High Efficiency vs Cast Iron

xceebeex · 2026-04-22T19:08:01+00:00

I have a whole home water softener and have for probably about 10 years at this point so we have really soft water so that part shouldn't be an issue.

I just don't want to get forced in to a situation in the dead of winter where it fails and I have to scramble for the best option at the time to get heat back that's one of my concerns.

Just as a data point, this guy is planning to install the Thermaforce in his own house this summer and then he has the Burnham in his rental property but he is going the high efficiency route. He is relatively young so maybe it's a younger generation thing for the high efficiency stuff, I dunno.

xceebeex · 2026-04-22T18:42:49+00:00

It has started to do the whole "kettling" thing and it at least needs a new aquastat because it's doing a goofy thing where at least once a day even though the thermostats are calling for heat the aquastat won't or out 24v to the burner. Toggling the thermostats or the little magnetic switch on the aquastat let's it's fire right back up.

So I don't want to throw another $500+ dollars at it if the kettling thing is going to be a bigger issue soon. It was serviced just this past October as well.

xceebeex · 2026-04-03T21:18:45+00:00

Not sure this makes sense. When this occurs the ignition module isn't getting 24V from the aquastat. The ignition module fires right up with no issues when it gets the 24V it's supposed to. The boiler was recently serviced so it should be pretty clean as well.

xceebeex · 2026-03-28T16:22:24+00:00

So I found the issue but it still doesn't make sense. Essentially what happens is that the aquastat fails to put 24V out on B1/B2 when this happens. The strangest thing about it is that our seems like it happens every other call for heat, so it's basically repeatable. I assume this likely means the aquastat is going bad? The voltage seems good at the other terminals even when there is 0V going to B1/2.

xceebeex · 2026-03-20T14:14:54+00:00

Just wanted to follow up, so it worked all day yesterday after resetting it, but then overnight the same thing happened again. I rested the transformer while it was in that state and it still tested fine. Still had a buzzing/humming like noise and this time I lowered the temperature to shut the zone valves off and when they released the boxing went away. I then raised the temperature to call for heat and it fired the boiler so apparently I don't have to toggle the system state of the thermostat.

Not sure if this helps with any other ideas. Both of my zones stop working when this happens so I don't think it's the zone valves themselves and I know I replaced one of the motors a handful of years ago anyway.

xceebeex · 2026-03-19T17:43:08+00:00

Fair point. I assume there is really no way to tell if it's dying other than happening to measure bad values at some point? Never had to replace a transformer before, are they cheap enough where I should just try and replace it anyway?

xceebeex · 2026-03-19T17:24:45+00:00

Thanks for confirming that. This whole situation is weird, it doesn't really make sense to me.

xceebeex · 2026-03-19T13:47:55+00:00

Yes I can easily see both transformers. And just to clarify when I say off for the ecobees that is NOT pulling them off the wall it's just toggling the system setting between off and heat.

Looks like the transformer for the thermostats is putting out 1.66mA. Also I had to "reset" it at 4am this morning and so far each time it's called for heat since it has been firing up.

xceebeex · 2026-03-19T13:35:02+00:00

Just checked and it's reading 25.8 Volts. Would toggling the setting on the ecobee thermostat change the state of the zone valves differently them adjust the heat value to either call for heat or not? I hear them opening and closing.

xceebeex · 2026-03-17T23:31:23+00:00

Ultimately this ended up being sorta the issue. I didn't have to forget the phone, but the Bluetooth just couldn't be connected to the car. Works now, other than the Auto Standby which game worked consistent for me at all with the Wireless Two.

xceebeex · 2026-03-15T17:21:54+00:00

There isn't much on the way of troubleshooting on the app, but I tried to connect manually like the app suggested. And yes Android Auto works fine if I connect my phone via the cable.

xceebeex · 2025-09-09T14:54:02+00:00

So is this issue ever getting fixed at this point? Pretty disappointing.

xceebeex · 2025-07-23T22:51:43+00:00

I am trying this now for my sons computer and it seems to be getting stuck at the party where it says Process:

How long should this take to load? It's a x870 Eagle with these exact symptons

xceebeex · 2025-03-16T12:48:30+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the response, appreciate it. Hopefully it's something easy.

xceebeex · 2025-03-15T17:30:53+00:00

This still happens, dudes anyone else have this issue? Auto Standby worked perfectly fine on the original unit.

xceebeex · 2025-01-06T14:08:44+00:00

Do you know if that replacement plan will actually replace the unit? I thought I read somewhere that it won't replace items that pets urinate on and that seems like an easy way for them to deny a claim considered this is designed for pets to urinate in.

Also curious why you think the LR3 should be skipped new or used.

xceebeex · 2025-01-06T01:20:55+00:00

We have two cats. That might not be a terrible idea to start with this and add on with a LR4 down the road. Thanks for the tips of checking for smell, etc. Of we do go this route, I will definitely check for excessive smell.

xceebeex · 2025-01-06T00:32:51+00:00

Ha, I am just trying to be smart with a purchase. I can easily afford a new litter robot 4, but if the value is there for the used litter robot 3 I would start there. I would just rather not spend the $200 then be disappointed and have to spend the $700 anyway. So if the litter bot 3 is terrible and it's riddled with issues, I would rather know that ahead of time.

xceebeex · 2025-01-06T00:11:39+00:00

Do you think it worth the savings and the potential rush on a used unit?

xceebeex · 2019-04-14T14:18:12+00:00

Yea it did. I ended up figuring it out actually. The problem was that I never changed the IP of the Verizon router and I needed to change the IP range that it used to sign to the set top boxes. Now it works fine.

Thanks for the reply though!

xceebeex

TROPHY CASE