New Raypak heater is haunted...

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budgetplan1

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Jan 1, 2013
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Cleveland, OH
Replaced an old Minimax Electronic Ignition NG heater (200K btu) with a Raypak Digital NG (266K btu)...but when this heater fires it it sounds like a haunted castle for a minute, low-level howling, whistling, wailing. Wonder if it's gas pressure issue? Have a AC-250 gas meter on house, maybe need to upgrade? Gas line piping is within specs for location/installation, flame color/pattern looks good when lit (based on what manual states) I guess I should bite the bullet and test static & load pressure with a manometer.

Any thoughts?
 
I have an older pilot version of the Raypac and it also howls a little bit when first turned on only if set to max setting though i think it is steam building up so i turn setting lower and it stops. This may be what you are experiencing also
 
ps0303 said:
It's not a gas pressure issue. Gas pressure does NOT make sounds like that. It's a water flow issue.
Click to expand...

I know Raypak had an issue a while back that they had a retrofit for regarding "whistling":

Raypak Inlet/Outlet Header Baffle w/Header Dam (006826F)

Wonder if it's a unitherm governor issue; that's pretty easy to remove and see what happens. Just put a 2 speed motor on the pump; low speed/high speed, same noise.
 
I've been installing Raypak heaters for well over 3 years, 90+ units per year, and I have not run into this issue with any of the units I have installed where the baffle needed to be replaced. If you do not have the proper amount of water flow into the unit this noise will happen. If you have a bypass, then adjust it. Could it be the uni-therm govern? Maybe but if that is the case you should have a warranty person look at it. Why pay to fix something new and under warranty as well as possibly voiding that warranty by trying to fix it yourself.

What are the first 4 digits of the serial number on the unit you purchased and installed?
 
Unit is relatively newly manufactured first 4 of SN are 1304. Below is pic of in/out plumbing if that reveals anything. Mostly noisy on a 'cold' firing. Sometimes will even vibrate a bit and sound as if gravel flowing through. Too much water flow (easy to correct) or too little? Pool plumbing is 1.5". Isn't internal bypass supposed to regulate flow to proper amount, somewhat? Thanks for any info...

raypak_zpscea8743f.jpg
 
Some half-wit reversed/swapped the header. Fortunately, I know that guy pretty well and know exactly where to find him.

Yeah, it was me...

Strangely, for the first week or so, heater really didn't make any unusual noises...just normal clicking of ignition, muffled whoosh of burner lighting and heated relatively silently.

Swapping the header was relatively straightforward.
 
So what has changed from the first week when you initially installed it and it worked without any weird noises? Something has to have changed to all of a sudden cause it to make these noises.
 
Nothing has changed in the slightest from the first week. New pump motor went in this weekend but it has been making noises with prior pump for past 3 weeks prior to new pump motor.

Noises are worst when heater comes on when it (the heater) has not been running for a few hours. On a 'cold start' it makes considerably more noise than if I turn it off, wait 5 minutes and turn it back on.
 

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Well I guess you can take a look at the unitherm govern and see if that has an issue. Other then that the only things are water flow or a bypass issue which is very unusual on these units. These hardly ever have issues thus the reason why I install so many of them. And you have a two speed pump, correct?
 
Well maybe at this point it's best to get someone there at your place to figure it out. Being that it's a new unit it should have the newest baffle design in it.
 
ps0303 said:
Well maybe at this point it's best to get someone there at your place to figure it out. Being that it's a new unit it should have the newest baffle design in it.
Click to expand...

Double checked...does have newest baffle in it. Baffle retrofit was for older models. Took the unitherm governor out this morning; the gasket on the plug seat (not plug o-ring) was twisted and pinched. Flattened gasket, re-seated...no more noise upon startup. A little whine for about 3 seconds but no longer haunted. Does still whistle a bit on low pump speed but at least no more howling and rattling.

Maybe my heater was finished being built at 4:55pm on a Friday...
 
Yeah I see that gasket twisted like that alot. I do expect a bit of a whine on low speed as the water is probably heating up too fast because it's no moving thru the heat exchanger quickly.
 
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