. Therefore, I would like to know why you and others recommend tankless coils instead of an indirect water heater. I looked through the other postings but could not find the reasoning. Indirect water heaters offer a more efficient choice for most homes, even though they require a storage tank. An indirect water heater uses the main furnace or boiler to heat a fluid that's circulated through a heat exchanger in the storage tank. The energy stored by the water tank allows the furnace to turn off and on less often, which saves energy. Therefore, an indirect water heater is used with a high-efficiency boiler and well-insulated tank can be the least expensive means of providing hot water. I don't dislike Dunkirk but I think there are better choices. With an indirect, a Crown CT series would be a good bet a good bit less expensive than the Buderus. Buderus is fine equipment, no doubt, but pricey. What makes a tankless so inefficient is the fact the boiler has to stay at operating temperature 24/7/365. With an indirect, the tank is highly insulated is set up as a separate zone. The boiler only heats on demand from either a thermostat or the domestic storage tank. Originally Posted by DCSatHome Therefore, I would like to know why you and others recommend tankless coils instead of an indirect water heater. I think you got that backwards... most everyone you talk to here will _not_ recommend the tankless over the indirect ... Thanks for the clarification all. So all in agreement indirect is the way to go. I misread the post from Grady, sorry. Now lets see if I can find a Crown dealer as initial estimtes are high ($7,000-$8, 000) and my budget isn't.
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