The DIY thread - DIYourself

In today's episode...

The oven has been having issues - slow to get to temp, if it ever does.
Weird cool-down behavior.
Asked the AI for the troubleshooting steps.
Gave me some basic checks - not too bad.
This lead to the idea that the bottom element has failed, or is miswired (remember at some point I replaced the selector switch)

I looked at the wires, followed the diagram, and it checked out OK.
Time to look at the lower element - it can only be accessed from behind the unit,
as it is under the floor of the oven box.
Oven weighs 500lbs. I get my slides out, and wrestle the front feet on, then pull it out.
Removing the back panel wasn't too bad - 6 screws. I can see the terminals.
Quick test with the multimeter shows it failed, another 30 or so minutes and I have it out.
There is insulation, straps, multiple screws, and the brain teaser puzzle to get it around the gas pipe.

And there it is - 11 years old, and boom.

1769771967945.png

Simple enough, look online - couple weeks out to get delivered. The US parts distribution is in NJ.
I order from the local supplier - about 6 hours later they cancel the order. No other explanation.
Looked at other distributors - no luck.
Well, it isn't available in the USA right now. Guess they are failing at a rapid rate.

So the $50 part cost $125 from Australia, and I'll be getting a nice tab for the tariff and brokering fees when it gets here,
who knows when.....stay tuned.
 
Patrick said:
In today's episode...

The oven has been having issues - slow to get to temp, if it ever does.
Weird cool-down behavior.
Asked the AI for the troubleshooting steps.
Gave me some basic checks - not too bad.
This lead to the idea that the bottom element has failed, or is miswired (remember at some point I replaced the selector switch)

I looked at the wires, followed the diagram, and it checked out OK.
Time to look at the lower element - it can only be accessed from behind the unit,
as it is under the floor of the oven box.
Oven weighs 500lbs. I get my slides out, and wrestle the front feet on, then pull it out.
Removing the back panel wasn't too bad - 6 screws. I can see the terminals.
Quick test with the multimeter shows it failed, another 30 or so minutes and I have it out.
There is insulation, straps, multiple screws, and the brain teaser puzzle to get it around the gas pipe.

And there it is - 11 years old, and boom.

View attachment 275758

Simple enough, look online - couple weeks out to get delivered. The US parts distribution is in NJ.
I order from the local supplier - about 6 hours later they cancel the order. No other explanation.
Looked at other distributors - no luck.
Well, it isn't available in the USA right now. Guess they are failing at a rapid rate.

So the $50 part cost $125 from Australia, and I'll be getting a nice tab for the tariff and brokering fees when it gets here,
who knows when.....stay tuned.
Click to expand...
Did you check Ebay and Amazon? I've had good luck finding parts on both.
 
olegbabich said:
Upgrading sound system in Basement.

For her side Mrs Oleg got a new small pair of Polk Speakers.

I decided for my side to build a Speaker Kit. Crossovers are done. I will not show you the other side as my Solder Skills are SAD :Ugh:


View attachment 275769
Click to expand...

I just sent my sub out to be recap'd. There are kits for my Carver, but I don't mess with line level electronics.
The guy is in Manville - that was a bonus. turned it around in 2 weeks.

GL with your project!
 
olegbabich said:
Upgrading sound system in Basement.

For her side Mrs Oleg got a new small pair of Polk Speakers.

I decided for my side to build a Speaker Kit. Crossovers are done. I will not show you the other side as my Solder Skills are SAD :Ugh:


View attachment 275769
Click to expand...
Very cool. Your own design, or did you find a recipe online?

Patrick said:
The guy is in Manville - that was a bonus. turned it around in 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
Consider yourself lucky. It’s hard finding an audio tech with less than a 6m waitlist.
 
Mahnken said:
What site is that? I need one of those pumps, just with different flanges
Click to expand...

Supplyhouse.com

Flanges are sold separately to be sized with the incoming pipe (and material) -
If you have flanges - they should cross over - just need the gasket kit.

Or are you using the circulators that are threaded? They use a standard union.
 
Patrick said:
Supplyhouse.com

Flanges are sold separately to be sized with the incoming pipe (and material) -
If you have flanges - they should cross over - just need the gasket kit.

Or are you using the circulators that are threaded? They use a standard union.
Click to expand...
Ya, the union type. My model number is a little different, UPS15-58U/LC 130
PXL_20260202_192054608.jpg

Either the pump is shorted, or there's a short in the line somewhere. Gonna figure that out before I order a new one.
 
Mahnken said:
Ya, the union type. My model number is a little different, UPS15-58U/LC 130
View attachment 275940

Either the pump is shorted, or there's a short in the line somewhere. Gonna figure that out before I order a new one.
Click to expand...

Order the pump, while it is there, pull the motor, and see if it is a motor or impeller problem. Probably cheaper to replace anyway.

Not sure I understand your setup. The mixing valve isn't integrated with the pump input?
 
Patrick said:
Order the pump, while it is there, pull the motor, and see if it is a motor or impeller problem. Probably cheaper to replace anyway.

Not sure I understand your setup. The mixing valve isn't integrated with the pump input?
Click to expand...
I don't think it's the impeller, it blows the fuse on the control board the instant the relay calls for heat. I should just have to see if it trips with the wires disconnected at the pump to tell if the pump motor is where the short is.

My setup is weird. Looking at the picture, the pump on the top is how four out of the 5 zones are piped. I actually removed the innards from the mixing valve on that one because it wasn't working. Don't need the mixing valves anyway, I just keep the boiler set to 120 degrees (I think that's what I set it to) anyway.

The pump on the bottom is the broken one, it's for the basement. It hasn't worked since we moved in and I never bothered to fix it because the basement stays at a comfortable treadmill/ bike trainer temperature, lol. The previous homeowner bypassed the mixing valve on that zone altogether, but I'm not sure why. He had the boiler running at 180 degrees which would've been terrible for the concrete slab without the mixing valve.

I need to reroute some of the system piping at some point also. And maybe get the garage zone set up too, it's got the piping all there, but never had a pump or thermostat hooked up to it. Eventually I'll get a whole new control system for it as well. It'll most likely all be one big summer project eventually, just need to plan it all out first.
PXL_20260203_010549751.jpg
 
Mahnken said:
I don't think it's the impeller, it blows the fuse on the control board the instant the relay calls for heat. I should just have to see if it trips with the wires disconnected at the pump to tell if the pump motor is where the short is.

My setup is weird. Looking at the picture, the pump on the top is how four out of the 5 zones are piped. I actually removed the innards from the mixing valve on that one because it wasn't working. Don't need the mixing valves anyway, I just keep the boiler set to 120 degrees (I think that's what I set it to) anyway.

The pump on the bottom is the broken one, it's for the basement. It hasn't worked since we moved in and I never bothered to fix it because the basement stays at a comfortable treadmill/ bike trainer temperature, lol. The previous homeowner bypassed the mixing valve on that zone altogether, but I'm not sure why. He had the boiler running at 180 degrees which would've been terrible for the concrete slab without the mixing valve.

I need to reroute some of the system piping at some point also. And maybe get the garage zone set up too, it's got the piping all there, but never had a pump or thermostat hooked up to it. Eventually I'll get a whole new control system for it as well. It'll most likely all be one big summer project eventually, just need to plan it all out first.
View attachment 275966
Click to expand...

top just looks backwards! maybe the labels are wrong? also didn't know the flow meters work upside-down.

You have a condensing boiler? have you serviced the neutralizer?
Is there a tank - sometimes they want to heat the tank high, then sip from it - esp important in non-condensing boilers.

The PEX has an upper value too.

The pumps are indirect - like when you use one of those crazy mixers where you drop a stir bar into a beaker, and the base spins it.

- I just rebuilt my mixing valve.

1770084389722.png
 
Patrick said:
top just looks backwards! maybe the labels are wrong? also didn't know the flow meters work upside-down.

You have a condensing boiler? have you serviced the neutralizer?
Is there a tank - sometimes they want to heat the tank high, then sip from it - esp important in non-condensing boilers.

The PEX has an upper value too.

The pumps are indirect - like when you use one of those crazy mixers where you drop a stir bar into a beaker, and the base spins it.

- I just rebuilt my mixing valve.

View attachment 275967
Click to expand...
It's a condensing boiler. And I should probably throw a neutralizer on it, as far as I can tell it's never had one. Condensate is piped out of the house and I have no idea where it goes.

The labels are all correct, it's a weird setup that I haven't seen anywhere else. It does work, but it makes your brain hurt trying to figure out why it works.
 
Mahnken said:
Found this online, makes much more sense on the direction of things when you see it drawn out like this.
View attachment 276006
Click to expand...
Is there another pump upstream on the hot? Maybe part of the boiler?

I could see this being a hydraulic separator?

I get the idea that it mixes the return cold,
(I looked multiple times today, since I did a picture search it landed in my feeds) just seems like it's own loop
 
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