The manufacturer, Bradford White, offered to replace the entire machine. Instead, we ordered a new burner and gas valve and burner tube. Tuuns out the previous burner tube was the wrong one. THe part number in the online catalog had the right picture, but the part number had digits transposed, so the part we'd previously received , the burner tube, was too short. That pulled the burner to the outside of the Combicor, so carbon straks went up the outside.
Those streaks could just as well have been made by the lack of combustion air. The installation instructions say that if the construction is exceptionally tight, there must be two combustion air holes, sized according to the BTU. One is within 12" of the floor, the other 12" of the ceiling. Harold Brunner, Mechanical Engineer for the Combicor with Michael Sales, the regional rep, figured that out. It is in the code, 2000 International Gas Code, as well. You can't pay a heating professional to read code, or the installation instructions. They don't think they have to. Should they be paid for failing to follow the directions, quitting when they get sick from the fumes?
The professional who installed the duct near the ceiling did not want to follow the installation instructions to remove the vinyl siding before cutting a hole in the wall, so I did it for him. He forgot to bring the parts to reduce the diameter of the stack, and was not prepared to climb on the snowy 12/12 pitch roof to work on the metal chimney, so I did. He left his power tool battery charger. I'll give it back when I get a statement from Pete, Arrowhead Plumbing, that the system, installed according to his design, is installed according to code.
Infloor heating is the way to go. Better would be self-draing, (so if it freezes, pipes won't burst), and wood-heated. Pipes can go in the back of a fireplace. Propane should be the backup, no electricity should be essential in the heating system. In off-the-grid applications, the electrical system can fail for many reasons, but the heating system must not.
Those streaks could just as well have been made by the lack of combustion air. The installation instructions say that if the construction is exceptionally tight, there must be two combustion air holes, sized according to the BTU. One is within 12" of the floor, the other 12" of the ceiling. Harold Brunner, Mechanical Engineer for the Combicor with Michael Sales, the regional rep, figured that out. It is in the code, 2000 International Gas Code, as well. You can't pay a heating professional to read code, or the installation instructions. They don't think they have to. Should they be paid for failing to follow the directions, quitting when they get sick from the fumes?
The professional who installed the duct near the ceiling did not want to follow the installation instructions to remove the vinyl siding before cutting a hole in the wall, so I did it for him. He forgot to bring the parts to reduce the diameter of the stack, and was not prepared to climb on the snowy 12/12 pitch roof to work on the metal chimney, so I did. He left his power tool battery charger. I'll give it back when I get a statement from Pete, Arrowhead Plumbing, that the system, installed according to his design, is installed according to code.
Infloor heating is the way to go. Better would be self-draing, (so if it freezes, pipes won't burst), and wood-heated. Pipes can go in the back of a fireplace. Propane should be the backup, no electricity should be essential in the heating system. In off-the-grid applications, the electrical system can fail for many reasons, but the heating system must not.
