GLPalinkas
Well Known Member
Plane Innovations ROCKS
Short story?. Defective stainless steel heater valve arm broke at the spot welds. Contacted Linda at Plane Innovations and asked that they sell me a new arm. The shop people were concerned that the hinge may not line up. Linda sent a total replacement heater valve unit. NO CHARGE. Now that?s service?. and standing behind your product. Service Paul would be proud of, I'm sure.
Longer story is that I probably purchased the heater unit 6 years ago along with some of Plane Innovations firewall penetration kits. Broke around 200 hours and 2 years flying the airplane. I told Linda that I wanted to purchase a new control arm. She told me it probably wouldn?t work and sent the entire unit, again, at NO CHARGE.
Additionally, if you look at the photos below, you immediately notice the difference in size of the new unit compared to the old one. First thing I thought was, oh boy, this is going to be fun. Well, the engineers had already thought of that and aligned openings and bolt holes with the old units. The new one fit perfectly, albeit, with a smaller footprint.
The new unit flapper valve is modified with bent edges and it makes a nice fit and finish and looks to be better at sealing the opening. The main body and flapper both have lips that align when closed. I applied sealant to the new unit, bolted it in place, hooked up the control arm and had heat in a matter of an hours work (well, after the sealant dried the next day).
Yeah, I know?. heat, in Florida. Well, it was cold here two weeks ago (February) when I flew my wife to Augusta. Probably 50F at altitude and colder in Georgia. First time I had used the heat in 9 months. That?s when I discovered the heat was a squawk. Sorry for the COLD weather note
OLD UNIT? NOTE THE LACK OF EDGE BENDS IN THE FLAPPER.
The NEW UNIT with the bends in the flapper
COMPARING THE TWO UNITS?.. Again, all holes lined up perfectly!!
Short story?. Defective stainless steel heater valve arm broke at the spot welds. Contacted Linda at Plane Innovations and asked that they sell me a new arm. The shop people were concerned that the hinge may not line up. Linda sent a total replacement heater valve unit. NO CHARGE. Now that?s service?. and standing behind your product. Service Paul would be proud of, I'm sure.
Longer story is that I probably purchased the heater unit 6 years ago along with some of Plane Innovations firewall penetration kits. Broke around 200 hours and 2 years flying the airplane. I told Linda that I wanted to purchase a new control arm. She told me it probably wouldn?t work and sent the entire unit, again, at NO CHARGE.
Additionally, if you look at the photos below, you immediately notice the difference in size of the new unit compared to the old one. First thing I thought was, oh boy, this is going to be fun. Well, the engineers had already thought of that and aligned openings and bolt holes with the old units. The new one fit perfectly, albeit, with a smaller footprint.
The new unit flapper valve is modified with bent edges and it makes a nice fit and finish and looks to be better at sealing the opening. The main body and flapper both have lips that align when closed. I applied sealant to the new unit, bolted it in place, hooked up the control arm and had heat in a matter of an hours work (well, after the sealant dried the next day).
Yeah, I know?. heat, in Florida. Well, it was cold here two weeks ago (February) when I flew my wife to Augusta. Probably 50F at altitude and colder in Georgia. First time I had used the heat in 9 months. That?s when I discovered the heat was a squawk. Sorry for the COLD weather note
OLD UNIT? NOTE THE LACK OF EDGE BENDS IN THE FLAPPER.
The NEW UNIT with the bends in the flapper
COMPARING THE TWO UNITS?.. Again, all holes lined up perfectly!!
