Vent Damper Repair (switch replacement)

 

 

 

 

 

 

My replacement gas heating system included a vent damper that closes the flu when the gas is not burning to save energy; but it threw a boiler error after just 2 years use. Seems a lot of these units only last 2-3 years and the motor unit alone costs around $100.

I purchased a replacement motor assembly, which meant I had the old one to play with.

It is controlled by three SS-5 micro switches which I suspected even though they tested OK for open and close, but I was not able to test actuation with the notched wheel that governs them (not shown in the picture).

The original switches were made by Zippy so I ordered some Omron replacements as I did not want to have to deal with this issue every few years,

let alone the cost of a new motor unit. $10 got me 10 switches on ebay, so I was able to rebuild both the old and new units.

So far, the old, repaired unit seems to be working fine, which is good as I would hate to leave my wife stranded without heating while I am at work (she telecommutes from home); although there is an override switch to force it to stay open in case of failure.

This article was written by Anwar (Andy) Shiekh originally from London, England; he repairs things to help make an income go further and presently teaches Physics in Colorado, U.S.A.

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Note: You can check his previous repair article on Computer Mouse Repair Switch Replacement

 

4 Comments

1. 

   Parasuraman S

   November 20, 2021 at 3:42 pm

   Good fix! Thanks for sharing!

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2. 

   Albert van Bemmelen

   November 20, 2021 at 6:53 pm

   I guess that the notched wheel that governs the 3 micro-switches was not damaged and that only the micro-switches were the problem. Although this was not entirely clear since you also replaced the motor?

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3. 

   Anwar Y Shiekh

   November 21, 2021 at 2:39 am

   I was unclear; the only thing I replaced were the 3 switches, the rest was original.

   Next time I need to take more care with my writing; I appreciated being made aware.

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4. 

   Yogesh Panchal

   November 21, 2021 at 9:48 pm

   Good Jo Anwar

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