douseahouse 21 Report post Posted February 5, 2008 at the end of last season i noticed that my hot water burner assembly now has a leak. i took off the lid and sure enough the coil has a hole in it somewhere. i was told that it can be welded if the hole is accessable. my problem is i cannot get the darn coil out. does anyone have any experience on this issure? thanks, rando Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Russ Johnson 141 Report post Posted February 6, 2008 Sure...you have to disconnect the hose from the unloader to the coil, pull the reed switch out of the flow switch (a phillips head screw holds it in), remove as much plumbing as you need to so the pipe going into the coil will swing around to unscrew. Remove the small nut holding the capillary tube from the thermostat in the large brass fitting and pull the bulb out of the fitting. Do not cut or crimp the capillary tube, it must remain intact. Get a pipe wrench and unscrew both pipes out of the wrap. There should be 1/4" (7/16" head) bolts holding the skin halves together. Remove all of them...some really suck to get to...and remove the sheet metal screws holding the front and burner heads on (the ends of the coil housing) and remove them. Lift the top skin off, peel back the insulation, and the coil should then lift out. The bear'sgetting it back together. Make sure the insulation covers the whole housing without any air gaps. Getting the holes in the coil lined up with the holes in the skin so the pipe will thread back in is not fun, and the end caps are real tough to get on. But it can be done. BUT...before doing all that, remove the burner head alone. See if the leak is accessible to weld where the coil sits. Sometimes you get lucky. Here's a link to exploded views for easier parts identification... Parts listing and exploded views for Hydro Tek Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Orr 206 Report post Posted February 6, 2008 Hey Randy, Check to see if the leak is at the inlet or outlet of the coil (top or bottom) as I believe that there is a short section of pipe that can be replaced. John Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
douseahouse 21 Report post Posted February 8, 2008 unfortunately the leak is somewhere in the middle of the coil. i removed the top lid and confirmed that already. john orr, it would be nice if you would warranty this item since i bought it from you...just kidding john, i'm happy with the deal you gave me. thanks for the input russ but after talking to the hydrotek service tech it appears that i just need to remove the nipples on each end of the coil and lift it straight up. it's going to be a little heavy and i'm definitely going to need a little help on this one. do you make house calls john? rando Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Russ Johnson 141 Report post Posted February 8, 2008 thanks for the input russ but after talking to the hydrotek service tech it appears that i just need to remove the nipples on each end of the coil and lift it straight up. Yeah, but I was getting at what needs to be removed to get the nipples out... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
douseahouse 21 Report post Posted February 8, 2008 the nipples are out and the coil is ready to remove. russ, what do you mean by removing the burner head alone. there is a plate welded in the middle of the coil on top...is this it? thanks, rando Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Russ Johnson 141 Report post Posted February 8, 2008 Oh you're already way beyond that...I was referring to the end where the burner is attached. I have been able to pull just the burner head and weld the coil where it sits. Sounds like you're ready to give it the yank. The "plate" is a baffle designed to deflect the heat through the pancakes instead of just rushing through the center hole. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
douseahouse 21 Report post Posted February 9, 2008 russ, this thing is apparently extremely heavy. my friend and i tried to get it out today but it would not budge. tomorrow i will use a jack mounted over the unit. now tell me, does the coil only come out or does the coil and the outer housing come out together. mine has an outer housing around the coil and then there is insulation and then the outer housing. when i try to move the coil it seems like it is connected to the housing around it. hey man, thanks for you input. rando Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
douseahouse 21 Report post Posted February 11, 2008 hey russ if you're still there, first off, thanks for talking to me on the phone and helping me with this heating coil. guess what? it's out! on this particular coil it has a shell around it and appears to be welded to the shell so that is why the whole thing had to come out. i am going to clean it up and pressure test it with air to see exactly where my hole is. i can see where the deflection plate was welded on underneath has broken and that may be where the leak is. i hope so as a welder can get to that one. thanks again all for your help. rando Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
