Ultimate heater hard starting

[sparkey]

I am having trouble with my ultimate heater in my automatic bay starting. It will spark and turn the gas on but it fails to light at least 65% of the time. It will try to light 3 times then shut down for a period of time then try to relight again. I totally disassembled the burner assembly and checked all orfices and burner tubes for dirt. I have replaced the gas valve, igniter module, igniter, fan motor, and nothing has helped. By the way the 7 year warranty on this heater covered none of these parts. I am beginning to wonder if it covers anything.

The best luck I have had is adjusting the pilot, step, and regulator screws on the gas valve. This is very touchy though. I get it to where it will light perfect for a few times, then its right back to where I started. If I remove the air intake pipe and run the heater without the vent pipe it also helps a little. Any ideas on how to get this thing to light reliably?

 

[Buzzie8]

My former partners just had the same problem at their wash. They told me their is small "spy" glass window that needed replaced. It costs about a buck from Ultimate. As far as Ultimate's warranty, they do not cover anything for any of their products. I'm half tempted to start a class action suit against them for all the BS thet put me through (and what I hear they do to everyone). I had long conversation with their sales guy for car washes about two months ago on this very subject. He said he would get back to me, never heard anything. There president seems to be an absentee owner. I would never, buy another Ultimate product ever!

 

[pitzerwm]

Buzzie, you need to do a customer review on this company)

 

[pitzerwm]

You can edit your post for 15 minutes. I fixed it for you.

 

[Washmee]

I junked all my heaters from Ultimate products years ago. I had many of the same problems described here. They had a program where they wanted you to remove the burner assembly and send it to them to keep for you over the warm months. They claimed this would solve most of the problems associated with carwash use. I did it the first year and when I got my units back, none of them worked. Their response, Too bad!

 

[sparkey]

My sight glass is good. I had a little luck redrilling the holes for the ignighter rod and moving it into the gas stream a little more. This helped but it is still a very hard starter.

Ultimate products always promises to call me back, but they never do. I will never buy an ultimate product again either. They never have spare parts in stock, I had to wait months for a new fan motor and when I got it, it wasn't a stainless motor. They told me it would work (same price as stainless). I had to settle for a used gas valve, because they didn't have one. I ordered an igniter module, they shipped me the wrong type (an old style) and basically told me it would work if I rewired everything. I am still trying to return the module for the correct type. I now have 5 calls in to them for this. Of course they never call back. Looks like I may be stuck with it.

 

[mjwalsh]

I am having trouble with my ultimate heater in my automatic bay starting. It will spark and turn the gas on but it fails to light at least 65% of the time. It will try to light 3 times then shut down for a period of time then try to relight again. I totally disassembled the burner assembly and checked all orfices and burner tubes for dirt. I have replaced the gas valve, igniter module, igniter, fan motor, and nothing has helped. By the way the 7 year warranty on this heater covered none of these parts. I am beginning to wonder if it covers anything.

The best luck I have had is adjusting the pilot, step, and regulator screws on the gas valve. This is very touchy though. I get it to where it will light perfect for a few times, then its right back to where I started. If I remove the air intake pipe and run the heater without the vent pipe it also helps a little. Any ideas on how to get this thing to light reliably?

Sparkey,

With our boilers we use a proper range Dwyer Magnehelic tester for seeing the precise water column inches of the gas & air pressures. A manometer will also work but is more awkward. The Magnehelic device is less than a $100 I think --- I know it has been worthwhile for us. I am not familiar with your heaters but the fact that the regulator screw adjustment is a factor leads me to believe the Magnehelic might help verify whether you are getting the proper consistent gas pressures from your gas valve etc.

MJ

 

[dogwasher]

Yes before you do anything else I would start with checking the gas pressure. Check the gas valve it probably calls for 3.5 inches of w.c. out of the gas valve feeding the burner.
You should have around 8-9 inches from the gas meter unless you have a high pressure meter but probably not.
You can buy a cheap gas pressure checker for about $45 from grainger. Buy the one rated for 1-12 inches w.c.

 

[dogwasher]

Except from what your telling us about this Ultimate piece of garbage it sounds like you would be better off building a camp fire to heat the bay.