Garn Leaking water again.

[hedge wood]

So here we go again. Two years later and the Garn is leaking water again. In a new place. Went into the Garn barn on the 23 of Dec to find water on the floor in front. This time its leaking were the box that holds the blower is welded to the tank. Guessing another weld has failed. Got it temp fixed with high temp silicone . It just seeping now. Just like last time I have no where to go with 2,000 gallons of water in Jan and really don't want to dump the water with around $1,000 dollars of chemical in it. If the silicone starts to give up I will probably drain it down past the leak and try some high temp JB weld to get by till spring. Then it be time to decide if its time to take the Garn out. This is getting to be too much. Sure thought this thing would last better than nine years on the first leak and now 11 years on the second one.

 

[andym]

2,000 gallons is a lot of water. What you need is small inflatable swmiming pool to pump it into for a couple days. Maybe you know someone that has one stored away for the winter?

 

[brenndatomu]

2,000 gallons is a lot of water. What you need is small inflatable swmiming pool to pump it into for a couple days. Maybe you know someone that has one stored away for the winter?

Boy, that could work great! As long as it not frozen solid when it's time to refill...

 

[andym]

Boy, that could work great! As long as it wasn't frozen solid when it was time to refill...

I was actually thinking the other extreme....don't fill the pool with 185° water!

 

[maple1]

Man that is harsh - good luck!

 

[andym]

Sure thought this thing would last better than nine years on the first leak and now 11 years on the second one.

Thats not what you would expect for something that costs so much ($10k+?). No warranty left I assume.

 

[hedge wood]

Thats not what you would expect for something that costs so much ($10k+?). No warranty left I assume.

Way north of ten grand. Eleven years ago I put $30,000 in system to get it up and running. Spray foaming was the only thing I hired done. Two years ago when it leaked the first time I called them and there office jockey said the owner will call me it took three weeks for him to call me back. I got no help from him. They wouldn't even giving me a discount on any parts I needed from them like gaskets. Last time it leaked it took three months from shut down to back up and running. Took a lot of time to clean it and find and schedule a welder to do the work. Most welders I called wouldn't even come look at it. By the time I got back up and running I spent $3,000 on the repairs. That didn't include the propane I had to buy to get my by. The cost of ownership has been quiet high. For a piece of equipment that's suppose to last 25-30 years I am not doing so well. I hope I can limp it along until spring don't want to have to buy $1,000 dollars of propane to get to spring when the wood is already put up.

 

[Case1030]

Way north of ten grand. Eleven years ago I put $30,000 in system to get it up and running. Spray foaming was the only thing I hired done. Two years ago when it leaked the first time I called them and there office jockey said the owner will call me it took three weeks for him to call me back. I got no help from him. They wouldn't even giving me a discount on any parts I needed from them like gaskets. Last time it leaked it took three months from shut down to back up and running. Took a lot of time to clean it and find and schedule a welder to do the work. Most welders I called wouldn't even come look at it. By the time I got back up and running I spent $3,000 on the repairs. That didn't include the propane I had to buy to get my by. The cost of ownership has been quiet high. For a piece of equipment that's suppose to last 25-30 years I am not doing so well. I hope I can limp it along until spring don't want to have to buy $1,000 dollars of propane to get to spring when the wood is already put up.

Thats a crap situation. Everything sounds good on paper at 25-30 years of use... the worst part is in order to save anything over the course of use, it needed to last at least that time frame.

Best of luck, hopefully you can figure something out.

 

[salecker]

That totally sucks...
What's the issue when you were trying to find a welder?

 

[hedge wood]

That totally sucks...
What's the issue when you were trying to find a welder?

Don't know your area but around here getting some one to come out to a farm and crawl in a 2000 gallon tank that is full of pipes , burning chamber and weld a crack up and patch some metal in it is not easy to do. We are not long on welders around here. I normally do my own welding but after two shoulder surgery's there is no crawling in that Garn. I am pretty sure the guy that repaired it last time will repair this leak. He was a nice guy and didn't over price the work. He did spend about a good ten hours in the tank over two days.

 

[Case1030]

Don't know your area but around here getting some one to come out to a farm and crawl in a 2000 gallon tank that is full of pipes , burning chamber and weld a crack up and patch some metal in it is not easy to do. We are not long on welders around here. I normally do my own welding but after two shoulder surgery's there is no crawling in that Garn. I am pretty sure the guy that repaired it last time will repair this leak. He was a nice guy and didn't over price the work. He did spend about a good ten hours in the tank over two days.

Next time you have it drained... maybe have him do some preventative welding while he is in there? Did both leaks happen in common areas? Difficult to know where or if a new leak will spring up again.

 

[hedge wood]

Next time you have it drained... maybe have him do some preventative welding while he is in there? Did both leaks happen in common areas? Difficult to know where or if a new leak will spring up again.

He did a bunch of preventative welding. All in all he used 20 plus pounds of welding rod. The new leak is know were close to were the other leak was. It will interesting if I can make it to spring to see what happen this time. I guessing one of there fine welds failed again.

 

[Case1030]

He did a bunch of preventative welding. All in all he used 20 plus pounds of welding rod. The new leak is know were close to were the other leak was. It will interesting if I can make it to spring to see what happen this time. I guessing one of there fine welds failed again.

Not good PR for Garn. 9 years of life out of a 25-30 year boiler isn't even half.

Some guys complain when there 15 year old smoke dragon boiler kicks the bucket without cleaning ash out of the firebox or using water treatment... Lol

 

[hedge wood]

Not good PR for Garn. 9 years of life out of a 25-30 year boiler isn't even half.

Some guys complain when there 15 year old smoke dragon boiler kicks the bucket without cleaning ash out of the firebox or using water treatment... Lol

This Garn has had the best of care water treatment was always kept up. Ashes are cleaned out before the next load is ran. I guess I got the one made on a Monday or a Friday. I wish now I would have bought the cheapest smoke dragon boiler and when it died hauled it to the junk yard and got another. I could have three of them for what this one cost.

 

[salecker]

Don't know your area but around here getting some one to come out to a farm and crawl in a 2000 gallon tank that is full of pipes , burning chamber and weld a crack up and patch some metal in it is not easy to do. We are not long on welders around here. I normally do my own welding but after two shoulder surgery's there is no crawling in that Garn. I am pretty sure the guy that repaired it last time will repair this leak. He was a nice guy and didn't over price the work. He did spend about a good ten hours in the tank over two days.

Sounds like a normal day of welding for the guys that work around here,except add -20C or colder to the mix.

 

[3fordasho]

Sounds like a normal day of welding for the guys that work around here,except add -20C or colder to the mix.

Could be a normal day for some welders but if I was the Garn owner here I would be concerned about where it's going to spring a leak next.
Surely a disappointment for the owner and I'm glad I went with a traditional indoor gasser / pressurized system. My water treatment was optional and only around $100. I did consider the Garn in my selection process but would probably cross that off my list if there is ever a "next time".

 

[SpaceBus]

I would hope for better from a forum sponsor.

 

[SciGuy]

So here we go again. Two years later and the Garn is leaking water again. In a new place. Went into the Garn barn on the 23 of Dec to find water on the floor in front. This time its leaking were the box that holds the blower is welded to the tank. Guessing another weld has failed. Got it temp fixed with high temp silicone . It just seeping now. Just like last time I have no where to go with 2,000 gallons of water in Jan and really don't want to dump the water with around $1,000 dollars of chemical in it. If the silicone starts to give up I will probably drain it down past the leak and try some high temp JB weld to get by till spring. Then it be time to decide if its time to take the Garn out. This is getting to be too much. Sure thought this thing would last better than nine years on the first leak and now 11 years on the second one.

Hi hedge wood,

I've sent a message to you.

Hugh

 

[salecker]

Could be a normal day for some welders but if I was the Garn owner here I would be concerned about where it's going to spring a leak next.
Surely a disappointment for the owner and I'm glad I went with a traditional indoor gasser / pressurized system. My water treatment was optional and only around $100. I did consider the Garn in my selection process but would probably cross that off my list if there is ever a "next time".

I had a Garn on my list for the next hydronic project...
Now i will wait and see.

 

[Case1030]

I had a Garn on my list for the next hydronic project...
Now i will wait and see.

Would be better off with 1500 gallon of storage using a retired propane tank and indoor downdrafter.

 

[salecker]

Would be better off with 1500 gallon of storage using a retired propane tank and indoor downdrafter.

Thats what i have now at home.I have a new shop that i will be building,well actually a shop i will be building out of three metel buildings i moved on to the property for salvage.

 

[hedge wood]

Just a quick up date. Silicone it holding so so losing about a half a gallon in 24 hours. Called Garn no one answers the phone any more just got voice mail. See if I get a call back?

 

[Case1030]

This stuff works great. A stud on the track punctured my snowmobile tunnel causing a coolant leak 4 years ago. This stuff fixed it even with coolant leaking out. Still holding to this date.

 

[hedge wood]

Just quick up date. Silicone is still holding so so. Losing about half a gallon in 24 hours. Haven't got a call back from Garn. Just called again no one answering the phone so left another voice mail.

 

[maple1]

Maybe try an epoxy of some kind?

Well, then there's that Flex Seal Phil guy from TV and his assorted miracle stuffs...