Would you buy and OWB with a leak?
- Thread starter Iaff113
- Start date
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Right price and IF YOU can fix it.
Welding shops don't work for free.
If it's fixable
Welding shops don't work for free.
If it's fixable
I would think if it was fixable the owner now would have it fixed or fix it himself.
D
Deleted member 117362
Guest
Had a 434 Woodmaster with a manufacturing defect. Assembler etched drum with his plasma cutter. I tried welding it myself and proved I was not that knowledgeable about different steel and rods needed. Even made welder return to his shop, two different steel types between back plate and drum. If you do try welding it yourself, make sure you ventilate it well. First thing he did was, drilled several holes in different areas to make sure he knew extent of damage, then cut out damaged area and I had local steel supplier roll 1/4 inch plate and cut back plate to his drawings. After stick welding in place, he let it cool for a day and returned to check for leaks. No leaks. I used that owb for a year and replaced with a smaller Woodmaster unit. Neighbor bought my 434 and has been using it for 3 years without trouble. Steel was cheap, welder not so much, but well worth having a pro do it. Cost of repair was just under $1000. Have your repair person do inspection and ask if they have repaired owb's before. I used a person that had done several repairs and had comments on various brands.
D
Deleted member 117362
Guest
Is that Federick, MI?
You have to assume if there is one leak, there either are or will soon be more. Price would have to really be good for me to consider.
NSMaple1
Addicted to ArboristSite
No.
Iaff113
ArboristSite Operative
lindnova
ArboristSite Operative
I wouldn't buy one with a leak.
It all depends on the circumstances for me. "IF" I looked it over and felt I could fix it then yes, as long as I was only paying scrap metal price for it. If they are wanting as much as a good used leak free one then no.
I will skin my ignorance here, since I have never looked in a OWB. Isnt the tank replaceable. I would think that if the tank started leaking it would either be because of a defect, or corrosion. A defect would be a crack at a seam or joint and should be easy to repair with a good welder. Corrosion would be a whole different issue. If there has been enough corrosion to work thru the tank, I would tend to believe the entire tank would be corroded and not just one little spot where it is leaking. Are the tanks not glass lined like a hot water heater tank? If so, any welding will destroy the glass lining. Fixing a rusted spot might give you a few more years of use, but sooner or later a new leak would appear in a different location. Also any welded spot will rust really fast and a new leak could start at the weld seam. Is the tank exposed to the fire in the stove. I would think not, most likely there are boiler tubes getting the bulk of the heat and hot water flows thru the tubes to the tank. Like I said, I am ignorant as to how a OWB heats water, but I would think any corrrosion issues in the tank would also be found in the boiler tubes that feed the tank. What kind of steel is used in making the boiler tank. If it is stainless, a gas purge would need to be used to prevent the welding procedure from burning off the chrome and nickle in the stainless on the backside of the weld. For a big size tank, this would be difficult and expensive. If your welder isnt using a purge, he isnt as good a welder as you think he is. If the tank is not stainless, then the purge would not be necessary. Simply running a bead on the outside of the tank is not a fix, and only a patch at best. Also, cutting out and replacing the rusted metal probably isnt the best option. Welding a patch covering the leak would seem to be a better, not to mention easier, fix. At ay rate, if the tank is replaceable, I would think a new tank should cost less that the $1000 mentioned repair cost.
Short and long of it. NO
CentaurG2
Addicted to ArboristSite
Contact the manufacture of the unit and ask them if it can be rebuilt, what the cost would be and how long of a wait to do this. You would also need to factor in shipping the unit. We had a central boiler rebuilt by CB. As I remember, including shipping both ways, it was right around $3K. At the time, a new unit was $6K.
NSMaple1
Addicted to ArboristSite
Most 'conventional' OWBs are just a combustion chamber inside a water jacket. No tubes. Or 'tank'.
Well, that would sure suck, but you never know until you ask
WoodTick007
Addicted to ArboristSite
How old is the unit? How long has it been leaking? How long has it been in service? How long has it been out of service as a result of the leak? Can you see the crack/cracks? Have you spoke with the manufacturer and inquired the lifespan of it and what are the most common points of failure and how do they suggest to repair the cracks and how much longer can you expect to get out of the unit if properly repaired? What is the wall thickness?
VirginiaIron
ArboristSite Operative
The reality of a leak in a boiler is that it could be a non repairable crack. If you have any idea what deteriorated steel/iron looks like, and you can weld, and you get it for next to nothing, go for it. On the other hand, there might not be much wrong with it; as wood heat is not so easy as many think it is; therefore, a leak was all the owner needed to justify getting rid of it.
VirginiaIron
ArboristSite Operative
Corrosion is an issue. Isolation valves aren't always installed and the heaviest of copper piping isn't used, if applicable, so the leak could be somewhere in the underground piping system. Inquire if the p.o. had any sort of water treatment plan/schedule, Isolation valves, etc.
