Weil McLain Ultra Series 2 Gas Fired Water Boiler
By The Ultra Series 2 Gas Fired Boiler is equipped with the patented PhD technology from Weil McLain. The PhD stands for Precision Hydronic Data technology; this technology has a smart system that brings the PhD heating and hot water requirements, while bringing the most efficiency by determining the data parameters of your home heating system.
The Ultra Series 2 Gas Fired Water Boiler has a cast aluminum heat exchanger, a burner that is made with a high quality stainless steel construction, and the burner uses a factory mixed air and gas, which offers a wider assortment of firing rates. This will save money as you won’t need to fire up the boiler as much as you would on any other boiler system. It also has an Ultra Control Mode; this means that the control module answers to the signals from the thermostat, water supply, return water sensors, and the flue gas sensor. Almost all of the sensors in the Ultra 2 Series answer and respond to the Ultra Control Mode. Everything is kept neatly in this package.The boiler transformer installed in the Ultra Series 2 is designed to decrease the amount of electrical voltage used in the line. It has a range of 120 vac to 24 vac.
The 24 vac controls the gas valve and the blower signal. The front door of the boiler is designed to be sealed to the boiler assembly around the whole boiler. Some other boilers are designed partially around the boiler. The Ultra 2 Series Boiler has a P/T temperature sensor that is installed on the pressure temperature gauge, and can be installed into the outlet water pipe. Some other standard features on the Ultra Series 2 are the Boiler Drain Valve, the Data Port, the Air Intake Adapter, and the Venturi, which is designed to act as a vacuum when the air comes through the venturi. This device is used to help with the quality of the airflow.
When you are working with the operation of the boiler, there are just some things that you should know. You should not block the flow of combustion or, any ventilation to the boiler. The heat exchanger is constructed with aluminum and needs the pH system, which should always read between 7.0 and 8.5. The water chemistry should always be checked when the boiler is serviced. There are easy to read electronic display buttons on the Ultra 2 Series Boiler.
The display has a 4 number display where you can access the heating temperature setting, you can see the outlet water temp, and all other operating conditions. You can also see the boiler status, shutdown, and any lock out codes, which makes troubleshooting problems easy. When you have someone install these boilers, you will need to know that the clearance for hot water pipes is 1/2″ from all combustible materials. For the vent pipe the clearance has to be at least 0.20″. You should have 12″ of maximum ceiling enclosure and a 12″ maximum above the floor enclosure. By ensuring the proper clearances you can look forward to a stress free installation.
Kirk: thank you for your comments on the error messages. Do you have any experience or thoughts on the howling noise when firing? I spoke with Weil-McLain and they said to check 1) for a loose silencer (which was not the cause), and 2) have a service technician adjust the screw on the gas valve. I spoke with my service technican and he recommended gradually opening the gas valve adj screw. I opened it gradually until I reached 1 1/2 turns and the howling got worse. So, I returned it to the original setting and per my technician’s advise, started closing or tightening. I’ve now gradually tighted the adj screw by 1 1/2 turns without any change to the howling noise. WC won’t give any guidance on the adjustments for liability purposes.
Any thoughts?
Kevin
Kevin,
Could the howling be because the boiler is over-firing due to inadequate water flow? I haven’t had any of the Ultra’s I have installed howl because of the gas situation. I have on Trinity’s though. Check and see what the model number is on your pump. An Ultra 80 should have at least a Taco 007 circulator. I can’t imagine it was installed with anything smaller. I had a Buderus once that was howling and after trying numerous different things to no avail I took it apart and cleaned it up. It didn’t look too dirty, but there must have been enough dust in there to create a problem. After cleaning the problem was gone. Might give that a try.
Good Luck, Kirk
Kirk:
We have the Ultra Series 2 w/PHD boiler as well and it is flashing E02. I understand the error code as we had lost heat 5 times last winter!! Our house hovered at 55 degrees for a combined 7 days & trying to get our boiler “fixed” has been a costly nightmare! The unit is going on 4 years & I thought we had it fixed last winter! The techs finally figured out that a zone controller needed to be installed since we have dual zones and the bozo that initially installed the unit configured it for one zone (which would explain the constant fan blowing & costly energy bills). To date, we have had the following replaced or diagnosed: “has exhaust kit, would rather see “gooseneck” 3″ PVC, replaced the draft inducer blower motor, replaced circulator with Taco 007-F5 120V, replaced gas valve, inducer motor would make “grumbling” sound AND today when I turned the heat on, I got the E02 error code!!!! HELP!!
Lisa
Lisa,
Since you mentioned that the tech’s put a 007 pump on your boiler I figure you have either an Ultra-80 or 105. If your unit is larger than either of these you will have to get a different pump or you will probably have more problems (flow) in the future. I have installed many of these boilers with the factory termination for the flue and the combustion air instead of the “gooseneck†you are referring to without any problems. The only way the factory termination could really cause you any trouble is if the was wind blowing at it constantly causing the exhaust to get sucked back into the combustion air. The zone controller you mentioned shouldn’t have any bearing on if the boiler operates properly or not. If the boiler is piped correctly, and getting enough flow the boiler should operate without caring what your zone controller is doing. The heat being distributed to your house might be affected though. Now to your E02 error code: As noted in your control supplement manual that should have been left with the boiler you will note that there are many scenarios that can cause this. The reason the boiler locks out is that it has tried to fire 5 times without success. I have had to replace the inducer fan on boilers before as the control board on these fans will fail. But they shouldn’t grumble (as I am sure you have suspected), and have never heard one grumble. Have the techs removed and cleaned, or replaced the ignition electode? This tends to be more of an issue if the gas supply is propane versus natural. But sometimes this electrode will get a white film on it similar to a calcium deposit and will not operate properly. This is where I’d start first. Also if the fan IS making the grumbling noise I think you should have it replaced (still under warranty). If cleaning you ignition electrode doesn’t work, give me a little more information about your system. The BTU size of the boiler, type of gas, total lineal footage of your flue and number of elbows, how far your boiler is from the gas meter. We should be able to figure out what is causing this problem. Also where is your geographic location.
Kirk
Kirk,
THANK YOU so much for getting back with me! It’s refreshing to deal with someone who actually knows what he’s talking about! I checked and yes, we have the Ultra 105, Series 2 model. We live in Waukee, Iowa and only on the coldest days did the boiler stop working (and while my husband was out of town)!! We actually just got our warranty retro active since you had to fill out the card 30 days after installation (which we bought the house new 4 months after it was installed). So, $2000 later, the company, Golden Rule, agreed to refund us for only 1/2 our bill (that’s a whole other issue – our a/c had a $1000 repair this summer also – beginning to wonder if this company knows how to install heating & cooling systems at all). The tech that came out Saturday said once he removed a seal and let more oxygen in, the system fired right up. He’s thinking it’s not getting enough oxygen (and he said he knows nothing about the system, all the other techs who have worked on our home refused to come out since all of the parts have been replaced (except the control board which they’ve checked several times) & said it’s too big of a problem…I’m beginning to think we have a lemon or it wasn’t installed properly). Either way, IF/WHEN the boiler stops working again, do you think it’s reasonable to have it replaced with the dozen repairs we’ve had? March/April, 2010 will be 5 years and I do NOT want to have to pay any more money for this unit!! If by chance we don’t have any more problems this winter, is there an extended warrranty we can get? THANKS!!
Lisa
Lisa,
Since you mentioned that the tech’s put a 007 pump on your boiler I figure you have either an Ultra-80 or 105. If your unit is larger than either of these you will have to get a different pump or you will probably have more problems (flow) in the future. I have installed many of these boilers with the factory termination for the flue and the combustion air instead of the “gooseneck” you are referring to without any problems. The only way the factory termination could really cause you any trouble is if the was wind blowing at it constantly causing the exhaust to get sucked back into the combustion air. The zone controller you mentioned shouldn’t have any bearing on if the boiler operates properly or not. If the boiler is piped correctly, and getting enough flow the boiler should operate without caring what your zone controller is doing. The heat being distributed to your house might be affected though. Now to your E02 error code: As noted in your control supplement manual that should have been left with the boiler you will note that there are many scenarios that can cause this. The reason the boiler locks out is that it has tried to fire 5 times without success. I have had to replace the inducer fan on boilers before as the control board on these fans will fail. But they shouldn’t grumble (as I am sure you have suspected), and have never heard one grumble. Have the techs removed and cleaned, or replaced the ignition electode? This tends to be more of an issue if the gas supply is propane versus natural. But sometimes this electrode will get a white film on it similar to a calcium deposit and will not operate properly. This is where I’d start first. Also if the fan IS making the grumbling noise I think you should have it replaced (still under warranty). If cleaning you ignition electrode doesn’t work, give me a little more information about your system. The BTU size of the boiler, type of gas, total lineal footage of your flue and number of elbows, how far your boiler is from the gas meter. We should be able to figure out what is causing this problem. Also where is your geographic location.
Kirk
Lisa,
I am not sure what seal you may be referring to. If the combustion air was piped into the boiler directly it should be getting enough air. Unless there is a chance that maybe birds have nested within this pipe or something like that. When these units are operating correctly they are very good units. However, when they aren’t they are a royal pain in the butt (as you know). The deal is that there are so many different components to these boilers, that getting a new one won’t necessarily solve the problem if it is not installed properly. And many times it isn’t the main component of the boiler itself, but a separate integrated part that fails.
Do you have an email where I could give you a pertinent information contact at Weil McLain where maybe you could get some information concerning your warranty. I really don’t want to post the number here, although I should for a little payback :).
Kirk
Kirk,
Thanks again! My email is michel324@mchsi.com.
Lisa
Hi Kirk:
Had ultra 155 series 2 and indirect 40 gal hot water installed Feb 08. Just started having problems. Other day had E-29 code. Pressed reset button and yesterday boiler kicked on and ran for 6 hours. Then getting 0-76 code (I believe this is standby with current water temp in system). Today restarted boiler and it ran for approx 4 hours. The code is again 0-70+/_ . I believe it gets stuck in standby mode. When I press reset boiler appears to attempt to start as blower fan is spinning but will not accellorate and no ignition visible. It is always returning to the O mode. Any ideas? Also I was away when system was installed and didn’t realize 30 day warranty requirement and just registered my system the other day (19 months after installation) Will my warranty coverage start anytime soon?
Tks, Paul
i have ultra 80 boiler and i installed myself it ran just fine last winter and i am trying to get it going this year. i am getting code for supply is 58> than return. i know why the water is running through heat exchanger. pump was hot so i replaced with taco 007 same as old pump. ran water backwards through heat exchanger. water ran fine. i am clueless as to what can be causing the water not to run through the heat exchanger. I NEED HELP
Kevin,
The howling you hear may be that the blower speed needs to be increased or decreased. This has happened a few times to me there is a parrameter for this but if you donot have the controll supliment you will not be able to change it yourself.
Lisa, is there any way you would be willing to e-mail some pictures of your boiler so I could have a look at them. In no way should a seal have been removed from anything on your boiler. I realy think your boiler is piped incorectly. I hope you can get your boiler fixed before it gets to cold. FIND SOMEONE THAT KNOWS HOW TO SERVICE THE ULTRA
John,
No you should not take out the storage tank and put in a instant heater. Your system should work fine if piped correctly. What size pump is on the hot water tank? What size tank and pipe is piped into your tank from the boiler? What type of water tank do you have? What size piping is going in and out of your boiler? You also said renovated house, what do you have for heaters fintube baseboard, radiators,radiant. And I am going to assume you have a serries 3. Take a look at the boiler piping manual and see if it looks like your piping. A little more info will help figure out what is happening.
Dave,
Do you have city water or well water. Are you using circulators or zone valves (If zone valves there should be 1 system circulator (system circ may not be running) ? Do you have castiron radiators (they have lots of build up in them that may plug the passages in the boiler if not purged and flushed)? Is there a flow controll on the supply side of the boiler (that could be stuck). What size pipe do you have in and out of your boiler? I will check back later to see if I can help.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A SERVICE THECH THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING WITH THE ULTRA BOILERS. Some companies install these and have no clue how to fix them. If you cant find a good tech go to a plumbing/heating wholesaler around you and ask them if they know of any one that knows how to work on them.
Paul,
Did you get your issue fixed yet?
On the Ultra series 2 I dont see a way to set the miniumn target temp when using the outdoor reset. I checked through the control suppliment and see where you set the design temp and the target temp at the design temp but I dont see anywhere to set miniumn water temp. I am running Slantfin, thinfin baseboards and they really like 120 degrees or more. I find on warmer days it starts off with the target temp too low and it take about 30 minutes before target temp kicks up via the boost feature before the the room temp starts to rise.
I use proliphix termostats monitored by intherma.com(highly recommend) and it is really easy for me to see the temp not go anywhere for a while and then ramps up hard as the target temp starts to rise.
Is there a way to set a miniumn target temp on the series 2? If I can get that to work properly I would love to turn the boost feature off but I dont see a way to do that either.
Rich, Try raising your temperature setting for Parameter 4 (page 18 of the Control supplement). This is the setting that the water temp will operate when the outside temp is 32 or lower. It also changes the curve (Fig.5 page 10) to a steeper response in relation to lowering outdoor temperatures.
Reply
i have ran water through the boiler the way it should go. i hooked up a water hose where the pressure relief valve is on the supply side and ran water through the boiler and out of the drain valve on the bottom of the boiler so there is no flow problem through the boiler. i have 1″ copper pipes in and out of boiler and it ran just fine last year as i stated. i dont have any zone valves or flow valves anywhere. i have no clue why water will not flow through the boiler. i am going to call a local boiler tech see if he can figure it out
Rich, Try raising your temperature setting for Parameter 4 (page 18 of the Control supplement). This is the setting that the water temp will operate when the outside temp is 32 or lower. It also changes the curve (Fig.5 page 10) to a steeper response in relation to lowering outdoor temperatures.
I already have that set at 185F. I guess I could make it 190F but what I really am looking to do is shift the left side of the curve up so that at 55F or so I hit 120F. If I could do that I would then want to turn the boost off.
Is that possible?
Rich
You seem to understand your boiler well enough I think I can lead you through this.
1) With the boiler display in standby (STBY) mode.
2) Press and hold the STEP button. While holding the STEP button press and hold the MODE button. Hold both buttons together for several seconds until CODE is displayed. Release buttons. CODE stays on the display.
3)NOTE: If CODE is not displayed after several seconds release the buttons and press MODE button several times to return to STBY. Repeat step 2 again.
Once CODE is displayed:
4) Press STEP button once.
5) Use the + or – buttons to make the display show C-05.
6) Press the STORE button.
7) Press the mode button several times until PARA is displayed.
8) Press the STEP button until P-5 (or P-05) is displayed. This is the outlet water temperature the boiler tries to maintain whenever the outside temperature is higher than 32 degrees ( the fixed setting on the curve).
9) Use the + or – buttons to make your desired adjustment to this temperature.
10) Press the STORE button to save this change.
11) Press the MODE button until STBY is displayed to exit.
This should make the change you are looking for. You can experiment with this setting to accomplish your desired heating preference.
Good Luck
Kirk
Rich,
Did it work out?
I am going to try that tomorrow.. this is at a rental house that I own. Question I had was is there a list off all the codes?
I checked the control suppliment and they dont list any of these special codes. I was also looking for the code to turn off the boost. If I get this set up right i dont need the boost feature. I monitor all the temps with a prolipix thermostat. I can tell right away if there is no heat gain in the unit.
http://www.weil-mclain.com/downloads/literature/ultragas/ultracontrolsupp.pdf
Rich, The boost will be parameter 11 when you get into this program. Adjust that setting to zero (0) to turn the boost off. Remember to push store after changing the setting.
Rich,
Did it work?
Yes it did seem to.. The original number was really low, around 90 degrees.
What I should have done was write down the target temp before and after I changed the parameter but it did seem to fire up a higher temp.
Is there a document listing all these extra parameters as there are not in the manual?
The document you’re looking for is called the Control Addendum Ultra Interface Kit (“ultracontroladd.pdf” – google it). This lists all the parameters and their value ranges, as well as a lot of information for an optional software called GASCON that is sometimes used by installers. The software is not necessary, and in fact many installers prefer not to use it. Unfortunately many installers are good at installing “normal” boilers, but just don’t yet have enough experience and/or training with newer boilers and their capabilities. So the homeowner is left to optimize for themselves – which can be dangerous. This document gives plenty of warnings on incorrect parameter settings, and these warnings should be heeded.
Optimizing the parameters is not straight-forward; you either need experience in these types of systems, or have an education in the principles involved. Nonetheless some parameters (like the outdoor temp sensor offset) are easy to adjust and can have a big impact on performance. The outdoor design temperature is a parameter that should be set by the installer, and is geographically specific – again, easy to find out the right ODT for your region and check or adjust.
Trial-and-error for adjusting other firing parameters is not easy, because you have to simultaneously monitor other data (how long heating takes in a certain zone, or possibly how much gas usage is indicated on your gas meter, etc.) all while the weather constantly changes throughout the season. Unfortunately, I think these parameters are the ones that can really pay off in the long run (in terms of comfort and efficiency).
Dave
And thank you for the help…. Before making this change I had to wait for tow boosts, I think about 20 minutes before the boiler even thought about getting hot enough to make any real difference.
Rich,
Glad I could help. As far as the list of parameters, they are a supplement that I acquired from Weil McLain through my boiler supplier. They aren’t a supplement that is available otherwise. Most of the other parameters deal with adjusting fan speed and other items to get the boilers to operate better at the high altitude where I am located. I check this site periodically, so if you have any further issues feel free to write. Hopefully you will stay warmer this winter.
Kirk
I had an Ultra 230 installed in Nov 2003. It shut down repeatedly in Winter. Fortunately I was home when it happened so I could re-start it before the pipes in the house froze. The heat exchanger started leaking 5 years and 2 months after installation. That was right after the first part of the warranty expired. Weil McLain paid for the heat exchanger but I had to pay for the labor. I doubt this boiler will last 20 years. Weil McLain customer service is terrible.
I have a new Weil Mclain Ultra 230. Installed 1 year 3 months ago. Last winter was a disaster. Every couple of hours the unit would shut down with an e-02 message. Unit was only 4 months old when this started in late november december. Contractor was unable to find problem, said he had contacted WM and they didn’t know what was going on. I called WM myself and spoke to a tech, who said it was the ignitor. So I told contractor. It took him a week and a half to get a new ignitor from WM’s supplier. Which seemed to work. Problem solved? Not so fast.
Here I am almost exactly a year later and the same error code is happening. Only this time I can hear what sounds like a waching machine going on in the exaust vent. We have been having problem a week now. Contractor has replaced ignitor yesterday. But its too warm here to tell if it worked.
Last time it was 3 weeks in the winter with us not knowing if the house would freeze up. Now a year later we are having the same exact problem with a week of problems thus far.
Is there something I am missing here. Or is this POS product named Ultra because it’s Ultra Unreliable?
Is anyone out there having similar problems…any assistance with diagnosis wopuld be appreciated
Stuart,
The noise you hear in the exhaust vent is most likely caused from condensation that is trapped within the vent piping somewhere. I am guessing your vent piping runs horizontally for a distance. It either continues horizontally and exits or at some point rises vertically. Here are a couple of things to look for. If it runs horizontally only – is it supported properly and graded back to the boiler? It can grade on towards the termination if it doesn’t at any point rise vertically. But grading towards the termination will create an ice feature at the exit point. If there are any sags in the piping the condensation will accumulate here restricting the exhausting procedure. If at any point it rises vertically, make sure the vent is properly graded back to the boiler. All of the condensation will be exited through the boiler condensation piping. It sounds as though this is where your problem lies. The restriction within your flue piping is causing the boiler not to ignite, causing it to lock out after five attempts. Hopefully your flue piping is exposed where you can check it out and make the necessary adjustments. If not you will definitely need to expose it to verify its grade.
Good Luck, Kirk
Our Ultra has run for 5 seasons with a couple lockouts that were due to outside circumstances (a dead circulator, power outage, etc.), except for once when the ignitor was dirty. Then recently (2 months after the 5 year warranty), the blower assembly malfunctioned. But, in general, the boiler has run pretty well – including two winters of unattended operation while we were living overseas.
As others have said, installation is key – and an installer that is not cautious or experienced with the Ultra’s can make dozens of small mistakes.
As to your specific problems – it seems strange to me that you’d have ignitor problems after only one year. From what I’ve heard and learned, 3-5 years is more typical. My contractor actually encouraged me to order a spare on-line, where they are much, much less expensive (about 50%) and faster than going through the contractor/distributor. Of course, then the part itself is not warrantied by the contractor.
Your blower noise sounds a bit strange; did you take the cover off and look at the blower assembly? Look for any signs of condensation dripping down on to the blower housing from the vent lines above. This is, in my opinion, a design flaw in the Ultra’s. Proper install should keep any condensation from entering the enclosure, but if it does, the blower is susceptible to damage. We recently lost a blower, but we’re not sure if condensation was the cause or not – others have reported it. When the blower is running, you should be able to feel a pretty strong suction on the horn-shaped black intake piece. It really shouldn’t be very noisy – so I wonder if the noise is coming from the blower itself or from the exhaust/intake vent PVC lines? Kirk’s suggestion abotu condensation trapped in these lines sounds interesting.
Dave
You can find the Weil Mclain Ultra Addendum Interface Kit PDF
in our WeT HeaD PDF Document Library as well
Weil Mclain Ultra Addendum Interface Kit PDF
http://pdf.wetheadmedia.com/weil-mclain-ultra-addendum-interface-kit-pdf
Hope this helps!