Yesterday, my two year old fancy high efficiency boiler died. The heat has been erratic for a couple of days and the house has been cold. I thought that the circulation pump had failed so I bought another one at almost $200. A little while later I looked at the boiler’s computer display to check that the water was getting hot and I saw the "F05" error flashing. The manual says this is because the output temperature is over 250 degrees. The real reason is that the thermister (usually spelled thermistor, but the part you order has an er at the end) has failed showing the temperature as high, even though the temperature is low.
I had to spend $27 for the the thermister plus the cost of overnighting it.
Last year, I had the exact same problem. This thermister fails once a year. While it is failing the heat is erratic, but there is no way to tell what the cause is. It is an easy fix once it finally dies, but the last time it took two weeks and several emails with the Peerless Pinnacle engineers to figure our which thermister to change and what exactly the "F05" error meant. I ordered two thermisters and I am thinking that I should have bought 5 or 6.
This appears to be a serious design flaw in these boilers, and if I had known about it I would have gone with another brand. Now I am stuck with an expensive boiler that needs fixing constantly. I feel sorry for people who have to hire a plumber to do this.
On top of everything I had to sit up next to the woodstove last night to keep the house warm and prevent the pipes, cats and people from freezing. I got maybe two hours sleep and my back is killing me. I’ve been in meetings all morning where I could not stop yawning.
19 Comments
Were you able to fix it? Hermie may move out again if you don’t keep the place warm!
As I sat in the chair trying to sleep I imagined that I could hear the mice moving upstairs as the cellar got colder.
There was a scurry of cats and the sound of furniture flying and things being knocked off counters, but no dead mice in the morning.
Life in our house is like an amusement park for cats.
I kept the fire burning and the temperature never went below 65 the whole time. I had several cats who snuggled up to me on the chair, but I guess I wasn’t comfortable enough so they went upstairs to bother Erica on the bed.
The part is supposed to arrive today, but so far no word from Erica. I don’t want to miss poker tonight.
You got to be careful with thermostats and things like that. My first concern would be crbon monoxied poisoning.
I’ve had nothing but problems with my peerless pinnacle boiler, I’m going to with another brand.
Steve
It has a steady dripping leak now. I think that the boiler has blown out a seam. We have fairly high water pressure here, being at the bottom of the hill. I have a pressure regulator in line, but I don’t know how good that its to protect the boiler.
We, too, have a “top of the line” Peerless Pinacle boiler, for two years. Have had multiple shut downs, the thing is constantly fowling itself up requiring top to bottom cleaning. And just last week a new record: it had once again conked out, the plumber came and managed to get it going — this time replacing a re-called part — and it shut down in two hours after he left. Obviously Peerless does not have the technology down on these sophisticated units and they are not owning up to it.
I spent too much money on the thing to give up on it. It made it through the winter, but the plastic casing around it is warped and you can feel the cold wind coming out of it cooling the cellar. I have spent more on Gas than I ever did with the old inefficient boiler.
I am a HVAC tech and a licensed plumber, We have several of these units out there, and they are nothing but trouble. I worked on one today, its wet below the stainless heat exchanger. I can get a visual on the piping and seams, they look good. It also has an indirect water heater on it which leaks as it is heating, I have been calling the local reps of the product, and so far have gotten the run around. The two best high efficent boilers I have installed are the Buderus and the triangle tube. Mark
We just moved into a house built in 2004 not even two months into the move both Peerless Pinnacle boilers are gone, the one sits in pieces on my basement floor waiting for a part that one hvac company said was on back order for weeks, not knowing when it will arrive. Another company said they can get it over night but aren’t sure exactly what part it is and I was told by both company’s it will cost anywhere between $900-$1200 labor not included. The other conks out twice a day and we need to turn it off and wait then fire it up praying it will turn on and not give out like the other one did. We live in PA and the temperature is in the high 20’s-30’s. Our water and home heat depend on these two boilers. I have never in my moves experienced this headache. Beware of this product, don’t buy….
Do yourself a favor and DON”T Buy a peerless, F09 says it all! Freezing in my house AGAIN!!!! F09…. Pure JUNK it’s 6 years old and never works right, last year it cost me almost $700 to replace the blower! I should have just invested in another brand then! Peerless=JUNK!
I have two customers with the peerless pinnacle. They seem to have a sensor that detects when it is coldest outside and how that intersects with a weekend. That’s when you get the F09. Usually between the hours of midnight and 4am. These boilers are junk.
RS
I have the computer glued on the outside of the unit so that all I have to do is go down and press reset.
I have changed the flame sensor and the starter plug as suggested in their docs, but no help. I think that the wind can blow out the flame when it is first starting. I notice that it fails on windy nights. I am thinking about putting some kind of baffle in the intake pipe to catch the wind, perhaps a fine screen that lets in the air but slows the wind. It would be nice if the unit could recycle a couple of times before it freezes the system. As it is, one strike and you are out and the house is cold.
I also get a PR0 error because the pressure varies here. Normally we have very high pressure over 100psi, so I put another regulator on the line, but lately the water company has been playing games and I lose pressure and the unit shuts down. I’ve adjusted the regulator up, but the unit drips through a leak in the boiler if the pressure goes up too high. I have a complex pump system to catch the unit’s various drips.
I feel that the unit was a good idea that was cheaply implemented and poorly programmed.
Has anybody checked the flame sensor gasket:)! Try that bet it works!
Changed it twice. Just 5 minutes ago I had to press reset for a F11 error.
Keith
Have one since 06 p-140. P stands for piece of junk.New control board$650,new flame sensor flame ignitor(2 of each).Constantly shutting down.A pity as unit is so compact and quiet when working. Taking out this spring and getting a viessmnnn as germans seem to have got this technology right,just like thier cars,U.S.A. a poor second.
Priced out the Viessmann hot water condenser system for my house and it came to about $7,000. I think I’ll go for new conventional heating system this time.
I am way past the $7000 mark with this Peerless in initial cost and parts and it does not work so $7000 for Viessman for reliability and economy is well worth it in my opinion. Piece of mind to me is worth paying for but Peerless no longer makes this boiler( which is really a HTP Munchkin product)but still sells existing stock of it.Go figure,the gall of some companies and their careless attitude of consumers opinion of them is why North American industry is in such bad shape.STAND BY YOUR PRODUCT DUMMIES and stop crying the blues
What does F09 mean. And how do I fix it.
The pdf files on the website explain.
F09 is the code that the flame sensor failed. The spark did not light the gas or the flame sensor couldn’t tell that the fire started. It was almost always the spark electrode that got dirty or needed to be re-gapped. My flame sensor failed right away, but I only had to change it once.
If you press and hold reset it will try again. Sometimes it works.
You can look at the docs at http://www.peerlessboilers.com The p25 controller manual has the error codes and the sheets for your model boiler will show you where they are located. You have to move the insulation and unscrew the screws holding the sensor or electrode to replace them.
It usually picks 3AM on the coldest night of the year to show a f09. There is a website that sells the sensor and electrode. They are pricey and charge an arm and a leg to ship them from Pennsylvania.
I am glad that I no longer have the peerless. I have a conventional, simple stupid boiler now that doesn’t need a computer. It never quits in the middle of the night.
Keith