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Gretz Heated Pitot

rleffler

rleffler

Well Known Member
My RV-10 has been flying for over three years. I installed the Gretz Heated Pitot. For three years, it has been working fine.

Last Sunday on a twenty minute flight, VFR wx, -10F temp, the pitot melted from the inside. There was no external damage, but from the tip back about an inch, was plugged with the composite material. It appears that the composite material melted, dropped to the end, then solidified.

At this point in time, I'm no longer comfortable with flying with the Gretz Pitot. I can't fathom the world of hurt I would have been if this happened while I was in IMC.

I'll be replacing it with a Dynon Heated Pitot as soon I can get Stein to ship it.
 
gretz

For what its worth I have the Gretz system that came out of my 9 that I won't be using. It has 95 hrs total time and will sell for very reasonable price.


Don Broussard

RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
rleffler said:
My RV-10 has been flying for over three years. I installed the Gretz Heated Pitot. For three years, it has been working fine.

Last Sunday on a twenty minute flight, VFR wx, -10F temp, the pitot melted from the inside. There was no external damage, but from the tip back about an inch, was plugged with the composite material. It appears that the composite material melted, dropped to the end, then solidified.

At this point in time, I'm no longer comfortable with flying with the Gretz Pitot. I can't fathom the world of hurt I would have been if this happened while I was in IMC.

I'll be replacing it with a Dynon Heated Pitot as soon I can get Stein to ship it.
Click to expand...

Asking out of ignorance, is there a fundamental difference in the construction of the two units that precludes this as a common failure mode between the two?
 
1001001 said:
Asking out of ignorance, is there a fundamental difference in the construction of the two units that precludes this as a common failure mode between the two?
Click to expand...

The body of the Gretz is made out of a composite material covering a copper tube.

The Dynon's body is aluminum, making the melting temperature significantly higher.

This is an assumption on my part, since I don't know the melting temperature of the composite material of the Gretz. I just have proof it melted.
 
cajunwings said:
For what its worth I have the Gretz system that came out of my 9 that I won't be using. It has 95 hrs total time and will sell for very reasonable price.


Don Broussard

RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
Click to expand...

I appreciate the offer. But at this point in time I have no confidence that another Gretz Pitot wouldn't yield similar results.
 
Seems to a common thing. I just sold a new gretz to a guy that had his melt. May be an issue with the composite bodied pitots. I sold him the old style metal.
 
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