Slant Fin Oil Fired Boiler - Repair or replace?

[Doug]

The Slant Fin L-30 oil fired boiler in one of my houses just cracked with water dripping into the combustion chamber. It was installed in

1995 - so it's 11 years old.

In my literature, Slant Fin offered a lifetime warranty on the cast iron sections.

The wholesale wharehouse who supplied the boiler to my installer is out of business and the installer says he doesn't do that kind of repair, even trying to tell me that Slant Fin is out of business. That's funny, since I've seen their new units at a local HVAC supplier and their website is up and running.

I've contacted two more service companies who don't want to be bothered with attempting a warranty repair. They are using various arguements: we might crack one of the remaining sections trying to get it apart... You must have run it low on water thus Slant Fin won't honor the warranty (the auto water feed seems to be working fine, maintaining 15 lbs pressure).

I'll be calling Slant Fin directly tomorrow but it's been my experience that the factory will rarely deal with consumers.

Repairing it (assuming that I can talk someone into it) might cost $1000 in labor charges but replacing it will be a good $3000 to $4000.

Any thoughts?

Doug

[RBM]

I would leave it to Slant Fin to decide what to do and how to go about it. It would probably make more sense for them to just replace the entire boiler

[spamTHISbrp]

I just went through this with a weil-mclain, and received very good service from my oil provider- I think they were afraid that if I had to pay for a new boiler, I'd switch to gas. (WMcL provided a new boiler- the whole unit)

So, try seeing if your oil supplier can help out- can't hurt!

Dave

[Doug]

The first thing I did was to contact my oil supplier. Their response "Buy a new boiler"...

Useless...

Doug

[Doug]

Did so and they said that they would ship me a preassembled cast iron assembly of all three sections if I first ordered and paid for a new assembly from one of their distributers. The factory would prepay freight to me but I'd have to pay to ship the old assembly back to them. They would then evaluate the old assembly and MAY give me credit on the new one. A hassle but it might well be worth it.

I've still got to find an installer - may have one arriving tomorrow to look at the situation.

Meanwhile to keep heat on in the house, I added boiler stop leak to the system. It actually worked!!! The Slant Fin distributer said that it wouldn't affect the warranty but it probably would gum up the domestic coil. I'll worry about that down the road. It's something that I can easily address by myself plus I'll clean the old coil and flush the system before it's reinstalled.

Thanks for your input

Doug

[RBM]

Doug, I'd find out if the original boiler sections came factory assembled. I'd be concerned that if they were assembled by the installer, it would be to easy for Slant Fin to pass the blame. Right now you're not married to Slant Fin, and it may be worthwhile looking into Weil-Mclain, Peerless, or Buderus

[Doug]

Don't like Slant Fin?? Sure I could go to another boiler but then it would cost me another $1500 or so versus the $200 in freight I have to pay for a new cast iron core. I don't know how others feel but it seems to me that it's worth expending a little effort to save $1300 and still get a basically new boiler.

I find that most of the local pros around here don't like Slant Fin - it seems mainly due to the fact that Slant Fin also sells via Home Depot.

Over the years I've found that HVAC guys will tend to bypass any equipment brand that is available retail.

In any event, Slant Fin has promised to send the boiler core ASSEMBLED

- thought I'd mentioned that in my last posting.

The old jacket will have to be reused along with the burner and the "trim", a relatively simple job..

At this point, I'm about ready to do the installation myself. I've installed several boilers in the past without incident. I can't find a local service company really willing to do the job. Today, the guy who went and looked it over without me being present simply tried to sell my wife a new boiler.

My only problem is finding three guys to help me carry the old core out of the basement and to bring the new one in... I've never been able to balance 350 lbs on my back.. :-)

Thanks,

Doug

[hallerb]

I fix office machines for a living, its my own business. Warranty work is almost always a loser. The manufactuers pay so little:(

See if the manufacturer has a local dealer, and if they do treat the company nice. Offer them some extra $$ ...

[RBM]

You're putting the ball in Slant fin's court!! If they elect not to "give" you the replacement boiler, it will have cost you more than just getting a replacement of your choice. That's why I asked who assembled the sections on the original. If it was done at the factory, you're probably in good shape, but if a plumber did it, and Slant Fin knows that, it gives them an easy out.

[Doug]

Huh??

"Who assembled the sections on the original"?

I'm puzzled by the question. The Slant Fin boiler came assembled from the factory... never saw a Slant Fin boiler that wasn't assembled at the factory...

My original question was about the feasabilty of replacing just one cast iron section, if that was all the factory offered under warranty.

As mentioned, I've found out that the factory is willing to replace all three sections as a preassembled unit.

tnx,

Doug

[RBM]

Depending upon the size of the boiler, if they are to large they have to be assembled by the installer.