EKO 25 - Error on Controller (E2) after running hot

[RDabate]

Hi Guys,

I've been away for about 6 days, so the boiler was comply off and cooled. I started her back up again last night around 7:00PM. At around 11:00PM, I noticed it getting a little hot, up to 200 and above. I've never seen it do that before as I have it set to 180. Eventually, I got an error on the Controller last night that says E2. This morning is says E3. I shut off the controler then tried resetting it. I'm kind of at a loss here and don't know what this means. Any suggestions?

Rick

 

[Fred61]

Aren't you the guy that had all those "hot boiler - "no heat" - "sizzling flue problems?" Did you ever get them resolved? There were many suggestions made by members of this forum but I never saw any posts from you telling us if or how the problem was solved. Perhaps the present problem is a result of the previous problems.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I think that it's possible to fry the temp probe, though I kind of doubt that's what happened. The E2 error, I believe, indicates a fried probe. But I got that code once and everything worked fine after I reset the controller. If it won't go away, then I think you need a new probe. I doubt they're very expensive--probably less than $20, though that's just a guess. Check with whoever you bought the boiler from.

 

[RDabate]

My previous issues were (for the most part) worked out. I'm still not happy with the way this thing is installed. I was kind of used as a Ginny pig with this thing. I bought it from someone and the guy they recommended, well, this was his first one. Yeah, good times. And I'm a freaken computer guy. So heating and Air is not exactly my specialty.

Anyway, it was working up an till now. If it's the probe, where is the temp probe and is it easily replaceable?

 

[Eric Johnson]

The probe connects to the controller with three screw-in connections on the back of the controller. You might be able to simply pull it out from the housing, if there's enough slack in the wire. If not, you have to remove the housing. On the older models with the silver, pyramid-type housing on top of the boiler, there are four screws that connect it through the top lid. A short Phillips head screwdriver works best for getting to them. The probe simply sits in a bracket welded to the top of the boiler. There's a square section cut out of the insulation to accommodate it. Remove the probe from the bracket and disconnect the terminals from the controller. Note that the wires are numbered as well as color coded. The numbers are on those little orange triangle things. Make sure you reconnect the new one the same way.

If you've turned off the controller and you still get the error code, then I'm guessing it's the probe. Check the online manual available from newhorizoncorp.com to doublecheck what that error code means. You might check for shorted wires and/or melted insulation "under the hood" before you buy anything.

 

[RDabate]

Strange, but I just turned it off, pressed stop, then pressed Start and I'm up and running again, with no errors. I thought I did this last night but I must have done something different.

I'm a little on the tired side, we just brought home a new born baby boy yesterday.......needless to day.....I'm not exactly thinking straight. Thanks for the help, I'll see how she works tonight.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Sounds like you're in good shape. At least with the boiler. Congratulations on the new baby! In a few years, you might be able to get a good night's sleep again.

 

[sdrobertson]

Strange, but I just turned it off, pressed stop, then pressed Start and I'm up and running again, with no errors. I thought I did this last night but I must have done something different.

I'm a little on the tired side, we just brought home a new born baby boy yesterday.......needless to day.....I'm not exactly thinking straight. Thanks for the help, I'll see how she works tonight.

Excellent - another Hearth.com addict in a couple years Congratulations and enjoy the sleepless nights as they do go fast and then your missing when they used to be so little.

 

[taxidermist]

Congrats on the new little man If the boiler was still hot it will not reset until it starts to cool.

 

[RDabate]

Thanks for the congrats guys.

The problem cam back after the first night I started her back up. I think I'm going to email www.newhorizoncorp.com to see if they think it's the temp probe and how I can get one.

 

[RDabate]

The temp probe was 26 bucks, so I just ordered it. Sounds like that's the issue.

 

[shoeboxlen]

I also ran into this issue when the temps got warmer I found that if I turned the dial down on warm days to 170 I did not over heat my boiler and get an e2 give that a try. Worked for me. I go by how cold it is outside as it seems to depend on how often your house calls for heat. A day in the 30s I turned it down to 175 40s I got down to 170 I have never gone lower than that though. give it a try

 

[RDabate]

Got the Temp Prob in the mail today and just installed it. It wasn't really difficult to install. In the process of starting the fire back up.
"Shoeboxlen", great advice, you might be right on with that. It didn't have an issue until we had a few warm days. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

 

[taxidermist]

Got the Temp Prob in the mail today and just installed it. It wasn't really difficult to install. In the process of starting the fire back up.
"Shoeboxlen", great advice, you might be right on with that. It didn't have an issue until we had a few warm days. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

WOW that was quick took him 13 days to get mine to me and it was COLD! in Dec when I fried mine.

I have been burning when it has been warm out and I dont get a error code. Maybe your pump is not pulling enough BTU off the boiler in this warm weather. I dont pack mine full like when it is below freezing.

 

[shoeboxlen]

Got the Temp Prob in the mail today and just installed it. It wasn't really difficult to install. In the process of starting the fire back up.
"Shoeboxlen", great advice, you might be right on with that. It didn't have an issue until we had a few warm days. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

WOW that was quick took him 13 days to get mine to me and it was COLD! in Dec when I fried mine.

I have been burning when it has been warm out and I dont get a error code. Maybe your pump is not pulling enough BTU off the boiler in this warm weather. I dont pack mine full like when it is below freezing.

I am thinking this also has to do with how fast your disipate heat in your house new construction will not leak the heat so fast thus not call for it as much and the boiler will get warmer also a smaller home will not call as often as it is smaller and not so much space to heat. I am sure this is also due to the fact that I do not run storage but a quick turn of the knob solves the issue for me so I figured share the nugget.

 

[RDabate]

OK, now I'm stumped

I replaced the temp probe (correctly) and double checked. Fired her up yesterday and after few hours, I got the E2, or E3 message again. I wish I understood pluming more, not really sure were to go from here.

 

[shoeboxlen]

is your pump running circulating the water? do you have it plumbed into your domestic hot water as well? on the rare occasion that my boiler gets near 200 degrees I run the hot water for 5-10 minutes so it bleeds some heat off the system. this will only work if your heating domestic hot water with your eko also. DId you try turning down the controller like I suggested before?

 

[zadwit]

I've been running an EKO-60 with 1000 gallons of storage since last August. I have teh smae problem,overhetaing. Here is what I have noticed:
The EKO-60 overheats when:
E-2 is a temporay overheat. As soon as the system cools down below some value like 185, press stop and then start and it should reset. Or turn the master switch off then on. E-3 means boiler overheat and devective temp probe. I've had E-3 once and thought the probe was fried, but then it started working again.....a little worrisone to say.


1) the tanks and system approach 190 (f) and the EKO-60 fans start to cycle on and off
2)The fans come on every so often to keep the fire alive and I think each time, the boiler gets a little hotter.
3)As long as there is no heat load requirement from the system, the EKO-60 fans will only come on ever so often to keep the fire alive., so if you turn up a thermostat and start drawing heat from the system, the temps will come down. (this is only a temporay fix)
4)#3 goes along with the idea that overheats mainly occur when the temps outside are warmer.....
SO, New horizons suggest the following to me.

1) increase the fan "puffing" interval. This is the interval that keeps the fires going.
2)relocate the temp probe to the outlet pipe instead of laying on top the boiler body itself.
3)set the temp down to 180
4) also possibly reduceing fan speed to 70% by reprograming the RK-2001UA controller.
5) I've noticed that smaller, dry wood tends to lead to overheat more often than larger logs, unsplit. Small wood to start, then use the larger logs.
Also "FULL" loads after the boiler has been running a few hours tend to lead to overheat condition.
Having stated the above , I haven't made any of the correction yet but plan to in the next few days.......


There you go. Good luck and after I try my fixes, I'll report back here.....

 

[Fred61]

The fan (blow through) serves two functions. One more important than the other. The least important is that it keeps the fire going but these things leak enough so I don't think that is necessary. The most important function is that it keeps some of the gas trapped in the chamber purged out at idle so when it calls for heat, a large amount of gas doesn't ignite all at once and blow the front off the unit or you don't get a face full of fire when you open the door. I think an overheat zone should be in the plan when you first plumb up your boiler. Not too difficult to do!

 

[RDabate]

Dear god I love this Site!

Thank you so much everyone for the detailed advice. All things I'll keep an eye on and I'll put that in my notes.

I think I figured out my issue. Only time will tell. My system is running in parallel with the existing oil boiler. Normally, I turn down the temperature on the oil burners controller box so that when it comes on, it's not working as hard. For some reason, it was turned all the way up, at like 220 So, I'm kind of thinking that might make a difference. I turned it back down, and we'll see where it goes from there.

I've got a new born two week old baby boy in the house, so I mush have been brain dead in the middle of the night to do that.

I'll post back soon with my results.

Oh, shoeboxlen, yes, I did try turning the temp down on the eko after I installed the new probe.

 

[taxidermist]

Also if your ball valve for your return protection is open then you are pumping water round and round your boiler and with no heat load and warm temps you will hit over heat pretty fast.