Al's Monitor Heater Consumer Complaints,Rapairs,Problems-21,22,422,40,41,441,2400.

Monitor Heater Repairs Consumer Complaints Repairs Problems Parts - 21, 22, 422, 40, 41, 441, 2400

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Monitor Heater Consumer/Dealer Complaints, Problems and Repairs:

we absolutely do NOT recommend ANY new or used Monitor Heater !

When Al's Heating originally sold the Monitor 21, 22 and 41...these Heaters were Little Miracles of Modern Heating and we sold them without hesitation. Our customers were happy, we were happy - Everyone was Happy! A Semi-annual Cleaning was about all the Heaters needed to stay running purrrrrfectly for many, many years.

Then when Monitor brought out the 422s and 441s we had problems right out of the box and Immediate Monitor Heater Consumer Complaints. That was in 1994 and we feel these problems continue until today 10 years later (and I just heard from a VERY loyal Monitor Dealer that he is NOW finding problems with the 2400s!).

We found that Monitor had down-graded the quality of the 441 Motor Bearings (bean-counters at work) causing them to 'Squeal' right out of the box. Also we later found that the 422 and 441's did NOT run as long without cleanings, AND repairs were more frequent than the 21, 22 and 41 - We were having to clean many of the units Yearly and replaced Parts much sooner than they should have been. Sure we made money when we got the Heaters Repaired and up and running Properly...But the Customer paid for cleanings too soon and repairs done that shouldn't have been needed. The continuing legacy problems of these heaters makes us the BEST repair money we have ever put in the bank.

Whenever we found a problem with these heaters or parts because of Monitor Heater Consumer Complaints, we were told by our Monitor Supplier that there were NO problems with the 422's and 441's...HOWEVER, we have been repairing these Units by the hundreds ever since they first came out 10 years ago. And to minimize Monitor Heater Consumer Complaints, we even replaced the Noisy 441 Blower Bearings in our shop BEFORE we sold or installed the Heater! That does NOT mean that EVERY Monitor Heater 441/422 is instantly troublesome; but there were then, and continue to be now, so many problems we see that we absolutely suggest that you do NOT buy Monitor Heaters because of all the Monitor Heater Consumer Complaints. Remember, we have made LOTS of repair $$$'s on these Monitor Heaters as have ALL other Heating Dealers; but the amount of repairs and costs to the unsuspecting Consumer in my view has been tragic!

Al Saves 50% on Heating Fuel !!!

Although this is NOT about problems with Monitors (there are PLENTY of those further down the page), it is News that is so important that I had to write.

As we ALL have seen, the bills for each and every delivery of ALL fuels has been increasing at an alarming rate - and it is NOT going to stop next year.

My own heating bills were at the level of $250-300/mo. for my VERY-EXCELLENT boiler system that I installed on my very well insulated and tight remodeled home 20 years ago. It is still a Top-of-the-Line System with the best of everything. But ALL boiler/furnace Heating Systems are only 45-55% efficient as opposed to 85-90% ( click here for info ) for Monitor (when they run right), Toyo or Rinnai. So in January I put in a 40,000/btu vented heater and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! I heated the same square-footage, was just as warm - BUT saved 50-60% on Fuel Costs. It was like getting a reprieve from Oil-company Death Row!!!

What took me so long you ask...I guess when you put in a $15,000 Baseboard Heating System it is very hard even for me to let that much money go. But at this point in the Out-of-Sight Heating Costs it was time to move forward and start saving IMMEDIATELY and letting the new Heater pay for itself instead of making the Oil Company any richer.

I do have 2 heaters in my shop and did heat the Cottage with one while under construction - then put in the Boiler 20 years ago.

I am Thrilled at being back with my Vented Heater, with the warmth, comfort and saving of 50% on my Heating bill. There are millions of home-owners that have still not paid off this past Winter's fuel bill - and still have to look forward to a WORSE year to come. Think RIGHT NOW about making a Vented Heater change that will save you money for the next 20 years and in at least half the cases give you better, warmer, more comfortable Heat.

Read what Customers, Dealers (and I ) have to say:

Keep those Monitor Problems Coming...

Dated : October 25, 2005 at 17:38:24 Subject: 411 monitor problems------ please help!!!!!!! having few problems with my monitor. when the monitor kicks in i can hear the fuel running down the fuel line. ive never been able to hear this before and it just started yesterday.There was no flame , just lots of noise and then the burner status starts blinking.

More 441 Soot-ups and Problems...

Thomas posted Message 2938 in the Monitor, Toyo, Rinnai Heater-Tech Forum Dated : October 25, 2005 at 11:03:32 Subject:

441 light flashes: I have a monitor 441 and it is sooting up every week causing the heater light bar to flash. After I clean and vacuum inside of burn chamber, it runs good for another week. Then repeats. What do you think is the problem or should I dismantle it to inspect burner pad etc?

The answer is NO! - Get a Toyo!

Paul posted Message #2709 Dated: August 09, 2005 at 16:22:23 Subject: Toyo Kerosun 20: Avoid the monitor like the plague..........buy a Toyo. Have a Kerosun 20-using for last 15 + years!

This is Just another example of Toyo/Kerosun Quality where as you can see from customer complaints below the Monitor 441/422s have complaints from Maine to Alaska.

Danielle K. Nightingale on June 15, 2000

Piece of crap 2400 - Since I have had this heater installed 6 months ago there have been nothing but problems. The current one is another E-13 message. I have been trying in vain to download another users manual for my 2400, but none seem to exist online. I know E-13 has something to do with the ignition, but I don't know what I can do to make the stupid thing work. I have made sure the tank is full, and that we have a good fuel flow to the heater. There is no water in the filter casing. I unplugged and replugged it 5 minutes later, and pressed the little lever on the bottom right side, but to no avail. Once turned on the heater is silent for a minute followed by a ticking sound, and the BURN light goes on. I can't see any flame in the little window. After several minutes of this the BURN light goes out and we are back to quiet running. In about one more minute it flashes E-13. Someone PLEASE help, I swear if I have to call the company that installed it one more time I am going to scream!!!!!

I'm ready to put this Monitor Heater in the street and run over it!

Eric from Mass: 2nd set of 441 bearings are squealing - Is NOW getting a Toyo!

Bob called and is sick and tired of repairing his 441 bearings. If you will recall in one of my former Editorials...we had bad bearings right out of the box with 441s in 1994.

But remember: It is not bearings; it is not the 'o' ring; it is not the gaskets - In our shop we have found it is everything and that is why we do NOT repair the 422/441s as we have found that once they start going it is a downhill slide in pig-poop...we ONLY rebuild them using careful machined, upgraded parts, and techniques the Factory does not even comprehend and that is why we guarantee our Re-builds 3 YEARS!

Come on down Eric and get that Toyo and plan on 10-15 and may even 20 years of great service.

Typical Monitor Service Tricks:

As Customers call from all over the Country...we hear more and more of the age-old and typical tricks 'servicers' use to get-in/get-out take the money and run and do a bad job. Here are some of the Dealer Tricks we have seen and heard about -

1 - Burner Mats: Al's Heating sees burner mats curling up in as little as 3 months; but until the flame is real bad no one really notices. So in comes the Monitor Servicer, opens up the front, scrapes the bottom of the pot, puts in a new mat, puts down gobs of glue - most times replacing the burner-ring because the mat has warped it and tells you everything is fine - WRONG!

First...NO-ONE can scrape the bottom of the pot shiney-clean enough to get the ceramic glue to adhere properly - you would have to grind the bottom of the pot down so far that it would be too thin to use and that is why Al's Heating ONLY uses new pots that have NO rust or other corrosives in the metal which prevents adhesion of the ceramic glue and the causes the $100 flame ring to go again.

Next...It takes 24 hours - are you listening...24 hours for the Ceramic Glue to dry properly to the new pot to hold down the burner mat properly. If you turn on the heater before that, the Ceramic glue crystallizes and does not adhere to the pot and that is why burner mats only last a short time before they curl-up and ruin another burner ring - Now isn't that neat!

I have even seen Monitor servicers use big heavy washers and nuts to hold down the corners of the burner mat - Now that's a trick that even Houdini wouldn't do...

How Dangerous are Monitor Heaters..?

As you can see from the two articles below...Monitor Heaters were Disastrous to these two Families - and such sad situations.

Could I lay the blame personally on anyone specific at Monitor from Japan to MPI to the local Distributor to the Servicer? - No, not specifically. But...I know these people and this need not have happened if I were running the show.

First of all...the Monitor Heaters would be designed to higher specs; have better quality control; Fire the idiots starting right at the top in Japan (remember the Batan Death March where the Japs murdered thousands of our GI's!) and hire people who really cared instead of those who wanted to save face and have a fat paycheck at the expense of the Customer and Servicer alike; have superior training from top to bottom that had no rival in the entire Heating Industry; take the feed-back from Installers and Servicers 100% seriously instead of treating them like blue-collar low-lifes.

I know the Manufacturers; Importers; Distributors; Trainers(?) and would not give you dog-snot for any of them for they are ALL politicians NOT Heating Technicians and in my opinion they care nothing for the Servicer or Consumer - Just their FAT paychecks and Self-styled egos.

This is why Al's Heating has taken up the gauntlet in Re-building the Monitor Heaters to be Safe, Sound-running, Efficient and Long-lived Heaters that Customers will love for years.

All I can do is Apologize for all the road-blocks that have kept me from having the Monitor Videos done sooner. But I am shooting STILL as I find more and more problems that are causing Monitors to self-destruct as some customers say in as little as 2-4 years - and that is why I am NOT going away for the winter as I will work on the Videos until Summer when they will be completed.

Hang on the best you can - you do have ONE ally in this crooked and perverse world!

Al's Heating

Home Destroyed by Faulty Monitor Heater - How Sad!

Phil Dougherty posted Message 1847 in the Monitor-Tech Forum Dated : January 17, 2005 at 19:42:55

Subject: Home destroyed by Monitor: Our log home was destroyed by a faulty Monitor heater. Anyone else have this problem with their Monitor?

What a Tragedy for Anyone to have to go through!

Monitor 2400 Explodes - Sends wife to Hospital

Posted by Fred Bonner [adsl-148.sonnet.com at 66.52.73.148] on December 31, 2004 at 00:36:09:

A couple days before Christmas my 2400 Monitor exploded shortly after turning it on in the early morning. My wife was seriously burnt as she was nearby. She just got out of the hospital yesterday, and still can't walk too well, and can's stand too long in the kitchen, so I've bee eating burritos from Taco Bell until she improves. What can I do with this damn Monitor? I'm in Denver, and it's cold. Fred.

How many more examples of Monitor Problems do you idiots out there need to stay away from this brand of Heater?

10/30/04 - Lynn in Montana: Very Happy with Toyo NOT Monitor

Lynn is a very happy Toyo Dealer in Montana - Loves the Toyo Heaters as all her customers do. But...with the raging problems with the 422/441's, some with the 2400's and who knows what with the new 2200's all the local Monitor Dealers have bailed out and closed down leaving their unsuspecting customers with

NO SUPPORT, NO SERVICE, NO PARTS - in short NO NOTHING!!!

I find this just one more in a plethora of garbage that Monitor owners are dealing all over the Country and there should be a Class-action suit over these hundreds and maybe thousands of complaints against MPI INC. No company has a right to just abandon their customers - but I know the owners and I would expect nothing less from them.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy a Monitor Heater as you don't know when your local Dealer will be out of business and gone and you will be left with a bucket of bolts and NO HELP.

9/25/04 - The Saga of the $600 Monitor Pot Repair:

A customer called relaying his horror story of what a Monitor 'servicer' did to him.

The servicer found that the pot was cracked (unusually they simply burn out and MUST be replaced). The Monitor Servicer said the pot needed to be WELDED and would be 'Just Fine' - What a Joke!

So It was welded and put back in the Monitor Heater to the tune of $600.00 - what a thief the Monitor Servicer was. First, a cracked or broken Pot MUST ALWAYS be replaced - we at Al's Heating NEVER re-build a pot as it is already heat-stressed and ready to crack at any time - usually in 1-2 years. And a new pot is ONLY $120.00 + the labor to Re-machine the New Pot in our Shop to higher specs and we have sold THOUSANDS of Pots and even more Burner Rings!

Stories are like this abundant and too many to even put on this site. BUT...this gives you an idea of how bad the Monitor 'service' is out there; the idiots who call themselves a Monitor 'servicer'; and how little they know about Actually and Correctly Re-building a Monitor. Be very careful as there are a hundred ways these idiots can ruin your Monitor Heater.

PS: I have NEVER replaced a Toyo Pot and only a Few Burner Rings - Buy a Toyo!

9/25/04 - Monitor Owner Says: Local Dealer Out of Business!

Joe called (as hundreds of other Monitor Heater owners have) to say that his local dealer had closed down and there was NO service left in the area; I have heard that the Western Agways have stopped selling and servicing Monitors; and that independent servicers all over the country have stopped repairing Monitor Heaters.

What a sad commentary on a once fine Heater. But with the complicated problems Al's Heating has seen since 1994 with the 441/422 Monitor Heaters I can understand why. We have found that replacement parts have changed to the point that we must Machine them to fit; that many of the parts are below our standard and we out-source higher quality parts; and the 'repair' techniques by 95% of the servicers have been way below our Repair Facility Standards.

This is why TOYO HEATERS are the ONLY way to go!!!

9/12/04 - A Monitor 'Serviceman' says: Rebuild every 3-4 Years

I just spoke this last Sunday with Rob a 'Monitor Technician' (at least he brags himself up that way) in Brunswick asking if he could do some installations for me as my Arthritis is so severe that I can no longer crawl around the floor for 3-4 hours in the 'froggy position' installing. As we talked about Rob's Monitor Re-builds and how Al's Heating guaranteed them for 3 years; the upgraded parts I used, and some of the machining up-grades I have created...He became noticeably more irritated at the extensive work I do to the Monitor Heaters when I do Re-build them and Guaranty them for 3 years and tell my Customers that the Monitor should last for 8-12 years before another major Re-build.

When I asked Rob what he told his customers after His re-builds...He astonished me when he told me that he tells his customers they could expect The Same Expensive Re-build Every 3-4 years !!! (I can't imagine telling MY customers that after all work they did and all the money they spent.) When I responded he became even more angry. He is like many self-made geniuses: Rob seems like a nice guy until pushed to the wall with the truth - and then gets right pissed-off. And I can't imagine Just how BAD the work must be that he has to Re-build his Monitor Heaters every 3-4 years. I would hang my head in shame, close my Heating Business and go to the nearest hamburger stand if that was the best he could do with Monitor Heaters.

But this servicer is no different from the other 98% around the Country (PLEASE re-read Atlas Shrugged); and I especially see their ignorance when they call Me to discuss the Monitor Heaters and I see by their questions that they really know nothing and are typical hacks.

This is why I am still working on my Video as fast as I can between shipping, repairs, office work 8-6pm; and phone calls EVERY night from 7-11pm. Please be patient - Thanks / Al

9/5/04 - A Monitor Serviceman Writes about the 422/441's:

Hi Al,

About 4 years ago a local housing authority bid out for 850 Monitor heaters. None of the people that got the stoves have any idea how to fix them much less install them. I have a regular supply of 422's that go down for the normal things 422/441 problems - you're looking at $300 to $500 repair. It happens about one every two weeks lately.

Thanks / Tom

7/20/04 - Another Monitor KWH124 Water Heater takes a Dump!

Michael writes: I have another one of those Monitor KWH 124 water heaters that let go and now is just JUNK - paid lots for it too! I am willing to sell it for scrap parts - any takers?s

7/7/04 - Hi Al: 5 Monitors for Rebuilding!

Hi Al - You already have a 441 and a 422 for Rebuild for me; now I have 3 more 422's - will this ever end? See you this Fall with the rest of the Monitor DEAD Heaters Roger

Bung-holed by Monitor AGAIN !!! - 10/15/03

I just received word that Monitor will discontinue making Circuit boards for the Monitor 41/40 Heater. So if everything else is fine on your Heater and your board takes a 'hit'...you will have to buy a new heater - at least that is the plan of Monitor. Now isn't that just ducky! They will however (in all their glorious generosity) give you 'credit' of $150 towards the purchase of a new $1700 heater that you really don't need anyway - isn't that loving of them.

This is just one more example of why I put Monitor in the category of the lowest of the low and it is no less that I would expect from them. Al's Heating however has a GREAT Board Repair Program where we can get you and your Heater up and running warm again - Call Us.

Why So many used Monitor Heaters..?

In our area of Maine, there are LOTS of Monitor Heaters as this historically is a prime area for vented heaters. However...people often comment about all the used Monitor heaters they see in the papers for sale. Mostly it is because the Monitor has stopped working well (of course the seller swears up and down that the Monitor is working just perfectly!) and the unsuspecting buyer is screwed right up the bung-hole in getting a dead horse. Many, Many times that used 'gem' ends up on my repair bench for a complete overhaul like one did today ($600-750 to make the Heater like it should be). Beware buying a used Monitor Heater as we see all too many where the consumer bought it once and then bought it again with all the repairs...

A Note from Alaska - 8/9/03: No 'Monitor Man...No Heat!

Dear Al - My daughter has a Monitor stove and it quit after a power outage. The only repair man is out of town. The message is E05. Is there anything she can do or must she wait for the return of the repair man? We live in Alaska and she really needs the heat even at this time of year. Sincerely, Susan Oliver.

This is why EVERYONE should have my 'Service and Repair Video' coming soon. There is NO reason to be stuck with a broken heater just because the only supposed Servicer is out of town (what about next time???). You can do this yourself and you will !!!

And a Compliment for Al ~ from Jay in Jefferson City, Mo. (8/6/03):

Jay Called and said that after doing mega-research on heaters, He called Al's Heating because of the Forth-rightness and Honesty on the site which he did NOT find in other Dealers he had contacted - Thanks Jay!

August 07, 2003 Bob Called - A Monitor Dealer in Georgia:

Bob Called because he was pulling his hair out trying to keep the burner mats on the 2400's and 441's to stick down tight to the burner pot and last. He had called his Distributor and Monitor Products Inc. and still NO HELP - Which I have found to be typical. I had a nice chat with Bob, told him how to solve the problem and he was on his way. Here we have two multi-million $$$ Big-Shot companies that are totally unwilling and incapable of helping the Home-town Dealer (I have found this to be NOT SO with Toyo though)...BUT they don't mind taking his money up front for the Heaters Bob buys do they !!! When I think of Low-life guess what Corporations come to my mind first ???

Posted by Terry Roberts on August 05, 2003 at 12:44:10:

Is it possible to use the same flu hole we made for a monitor 441 if we go with a Laser 73 or is it a different location on the wall entirely? Yes, we're another disappointed monitor 441 owner...un-useable after 3 seasons.

Posted by Mark Fahlbeck on May 04, 2003 at 21:05:52:

My Monitor 441 heater is only 2 years old. I loved it when I first purchased it, but this winter it was nothing but problems. Shutting down when too cold out, irregular flame...etc. Now its 55 degrees out, and I can't get the thing to run. I turn it on, wait the three minutes, burners kick on to half, can see a meek flame around the burner, then within 15 seconds the burner light shuts off, the flame dies out, and the cooling fan runs for a minute or two until the burner light starts blinking!!! What happened to that beautiful, efficient machine I had 2 years ago (It NEVER really was, Mark)! I DESPERATELY wish to be notified when your rebuild manual comes out!!!! Thank you!

More Monitor Dirty Laundry Revealed...Click

Martin Can't get help from Agway Dealer

Hi Al, I have a five year old 441 that still works well but has become very noisy bought it from Agway and they basically don't want to deal with it. I am relatively handy .What would the cost of new bearings and an instructional manual be from you?Should I replace anything else when its open although all seems well. Any reply would be appreciated. Martin (Martin will be in Heaven when he gets our Forth-coming Service Video in August - He will NEVER be tied to Idiots again!).

3/3/03 - Unhappy New York Dealer Calls:

An Monitor Dealer called me from New York to say how unhappy he was with Monitor and their Products since the 21,22,41's. He is unhappy with the 441 / 2400, with the training, with the NO-HELP desk at Monitor and his local Distributor (how bad can it get); and is so disillusioned in general that he is thinking of going to Toyo - What a step up for the Customer and Him that would be !!!

I can see this scenario happening more and more. It is sad to see the Customers unhappy, the Dealer unhappy and Monitor making gobs of money on the backs of all of this while some (and I mean very few) Dealers are breaking their backs to do the best they can. I think of Enron, MCI and the Others when I think of Monitor.

2/26/03 - Yet Another Disaster:

A Monitor Owner called me and said his M22 did not work - Remember...the M22 is a good heater except for the Solenoid Assembly which in fact I see destroy the heaters most of the time. When I checked the Heater, all the screws were loose and I could tell the Solenoid Assembly was stuck. And being 10 years old, the Heater did need a Re-build.

At my Shop, I found that a supposedly reputable Monitor Dealer had 'been through' the Heater a couple of years before. BUT...important screws were 1/4" from seating; screws were missing; the Solenoid was totally locked open giving TOTAL air and a very lean burn verified by the burned-up pot and flame ring; the gaskets were loose and the viewing glass was NOT, and the bearings were just waiting to fail being dry as bones on the Texas Plains.

As usual, I did my Total Re-build with better gaskets, better O-Rings, Re-engineered the Solenoid System, new pot and flame ring, lots of TLC and Air-meter adjustments. The flame is NOW as puuuuuuuuurfect as any ever built, the Heater runs flawlessly and quietly and the customer is elated.

This is the way Heater Life should be !

2/20/03 - Dealer Installs 300 Damper Solenoids !

A Monitor dealer got in touch with me yesterday because he had heard about my ravings over the Damper-Solenoid Problem. He told me that he had replaced 300 Damper-Solenoids last year. It took all I had in me NOT to grab him by the throat and ask why he was so stupid as to replace the units when they were NOT the problem. He probably made $25,000-30,000 on this phase of his work alone when I have not replaced one Damper-Solenoid since I changed the engineering on that assembly and put on the Premium O-ring.

I guess it still amazes me how pure greed over-rides ethical work and common-sense when these guys (and the Factory?) out there poke the Customer up the bung-hole once again and again and again.

2/19/03...Stupids - Stupids - Stupids

Dave called me the other day from New Hampshire because from experience he could NOT trust the local Dealer to work on his Monitor; the day before Jenna called for the same reason - AND I receive calls almost daily because of these STUPID - STUPID - STUPID and USELESS Dealers who couldn't zip up their fly correctly!

I started selling and repairing Monitor Heaters in 1989 (14 years for those of you who missed out on Math Class). The training? and help? from the Local Monitor Distributor was next to useless; as a matter of fact, I left each training? session knowing less than when I went in (by the way: I started in electronics in 1960 and was programming computers in 1965). Each repair and installation was strictly Learn-as-you-go as. Because of my Technical background, integrity and zeal to know...my knowledge quickly out-stripped the Factory and all other local Technicians?; and Al's Heating quickly became the #1 Service Organization in the NorthEast - and Al's Heating has Received several awards from the Local Monitor Distributor for our work.

What is still a shame though is that 14 years later, MOST of the Technicians? both locally and around the Country seem as useless as Dog-poop from the Heater Disasters I see and from what Monitor Owners around the Country say when they call me - And this is INEXCUSABLE !!!

So just to reiterate...AL's Heating will be producing a COMPLETE and detailed Installation, Diagnostics & Repair Manual in July so that NONE of you will be dependent on the STUPIDS - STUPIDS - STUPIDS that seem to be rampant out there. And if Monitor were to come out with one...it would be ONLY for the Dealers and they would still be STUPIDS - STUPIDS - STUPIDS just as they are right now and you still would get terrible service in my opinion!!!

AL's Heating is the ONLY Heating Company in the Country who will help you directly get your parts and repairs done efficiently and correctly.

2/18/03 - Damper O-Ring Disaster Finally Solved !

Ever since I can remember...we at Al's Heating have been replacing the Monitor Damper Assembly ($100.00 + Labor), and it has ALWAYS seemed ludicrous that just because of a 2¢ O-Ring (+ other egregious damper problems) that an entire Heater should self-destruct and have to be Re-built to the tune of $400-750.00:

What would happen was that the O-ring would prematurely split and fall apart either causing Low-Air and thus Sooting the Heater up and shutting down; or High-Air and a very Lean burn causing High-heat that would burn up parts - Either way the Customer got the short end of the deal.

I always knew that this was NUTS but there was never a satisfactory Factory solution, and I NEVER felt that the Factory cared for anything but selling parts (= Big Bucks) and having their Dealers make BIG-BUCKS on Repairs for no reason at all.

Finally, after being TOTALLY frustrated with what I felt to be Unsatisfactory Factory answers, I recently sent one of the Monitor OEM O-Rings to a Chemistry Lab and had it analyzed. They told me it was the cheapest and lowest quality O-ring made, and that There-in lies the problem of the century ( and last!) with Monitor Heaters.

The Factory O-Ring probably costs Monitor 2¢ where-as a Premium Quality O-Ring would coat around a 5¢ - So much for Corporate Bean-Counters at work and what I TOTALLY believe is anyone at the Factory caring anything at all for You.

Here are the Chemical Analysis Facts Comparing a Monitor vs. Al's Premium O-Ring:

Material	HiTemp	Sunlight	Ozone	Compression	Weathering	Chemicals	Impact	Thickness
Monitor	250°	4	4	2	4	4	2	Orig.
Al's Premium	400°	1	1	1	1	2	1	+ 24%
Legend: 1 = Recommended / 2 = Satisfactory / 3 = Poor / 4 = Marginal

The Lab Analysis and Product Comparison Irrefutably shows that the Monitor OEM O-Ring fails in our EVERY standard category and is TOTALLY LESS THAN SATISFACTORY To the Quality Standards that we DEMAND of our suppliers and parts, and give our Customers at Al's Heating. Please note also that Our O-ring is 24% larger and beefier making it stronger and more resilient with a Life-Time Guaranty on the Part (does Monitor do that?) and probably saving YOU several hundred of dollars in repairs. We believe the OEM O-ring to be the Root Cause of Millions of Dollars in UNNECESSARY REPAIRS over the years past and years to come for unsuspecting Monitor Customers. Now all that is Necessary is a Class Action Suit against Monitor and get them to pay back Millions in Restitution for what I believe is Just and Right to Monitor Owners - The TRUTH will ALWAYS out!

2/13/03 - Dick has More 441 Problems ~ Of Course !

'I am the property manager for a small group of rental cabins in The Adirondack Mountains of NYS. The reason I write is that we have two units we now heat with the 441 Monitor, and both are having problems. One is less than two months old, and the other was totally serviced, and has been in use for about 3 weeks and the burner rings have been a problem'.

These types of comments have been so common that I am 'almost' bored...But these Consumers have NO RIGHT to be bung-holed and have Monitor problems like these. Every problem with the Monitors (I can find NONE with the Toyos) can be remedied if One wants - but today's Companies ONLY care for BIG profits NOT the Consumer.

1/31/03 - Don in Maine says 2400's a Problem!

Don in Maine is a Certified Monitor Dealer who makes $60,000 a year repairing Monitors. He totally disagreed about my assessments of the Monitor 2400's when they first came out (remember he is ONLY a Monitor Dealer while I have sold both Monitor & Toyo.). Don was so sure about the 2400's that he even put one in his house. All went well for the first year. Now he is telling me that he is getting more and more calls about the 2400's shutting off. I did a 'Break-down' of the 2400's and was totally disappointed - I the chickens DO come home to roost...

Lately (10/05)...Don has told me That the 441's are getting so bad that they cannot even repaired in the house properly - I have been telling Don this for ten years too!

1/30/03 - Joe at adelphia says 99% Under-qualified !

Joe (a certified Monitor Tech) e-mailed me after reading my 'Forum' and my Web-page to agree with Me that 99% of Monitor 'techs' (not what I would call them) are Under-qualified - which is just a nice way of saying that they are TOTAL IDIOTS that should NOT be in your home or touching your Heater; and that is why I will have Complete Monitor and Toyo Instruction Manuals by next June so that you will NO LONGER have to 'depend' on these Jokers that would just soon as not wreck your heater as not (you should hear the calls I receive from all over the Country about Heaters being totally destroyed one after another by these Assassins).

You DESERVE 100% qualified work, and soon you will be able to do it yourself and know your heater BETTER than the Factory and 99% of the Idiots out in the field just taking your bucks and leaving you holding a pile of pieces.

11/18/02 - 422 - NO Factory Response - Chuck in N.H.

"I called Monitor (MPI) every day for two weeks to get some help with my Monitor 422. In all the messages I left in 2 weeks...MPI Never even called back once. Al's Heating was TOTALLY right about the Problems at Monitor" !!!

11/15/02 - 422 Problems - Matt in Oregon

"I had my Monitor 422 for 6 months before it started having problems. The Heater limped along for about 1 1/2 years until I finally decided to have it looked at. The Monitor Dealer said he replaced and adjusted few things for which I paid $180.00. After getting the Monitor 422 back home...I found that it still did NOT work right! I called Al and he said he would help me. What is wrong with Monitor and these idiot Dealers across the Country???"

(These are the kinds of problems that I hear ALL THE TIME from VERY frustrated Monitor Heater owners all around the Country. We NEVER hear these On-going problems from Toyo owners. I have even called Monitor Technicians? and Distributors (in disguise) to see if they know anything at all...And Sadly in my experience they might as well as be shoveling manure because I feel that is all I get and I can't imagine that the customer gets anything better!)

11/11/02 - 441 Problems - David in Oregon

"I have a Monitor 441 that starts up, burns with a low yellow-tinged flame for a minute or so, and shuts down. My experience with a local "serviceman" is not unlike those (bad) I read of on your forum. Bottom line is - I need the heater repaired (and it seems sadly impossible...)"

11/8/02 - GF200 problems in New Hampshire:

A GF200 gas heater user called from New Hampshire in a PANIC ! His Monitor gas heater had overheated to the point of being Cherry Red and he was convinced that if he had not come home and unplugged the Heater that his home would have burned down. He is now going to trade His Monitor gas heaters in to get the Safety and Reliability of Rinnai Gas Heaters. We have heard from others about problems with their Monitor gas heaters - ask Monitor about their history...IF they will tell you!

10/28/02 - from South Carolina

A man called from South Carolina saying that his Monitor 441 had only been used for a short time and then stopped. He had the local Dealer in, but the Dealer could NOT get the heater working! This is typical of the idiots out there 'working' on these heaters as I get calls daily with the same stories - what a way for a company to treat the Public that buys their product.

10/24/02 - Jim in Alna, Maine

"My Monitor 441 had stopped working after only 3-4 years. The local Dealer in Boothbay Harbor that I bought it from took the Heater to his shop, supposedly worked on it, brought it back, charged me $300 and promptly told me that the 441 Heater would not work anyway - that it would have to be junked. My wife is sick with Cancer, I travel in my work and I MUST have a reliable Heater for her and the Family. Therefore I am having Al's Heating install a Dependable Toyo Laser 73 on Tuesday - Thank you Al for Helping our Family" !!!

10/18/02 - Mark in Asheville, North Carolina:

"My Monitor 422 has stopped working after only four years of moderate use. No one locally could fix my Heater so I called the Factory. They told me to do this, do that, and do the other thing...None of which fixed the Heater - In other words, The Factory was no help at all! I called Al's Heating and Al helped me understand why I was having so many problems. Now I either have to have the 422 Heater Re-built at a cost of $600.00 after only minimal use - I am totally disappointed in the Monitor 422 Heater.

10/17/02 - Glen in Bangor, Maine:

" I asked the local Monitor dealer about a Pressure Control Valve for my Monitor and their eyes became like saucers - They had NO idea how to help me. I called Al's Heating and Al immediately knew the answer and helped me to the right direction. It is GREAT to find a truly knowledgeable Heating Dealer who Knows and Cares! "

10/8/02 - Evening 422 Emergency Call:

A customer called late in the Afternoon complaining that their 3 year old Monitor 422 was not working. Upon inspection, I found that the flame was very white indicating a burned out pot, flame ring and burner mat - in other words the almost Brand-new Monitor 422 needed a Major Re-build ( including bearing work, damper-solenoid, linkage re-build, air-fuel metering correction ) to the tune of $600.00 - Which I have found to be NORMAL with these units. No customer of any product should be subject to such expensive problems in such a short time !!!

Gun Point Resident: A Monitor Owner Reports:

"We were having many problems with our 441; We had SEVERAL Dealers in to repair the Unit and paid hundreds of dollars. After that, we went away for the weekend, the Monitor stopped working AGAIN and the pipes froze causing much damage - We do NOT trust our Monitor Heater!!!".

Another Monitor Owner Reports:

"We had several Monitor Repairmen in to service our 422, spent several hundreds of dollars and it still would never work right. We put the Heater in the shed and it is still there" !

1/1/02 - A FORMER Monitor Dealer Reports:

Since the 441's M422 ARE SO POORLY MADE, I HAVE REPLACED BLOWER BEARINGS BY THE HUNDREDS AND AM STILL DOING IT; FLAME SPREADERS (FLAME RINGS) IN 422 FORGET IT . THEIR GAS UNITS FLAME RODS GO BAD IN 2 YEARS AND NEED REPLACING. THEIR LIFTER PUMP IS A JOKE. I HAVE BEEN REPLACING MONITORS WITH L73s & L56 HEATERS - Toyo's NO TROUBLE and the BEST BUY FOR THE MONEY.

1/2/02 - UNHAPPY Monitor Owner in Northern Maine:

"We have a 422 and just had it 'Re-built' last hear for $400.00 - and it STILL does NOT work right. Now the Service-man says it needs ANOTHER $300.00 worth of work. We are very unhappy and do not know whether to have the repairs done again and take our chances or buy a ToyoStove."

A Fellow Dealer in Alaska Reports:

"We are having many Monitors installed just a year ago (422 and 441) going bad already!"

Another Unhappy Dealer Reports:

"We just opened a Brand-New 441 and stripped it down. The burner mat was already lifted; the damper assembly was having a problem; and the bearings were the same CHEAP Thailand bearings that have been giving us problems for years!".

And - A Fellow Dealer in Maine Reports:

"The 422 and 441 Damper-Problem Repairs along with the other 422 and 441 problem Repairs is the BEST and Easiest money we have ever made!".

As Early as 1997 a Large Western Distributor Said:

"We are having to Re-Build 422's in the 1st and 2nd year and our Customers are VERY UNHAPPY and the Factory can't solve the problem.".

From a VERY unhappy Alaska Monitor Dealer:

"Monitor corporate management is the most rotten I have ever dealt with!"

We ONLY suggest the Toyo Line of Heaters - Click Here

Please Click this Link for Our Technical Forum Page and read about MORE problems with the Monitor Heaters!

3/3/03 - Unhappy New York Dealer Calls:

An Monitor Dealer called me from New York to say how unhappy he was with Monitor and their Products since the 21,22,41's. He is unhappy with the 441 / 2400, with the training, with the NO-HELP desk at Monitor and his local Distributor (how bad can it get); and is so dis-illusioned in general that he is thinking of going to Toyo - What a step up for the Customer and Him that would be !!!

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2/30/03 - Please - Please - Please Read This Link:

http://www.hwforums.com/2036/messages/286.html

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2/26/03 - Yet Another Disaster:

As usual, I did my Total Re-build with Hi-grade gaskets, the BESST 'O'-Rings, Re-engineered the Solenoid System, new pot and flame ring, lots of TLC and Air-meter adjustments. The flame is NOW as puuuuuuuuurfect as any ever built, the Heater runs flawlessly and quietly and the customer is elated.

This is the way Heater Life should be !

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2/20/03 - Dealer Installs 300 Damper Solenoids !

I guess it still amazes me how pure greed over-rides ethical work and common-sense when these guys (and the Factory?) out there poke the Customer up the bung-hole once again and again and again.

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2/19/03...Stupids - Stupids - Stupids

I started selling and repairing Monitor Heaters in 1989 (14 years for those of you who missed out on Math Class). The training? and help? from the Local Monitor Distributor was next to useless; as a matter of fact, I left each training? session knowing less than when I went in (by the way: I started in electronics in 1960 and was programming computers in 1965). Each repair and installation was strictly Learn-as-you-go as. Because of my Technical background, integrity and zeal to know...my knowledge quickly out-stripped the Factory and all other local Technicians?; and Al's Heating quickly became the #1 Service Organization in the NorthEast - and Al's Heating has Received several awards from the Local Monitor Distributor for our work.

AL's Heating is the ONLY Heating Company in the Country who will help you directly get your parts and repairs done efficiently and correctly.

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2/18/03 - Damper O-Ring Disaster Finally Solved !

Here are the Chemical Analysis Facts Comparing a Monitor vs. Al's Premium O-Ring:

Material	HiTemp	Sunlight	Ozone	Compression	Weathering	Chemicals	Impact	Thickness
Monitor	250°	4	4	2	4	4	2	Orig.
Premium	400°	1	1	1	1	2	1	+ 24%
Legend: 1 = Recommended / 2 = Satisfactory / 3 = Poor / 4 = Marginal

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2/13/03 - Air/Fuel Mixture Meters Coming in June!

The Monitor Damper Solenoid Problem (which we have totally solved!) and the Air/Fuel Mixture Adjustment are the two most notorious problems we have seen over these past 13 years - BUT NO MORE!!!

YES! the Monitor Air/Fuel Adjusting Meters are coming in June. Without these meters it is IMPOSSIBLE to adjust the Air/Fuel Mixture to keep the flame clean, the soot out, and the pot from burning up - But most repairmen do NOT have or use one even though this Meter is essential.

You will notice that Monitor has NOT created a Service Manual that is any help at all. It is my guess that Monitor ONLY wants their own Dealers to do the 'work' and reap in the bucks while many heaters stop working before the serviceman gets back to the shop.

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2/13/03 - Dick has More 441 Problems ~ Of Course !

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1/31/03 - Don in Maine says 2400's a Problem!

Don in Maine is a Certified Monitor Dealer who makes $60,000 a year repairing Monitors. He totally disagreed about my assessments of the Monitor 2400's when they first came out (remember he is ONLY a Monitor Dealer while I have sold both). Don was so sure about the 2400's that he even put one in his house. All went well for the first year. Now he is telling me that he is getting more and more calls about the 2400's shutting off. I did a 'Break-down' of the 2400's and was totally disappointed - I the chickens DO come home to roost...

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1/30/03 - Joe at adelphia says 99% Under-qualified !

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11/18/02 - 422 - NO Factory Response - Chuck in N.H.

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11/15/02 - 422 Problems - Matt in Oregon

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11/11/02 - 441 Problems - David in Oregon

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11/8/02 - GF200 problems in New Hampshire:

10/28/02 - from South Carolina

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10/24/02 - Jim in Alna, Maine

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10/18/02 - Mark in Asheville, North Carolina:

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10/17/02 - Glen in Bangor, Maine:

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10/8/02 - Evening 422 Emergency Call:

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Gun Point Resident: A Monitor Owner Reports:

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Another Monitor Owner Reports:

"We had several Monitor Repairmen in to service our 422, spent several hundreds of dollars and it still would never work right. We put the Heater in the shed and it is still there" !

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1/1/02 - A FORMER Monitor Dealer Reports:

Since the 441's M422 ARE SO POORLY MADE, I HAVE REPLACED BLOWER BEARINGS BY THE HUNDREDS AND AM STILL DOING IT; FLAME SPREADERS (FLAME RINGS) IN 422 FORGET IT . THEIR GAS UNITS FLAME RODS GO BAD IN 2 YEARS AND NEED REPLACING. THEIR LIFTER PUMP IS A JOKE. I HAVE BEEN REPLACING MONITORS WITH L73s and L56 HEATERS - Toyo's NO TROUBLE and the BEST BUY FOR THE MONEY.

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1/2/02 - UNHAPPY Monitor Owner in Northern Maine:

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A Fellow Dealer in Alaska Reports:

"We are having many Monitors installed just a year ago (422 and 441) going bad already!"

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Another Unhappy Dealer Reports:

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And - A Fellow Dealer in Maine Reports:

"The 422 and 441 Damper-Problem Repairs along with the other 422 and 441 problem Repairs is the BEST and Easiest money we have ever made!".

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As Early as 1997 a Large Western Distributor Said:

"We are having to Re-Build 422's in the 1st and 2nd year and our Customers are VERY UNHAPPY and the Factory can't solve the problem.".

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From a VERY unhappy Alaska Monitor Dealer:

"Monitor corporate management is the most rotten I have ever dealt with!"

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NOW, to hopefully solve the problems with the 441, Monitor has brought out the 2400. We would love to see the 2400 work as good as the 41 - BUT we also were told that the 441 was better than the 41 and it was NOT!!! It takes about 2 years for a new Monitor Model to prove itself (if it ever does) and I would suggest the you absolutely NOT buy the 2400 until 2-3 years have passed - and DO NOT buy the 422 at all. We are repairing the 441's and 422's all the time and make LOTS of BIG bucks on these Re-builds much to the disenchantment of the customer who had originally wanted a Great Heater - NOT lots of Costly repairs!!!

First & Exclusive

Click - Monitor 2400 Strip-Down Report !

Right now...We ONLY suggest the Toyo Line of Heaters - Click Here

Please Click this Link for Our Technical Forum Page and read about MORE problems with the Monitor Heaters!

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(All Editorial Comments and Experiences are those of the Author - Alvah C. Luce / Cosmic Genius)