Universal Digital Electronic Oil Primary, R7284U1004

I bought this R7284 Universal to replace an older, failing R8184G on my 22 year old Beckett AFG burner on my Peerless boiler.  Since these don't fail frequently, I wasn't sure why I would want to buy this digital read-out "Universal" model over the still available R8184G. The price difference was insignificant  (less than $1)  so I went ahead and bought this model and was glad I did.  Personally, given the similarity in price, I'm not sure why anyone would choose the older non-digital, "dumb" version.  This unit has a two-line LCD display with a readout on several parameters, such as how long the unit ran for the last time it was on, how long it ran (on average) for the last 10 cycles, whether there have been any events (such as a lockout), what the present resistance of the CAD (cadmium sulfide) cell is (by the way, if you don't know what the CAD cell is and what role it plays in burner ignition, then you shouldn't be considering installing one of these without some experienced or professional help), etc.   It has a number of programmable features which allow you to program it for your burner.  For example, you can decide if the ignition (spark, arc, etc.) should stay on once the flame is lit.  My older R8184G set the ignition and burner motor both on or both off so did not accommodate this.  The advantage of being able to turn it off (assuming your burner supports it) is that it reduces wear on the electrodes.  Do what I did and check your burner's manual before you set or change something like this.  This relay module actually has three separate relay outputs; one for the burner motor, one for the ignition, one for a fuel valve.  I don't have a fuel valve so I did not need this one.  Installation was fairly straight forward ASSUMING you know what you are doing.  I work in technology for a living, read schematics and system diagrams every day, and am comfortable and experienced with AC and DC electrical circuits.  Do Not attempt to install one of these yourself if you are not comfortable with electrical wiring and I don't just mean you can change a wall outlet on your own.  This is a technical task the requires more than just a pair of wire strippers and a screw driver.  The installation guide  is fairly clear for knowledgable users and professionals.  It most definitely is NOT a step-by-step guide for weekend warriors and home DIY.   A PDF version of the Honeywell installation booklet is available here from Pex Supply on the "Manuals" tab of this product page.  I strongly suggest you read it throughly before making a purchase.  This unit is wired in a fundamentally different way than my older R8184G was.  Although I carefully diagrammed and documented the wiring of the outgoing R8184G before removing it (in the unlikely event I needed to reinstate it), this was not a 1-for-1, wire-for-wire installation.  There are a number of typical installation diagrams in the booklet which will help guide you but your's may be different.  Once again, read and understand the literature beforehand.  The diagrams are written for an HVAC technician, not an engineer, and not a homeowner.  They do not explain electrical theory nor give you Ikea like instructions.  For example, the booklet does not explain that L1 is neutral and L2 is hot.  You need to know this yourself.  There are significant safety concerns here on several levels; mis-wired electrical systems are dangerous, mis-wired or malfunctioning heating systems can be dangerous, malfunctioning fuel valves, etc. can all be dangerous.  You could damage your home systems or in an extreme case, potentially burn your home down while you're in it.  Please do not engage in installing one of these by yourself  if anything I've written gives you pause.  It's not as they say "rocket science" but it's also not a good place to begin learning the basics of home heating and electrical systems. This unit also interfaces with Enviracom systems if you have a newer home with a smart HVAC system (I don't). One minor issue I have... This unit allows you to set a programmable "lockout" time at 15, 30, or 45 seconds.  This is the amount of time the system will run and try for ignition before it decides that the "flame is not proven" (no fuel is burning) and then shuts down the burner (requiring a manual reset).  My older burner came with a 45 second lockout on the R8184G.  The newer AFG burners now seem to use the more conservative 15 second setting.  My inclination was to use the legacy OEM setting of 45 (which I did).  However, you can only adjust this during the first 100 on/off cycles of the unit before it is hard-coded and locked in forever more.  Since my installation was on a long weekend, I was unable to contact Beckett to seek their advice.  Make sure you know what value you will be using before installation.  This can be set early on but is locked shortly afterwards. All in all, I can't understand why Honeywell still sells the R8184 and similar units.  I suppose that there may still be an OEM market for new systems looking to shave costs. Take Note:  There is another version of the R7284U which is still  "Universal" but does not have the LCD readout.  The description says "With Status Indicator Light".  This version has a flashing LED and you need to lookup the blink code on a chart to know what the message is.  I don't know about you, but when I have an issue with my heat, I don't want to rummage around for the booklet or search online for the code, I want to read it directly from the unit.  The other version is ~$15 cheaper.  If you're a contractor doing multiple installations and looking to save a few dollars maybe it makes sense.  For the individual user, I strongly recommend the LCD display with plain messages (which you you can set to English, Spanish, or French in the menu).  Not all have the LCD readout.  There are also B and G variants of the R7284 which do not have all the features of the U models.  From what I can tell, the Universal version does everything the other versions do and then some. Pex Supply was very good.  I placed my order by phone instead of online and the help was polite and courteous.  Service was prompt and shipping/tracking info was timely.  They also had the best price. They have online assistance but there are no techs to speak with on the phone.

When I opened the boxes the fins were all bet took 2 hrs straighten them already had the system shut down so had to use them.