I HAD A CONTRACTOR INSTALL A NEW BURNHAM INDEPENDENCE STEAM BOILER FOR MY 2 FAMILY HOME

IN THE LAST 4 MONTHS, THE THERMOSTAT RELAY HAS BURNED OUT 5 TIMES. AS A RESULT , WE HAD TO REPLACE THE RELAYS AND BE WITHOUT HEAT.

PLUMBER SEEMS TO HAVE NO ANSWER. I AM ALSO PREPARED TO TELL HIM TO REMOVE BOILER , REFUND MONEY, AND I WILL SEEK ANOTHER PLUMBER. HE IS TALKING TO MANUFACTURER . THIS IS A DRASTIC MOVE. ANY IDEAS ??

You are talking about an electrical problem, which is different than one involving the whole boiler. What does the relay control and why is it burning out is the real problem.

yes that is correct. something on the boiler causing the short. the thermostat to the relay was tracking correct voltage. any ideas ??

At least the repair is covered under warranty since you've had it such a short time. If possible I'd talk to a company rep about your situation and see if they can suggest what might be wrong and what to do about it. They don't want to keep having to pay for warranty repair and they don't want an unhappy customer. But they may not want to talk to a homeowner directly, just the installer (see below).

Are you sure it is the correct thermostat for that boiler? The installer may have used the wrong model of thermostat for that boiler.

Someone should inspect the wiring that connects to the relay that is burning out. There are long wires that run to whatever the relay controls. One of those wires may be pinched or have the insulation rubbed off, so it is sometimes shorting against the metal chassis or a staple/fastener someplace. Or whatever the relay controls could have a problem that causes too much amps to go thru the relay contacts and burn them out. The problem could be a lot of things. It is your installers responsibility to figure it out, and he should be able to get the company to help. If he keeps replacing parts under warranty he will eventually get their attention.

It looks like Burnham boilers are marketed by a company called US Boiler located in Lancaster, PA. Their website specifically says they only sell the boiler equipment, they do not install or repair it, that servicing and repair is up to the installer/contractor you choose.

US Boiler - 1-888-432-8887 tollfree number

[www.usboiler.net]

from their website:

PLEASE NOTE: U.S. Boiler Company, Inc. is the manufacturer of quality hydronic heating products. U.S. Boiler Company exclusively sells its products to selected plumbing and heating distributors throughout the United States and Canada. These distributors, in turn, sell U.S. Boiler Company products, along with a host of related accessories to independent installing contractors and dealers. The contractors and dealers provide the installation and servicing of, not only the boiler, but of the entire home heating system. A boiler is not a complete system unto itself. It requires pipes, valves, fittings, a method for radiating the boiler’s heat into the home and involves products from various manufacturers. Therefore it is important for you to choose a qualified contractor/dealer for your heating system needs.

U.S. Boiler Company as a product manufacturer does NOT, in any way, engage in, provide or offer installation or servicing capabilities for heating system products. U.S. Boiler Company does supply an online list as provided by these contractors/dealers as a service to homeowners, but does not recommend, endorse, authorize, or certify any specific contractor, dealer or their companies.

To find a contractor in your area, click here.

[www.usboiler.net]


Homeowner
As a homeowner, your primary contact regarding repairs, sales, and service should be your local contractor.

Contractors
As a contractor, your primary contact should be your distributor or local sales representative.




Edited 3 times.

A steam boiler has a very limited number of electrical components so it should be easy to diagnose which is having a problem.

The wires running from the thermostat to the boiler may have a place where they are pinched with something like a staple or mounting fastener or a nail. Or they could be rubbing against the boiler metal chassis. Since the equipment is new the problem may not be any of the boiler parts, it may be something wrong with the wiring installation. And that may be why the plumber is having trouble finding the problem. If I was him I'd run a new wiring cable from the thermostat to the boiler.

Have your contractor call the Burnham technical department. They are very professional and will troubleshoot/diagnose the problem with him over the phone.

If you hired a plumber that doesn't have experience with boilers, he has probably mis-wired the boiler. Plumbers that are inexperienced with steam boilers will also usually over-size the boiler, because they don't know how to size them properly. They also usually will do the near-boiler piping in copper, and any number of other piping mistakes. Did they install a skim port, and show you how to skim the boiler?