Tired of crappy customer service from Central Boiler - should i switch?

[Bob Lentz]

I have had a CB HD750 for 5 years now and before that had a classic edge.   I have been heating house with firewood with propane backup for 13 years now.  

My current issue is i went to the web app to make a change to the boiler set point.  It would not accept the change - i had to go out to the stove and make the change - no biggy. BUT - this used to work, as recently as September! You were able to change critical running parameters online w/o having to go out to the boiler.

I called my dealer and they said to call CB direct so i did.  They told me that they no longer support making changes to the boiler via the web app - even though the web app still allows you to try and make the change!  The customer service rep was nasty and basically implied suck it up pal - this is what it is.

So now I am considering taking my business else ware - any thoughts on other manufacturers?  Crown Royal, Heat Master?   From what i can see, CB IS/WAS the only manufacturer to give access to the stove via web.

Thoughts?

[doc henderson]

Many companies including ED staffing, Pharmacy staffing, are losing money and cannot find help.  I would call back hoping for a different rep. or ask for the supervisor.  Do you just want a different boiler?

[rusticretreater]

They probably had a chinese supplier of electronics and experienced widespread failures of their units.  The costs in replacing them would be quite high. So they just washed their hands of the situation.

[doc henderson]

we have a "superior boiler" manufacturer here in hutch, but these units are forty feet long and 12 feet in diameter.  how big a unit are you looking for?  

[hedgerow]

All I can say is don't buy a Garn boiler if you want good customer service. When I had factory welds that failed and caused leaks. I received no help from them. Seems like in the electronic world things aren't support very well. 

[VTwoodworker]

Only things worse than the quality of Central Boilers is the warranty and customer service.  I sent it to the scrap yard after a painful 5 years.  I have a Portage and Main boiler now and I have been very happy with the quality and the customer service is awesome.

Additionally, the Portage and Main has much better efficiency and I went from 16 cord to 12 cord per heating season.  BTW I do heat with 80% soft wood and my current boiler does really good with the that.

[thecfarm]

Heatmor.
They may not have the fancy computer stuff, but you put wood in, you get heat out.  ;D
And that's why I went with Heatmor back in 2007.

[chet]

 I posted this a few years ago. I found this hole from the fire box into the water jacket while unloading parts from inside my new central boiler when I got home with it. The hole was big enough that I could insert a pencil. It was reported to the dealer and the manufacturer within a few hours of making the purchase. To say that central boiler was good to deal with to get the stove replaced or repaired would be the understatement of the century. In the end I had a local welding shop make the repairs.  

[PoginyHill]

I had good luck talking with a Central Boiler technician when I could not connect the boiler WiFi to home network via the normal procedure in their manual. He walked me through what I needed to do to get it to work.
Like any service rep, the person you talk to may not do well representing the company as a whole.

[barbender]

 Chet, I don't follow...Central Boiler didn't take care if that manufacturing defect on a new unit?

I went with a Heatmor, it's probably got over 15 seasons on it. I'd heard horror stories of OWB's that started leaking after 2 seasons, but I worked with a couple of guys that both had Heatmors with over 10 seasons on them. That's why I went with a Heatmor. Simple, there's really nothing much to go wrong on them. And they have a good reputation for standing behind their products.

[chet]

All I will say is in the end, totally fed up, I took it to our local welding shop and had it repaired. Was easy to do, because in all this time the boiler had never left my trailer. To Central Boilers credit they did eventually reimburse the shops bill. 

[ButchC]

Crown Royal seems to be the darling of the cyber wood boiler world right now but they too have QC issues especially if your thinking the gassifier route. A person would have to be burning a lot of oil or gas and the new furnace would have to run a VERY long time to payout and I don't see it happening on the newer units. We havd run a 4400 Woodmaster for now 16 or 17 years. Everytine I needed help from the factory, twice they were friendly and super helpfulI BUT that was also before Central Boiker bought them out. None tbe less if I have to buy another it will either be another old school Woodmaster or a Portage and Main.

[JJ]

Chet,
I would think CB would pressure/vacuum check the water chamber and combustion chamber.
How would this pass a pressure or vacuum check?

      JJ

[chet]

It's been a few years since I bought it, but if memory serves me correctly that's exactly what they told me. They had no answer when I sent them a pic with a pencil pushed up in the hole.
This was my second boiler purchase from them. The first developed a crack in the door, which they were quick to replace. My second dealing with them about 20 years later was a totally different experience.   :(