Takagi Junior Threw Craps

[CastIronCook2]

We have a Takagi Junior that has performed flawlessly for the past several years. Yesterday, for no apparent reason, it stopped working.

It is getting water and propane at the proper pressure, it is getting electricity at the proper voltage (120), and the water filter has been cleaned. No fault codes display.

We hate to dismount the unit and bring it all the way into town, where they will probably tell us it has to be shipped back to the factory, and where we will be without its services for the duration.

We've downloaded the appropriate manual from Takagi and ran the diagnostics it suggested, but to no avail. Anybody have any ideas?

[Anon001]

What's a Takagi Junior?

[CastIronCook2]

It's a small, on-demand, flash water heater. Propane powered. Kicks in when the solar poops out.

[kawalekm]

Hi CIC
Did you try watching what happens with the front panel taken off when the heater is supposed to turn on? Seeing the machine in operation could give you a clue as to what is wrong with it.

Our home gas furnace stopped working a few years back. I took off the front panel and observed that a small heating coil was supposed to glow red before the gas would start to flow. No heat from the coil, no open gas valve. If I heated the coil with a light-stick and turned it on, the furnace would light, just as it was supposed to. It turned out that the heating element had developed a crust of ash over the years and short circuited. After cleaning off the ash with a toothbrush, it again glowed red, heated the gas valve, and the unit would light on fire.

Perhaps something similar is happening to your unit. If it has a safety mechanism to stop the flow of gas if it's not lit, that might explain why your unit is not turning on.
Good luck,
Michael

[CastIronCook2]

Michael, that is good advice and the hubbest is going to check it out. He has the front cover off and has run the diagnostics. There's a lot of electronic stuff in there.

What confuses him is that no fault codes show. This unit does not have a pilot light but uses the piezo electric start, and he is getting electricity to the unit.

Thank you for your response and your advice. It is appreciated.

[CastIronCook2]

OK, here it is Monday and Takagi's support team is available by phone. Gotta tell ya, those folks are super helpful. Hubbest is still troubleshooting it; they're walking him through the possibles by phone (we have a booster on our cell phone so can get reception even w-a-y out here in the boonies). Will let you all know how it turns out.