Vent damper not making switch when opening
Hi all, I've been browsing this site with great interest the last couple weeks trying to diagnose my own problem, but I haven't seen any issues with vent dampers like mine posted here. I've been having problems with the boiler in my hot-water heating system, where a zone calls for heat (there are 3 zones with Honeywell V8043 zone valves) but the boiler never kicks on. This is generally an intermittent problem, where it might happen a couple times in a single day, or not once for a couple weeks. I had a serviceman out to look at it who concluded it was the vent damper not making the switch correctly on every cycle around, so on those times where it doesn't, the boiler just sits there indefinitely until I sense it getting pretty cold in the house and I go and power cycle the boiler (it's wired up to switch on the wall). The boiler is a Bryant BW2. The vent damper is an Effikal RVGP-KSF 6-inch. I was told the cost to replace this vent damper would be about $800, and since it looks like a part that would cost maybe $50 or $100, I've been hesitant to go ahead with the work, especially when I can get it running again by turning it off and on. Since the time the serviceman was out, I didn't have a single outage once for the next 3 weeks, but I did notice that one of the zones was always cold. Using these forums and my own studying of the boiler, I was able to determine that one of the zone valves was dead, and I replaced it successfully and now the whole house heats up properly. This made me somewhat skeptical that the serviceman gave me the correct diagnosis. Now just recently again the boiler has been shutting down occasionally (no, it's not because of the zone valve I replaced), and last night it did three times in a row, so I figure I better get this solved once and for all. Since I understand what most of the components do now, I watched the stat call for heat, the zone valve open, and the vent damper open as well, but still the boiler did not kick on. To test the vent damper theory, I gently pushed on the shaft of the vent damper (it's more like a blade) in both directions and when I pushed it in the direction it normally rotates, the ignitor immediately started and the boiler started to heat. I did not force the shaft of the damper to turn at all (I read the warnings), it required only the slightest pressure to trigger the ignitor. I tested this again the next couple times it had shut down and always got it to start. So it does certainly seem like the vent damper switch is not triggering when the damper opens, and maybe its finally about to give up the ghost. I set it to the hold open position while I figure out what to do now. Are there any adjustments I can make to the damper mechanism to ensure the switch is made? I don't see anything visible (I took the cover off), but I wasn't going to disassemble anything to get a better look. Or do I have to bite the bullet and have it replaced? I got a quote from another place and they said $1200, although they said normally a part like that would cost the customer maybe $250 max. So at least I feel better the first serviceman wasn't gouging me for my ignorance. (although his company isn't a Bryant dealer ... maybe I should get it checked by a Bryant dealer?) Thanks for any help you can offer, and if there are any other details that would help let me know. --Brett I don't remember the cost of those dampers my catalogs only list the Honeywell but the $250 does not sound unreasonable. The effikal dampers are notorious for the end switches failing. The plastic cam pushes against the microswitch as the damper opens. It's the way that it tells the boiler that it has opened and that it's ok to light. We had a bad run over the last 2 years with the dampers, replacing nearly 1 in 3 of new installs. Call some supply houses and give them the model # on the damper to get a price. It's an easy swap out. remove, unplug/replace replug. That damper is not specific to your boiler. Peerless,Dunkirk and about a dozen other manufacturers use Effikal dampers, so they are a common replacement part. In the meantime, look for a small slide switch on the control head marked manual. Flip this switch while the boiler is on it will not close when it shuts down. You'll have some small off-cycle heat losses, but no more no-heat problems. Grady, $250 was supposed to be the cost for a typical damper. *My* damper was quoted to run $800-$1200! A little hard to swallow. HVACGuy, I've already set it to hold-open, so that problem is solved. Good to know that the damper should be available somewhere to buy. I had been told that I would have to go through a dealer to get it, and hence the price was jacked way up. I'll take another shot at locating one. Would this damper be an OK replacement? It looks exactly the same, and the specs appear to be the same as my Effikal. http://www.fieldcontrols.com/gvd.php Thanks guys! I honestly don't know if the Field or Honeywell will replace yours or not. I did notice the Field had a universal cable sold separately. The Honeywell D896A1277 comes with the cable plug which fits Honeywell's S86, S8600, S8610, S8620, and Penn-Baso G60 G66 systems. There is a replacement actuator available for the Honeywell, don't know about the Field. Sorry I missed the part where you already found the manual switch. The damper looks like a good fit. My only concern is the compatibility of the plug on the harness. Originally Posted by HVACGuy The effikal dampers are notorious for the end switches failing. The plastic cam pushes against the microswitch as the damper opens. It's the way that it tells the boiler that it has opened and that it's ok to light. We had a bad run over the last 2 years with the dampers, replacing nearly 1 in 3 of new installs. Call some supply houses and give them the model # on the damper to get a price. It's an easy swap out. remove, unplug/replace replug. That damper is not specific to your boiler. Peerless,Dunkirk and about a dozen other manufacturers use Effikal dampers, so they are a common replacement part. In the meantime, look for a small slide switch on the control head marked manual. Flip this switch while the boiler is on it will not close when it shuts down. You'll have some small off-cycle heat losses, but no more no-heat problems. I found the manual switch, this is great. Can I just leave it like this or do I have to replace it? plug and play from fieldcontrols. http://www.fieldcontrols.com/gvd.php You can leave the damper open if you wish but it will cost you in energy consumption. A functioning damper probably increases efficiency by about 5%. Originally Posted by Grady You can leave the damper open if you wish but it will cost you in energy consumption. A functioning damper probably increases efficiency by about 5%. Thank you for the reply, you have eased our minds. :0) Originally Posted by Grady I honestly don't know if the Field or Honeywell will replace yours or not. I did notice the Field had a universal cable sold separately. The Honeywell D896A1277 comes with the cable plug which fits Honeywell's S86, S8600, S8610, S8620, and Penn-Baso G60 G66 systems. There is a replacement actuator available for the Honeywell, don't know about the Field. I believe I have the D896A1277. The stamp below is illegible betwee A and 77. My problem is similar in that the actuator has a call for heat, opens, but the ignitor does not fire. Service guy pulled off cover and suddenly every thing works fine. We cannot reproduce. He is hesitant to make diagnosis without more info. Since then I've had a few outages. A giggle of the cable on the actuator side would trigger the ignitor. Now I have a piece of cardboard wedge to put pressure on the cable/socket so that it is forced down. Looks like it's working. Do you have a link for the replacement to D896A1277? Assuming it is a true replacement the cable should be compatible? I don't know if these guys would have it or not but it's worth a shot: www.patriot-supply.com If you have not replaced the Honeywell damper, the next time the unit will not fire, try moving the two wires on the motor. You will have to put the manunal switch back to the service position, to try this. They come lose. That will not cure the problem, as you can not field repair the lose connection. But it will tell you it is the control. If you have replaced that damper and still have the old D986a1277, let me know. I could not find the right thread for this problem, but I suspect somewhere here knows the answer. I have a Honeywell vent damper that will not stay closed while the furnace is NOT calling for heat. When the furnace shuts down, the damper motor will start, and the damper will close, and then it will cycle open once it reaches the close point. It will repeatedly do this until the furnace calls for heat and then it stays open. I have cleaned out the pipe and made sure there were no obstructions. I have manually left it in the open position, since I was concerned that the motor will fry while I am trying to figure out the problem. Any advice on repair would be helpful. It is a Burnham furnace with a Hoenywell vent damper. Thanks As I recall, there are two switches in this damper. One which senses open the other closed. There could also be a problem with the device (ignition module?) which controls the damper. Most of these dampers must be replaced from the manufacturers stock. Depending on the manufacturer the wiring may be different than the standard sale and would require re-wiring. The one's from the manufacturer is always plug and play. Hi, I have a similar issue like this post. I have a Budurus boiler that is using a Honeywell Aquastat Relay L8148E with a Effikal Vent Damper RVGP-PC-7BKF. The problem I am having is the wiring harness between the Honeywell and the vent damper. The boiler will call for heat and the damper will open, but the honeywell relay will not kick in. I have also tried the manual override on the vent damper and this still did not kick in the boiler. I followed the wiring harness down to the honeywell relay and took the cover off the unit. It looks like a 4-plug receptacle. I move the harness back and forth and the boiler clicked and took off. At the time I was not sure if it is a bad connection or bad harness. I put the vent damper back in its automatic state. Now the problem is intermittent. The harness seems to be the problem and I am trying to locate a new one, but am not having much luck. As the harness goes into the honeywell unit, it makes more then a 90° bend in the cable. I think the small wires they use in this cable probably has a break in it. I have tried to rebend it sharper or unbend (flatter) to keep it going. The sharper I bend it the better it works, but this still is not a 100% fix. Don't like cold showers in the morning. Any suggestions. There is enough cable that I could cut off about 6 and try to re-do the plug, but I don't think that I would get lucky and get the old wire sockets out of the plug to re-use. Its hard to tell if the problem is in the cable assembly or the control. Could be either. I don't know if the cable assembly is available separately or not. My money is on a bad solder connection in the 8148... I bet that one of the pins where the connector is soldered to the board has a cracked solder connection. Originally Posted by NJ Trooper My money is on a bad solder connection in the 8148... I bet that one of the pins where the connector is soldered to the board has a cracked solder connection. No way no how am I gonna take that bet. Seen too many. Darn... I thought I could re-stock my beer fridge!
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