| Author |
Message |
    
mikehibbett
Frequent Contributor
Username: mikehibbett
Post Number: 1088
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, 28 January, 2010 - 07:48 pm: | 
|
Apologies for a slightly off topic post, but I'm desperate!
My boiler just stopped igniting the pilot. Everything else seems to function; just no pilot or burner lights coming on. Oh, and no heat of course.
Bit of a problem as it's chilly here in the uk!
Any quick fixes that I might try before the engineer comes ( hopefully in the morning )
Mike |
mikehibbett
Frequent Contributor
Username: mikehibbett
Post Number: 1090
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, 28 January, 2010 - 09:03 pm: |
|
I think I've fixed it. Fingers crossed. |
hackinblack
Frequent Contributor
Username: hackinblack
Post Number: 445
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, 29 January, 2010 - 08:16 am: |
|
flue blocked with bits off brass monkeys? |
mikehibbett
Frequent Contributor
Username: mikehibbett
Post Number: 1091
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, 29 January, 2010 - 03:48 pm: |
|
I'm not sure; there were two short, small, rubber tubes at the top of the boiler connecting to the flue and a square box of some sort. Squeezing those tubes ( unblocking dust, perhaps? ) caused it to come back into life.
It's been years since I've seen my wife so happy :o) |
echase
Frequent Contributor
Username: echase
Post Number: 285
Registered: 07-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, 29 January, 2010 - 05:47 pm: |
|
http://www.diynot.com/forums and http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/ are 2 good forums for boilers, etc. and appliances respectively. Lots of repair tradesmen on there willing to give out advice for free. Never understand why they are so keen to give away their trade secrets like that. But they aren’t always as friendly as the good people on this forum. |
hackinblack
Frequent Contributor
Username: hackinblack
Post Number: 446
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, 29 January, 2010 - 09:12 pm: |
|
sounds like you operated the flue vacuum switch,
without its signal the boiler is locked out and wont light (burner or pilot)to prevent CO gassing you inside the house.
the square box may be a sensitive vacuum switch,usually a pretty simple mechanical snap-action lever that closes or opens a small set of contacts.
a tap off from the flue via a thin rubber tube acts as a venturi creating vacuum on the switches diaphragm.
...you sure it wasn't brass monkeys? |
mikehibbett
Frequent Contributor
Username: mikehibbett
Post Number: 1092
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, 29 January, 2010 - 09:16 pm: |
|
>without its signal the boiler is locked out and wont light (burner or pilot)to prevent CO gassing you inside the house
Humm... got me worried now. Time to get a CO monitor.
funny enough it was only last week the thing was serviced. Still working though, and no headaches. |
g6osv
Frequent Contributor
Username: g6osv
Post Number: 90
Registered: 05-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, 29 January, 2010 - 10:09 pm: |
|
It should be a room sealed system,no co can pass into the house,thats the whole idea.
Ian |
ant
Frequent Contributor
Username: ant
Post Number: 569
Registered: 05-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 10:58 am: |
|
Hello all,
How does the flue get to have a reliable vacuum until the flame's burning?
Regards Ant |
g6osv
Frequent Contributor
Username: g6osv
Post Number: 91
Registered: 05-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 02:09 pm: |
|
Fan assisted and there is a pressure switch that disables the burner until the fan is up to speed.
Ian |
alec_t
Frequent Contributor
Username: alec_t
Post Number: 169
Registered: 03-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 06:09 pm: |
|
Not clear to me why there's a flue vacuum at all. Surely positive pressure (provided by the fan) is needed to expel flue gases to atmosphere?
Alec |
hackinblack
Frequent Contributor
Username: hackinblack
Post Number: 447
Registered: 09-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 07:16 pm: |
|
'positive pressure'as you call it (air movement out the flue)causes a pressure DROP (vacuum)across the end of the tube conected to the vac switch.
the flue on my combi was,as g6osv states,fan assisted by a cage-type fan...
the blades of which seemed to act as a perfect trap for any fluff,hairs,dust and other airborne guff that happens to be sucked in
great when your dogs produce more hair than a sheep |
hamar
Regular Contributor
Username: hamar
Post Number: 22
Registered: 05-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 10:29 pm: |
|
Beware guys - it is now illegal to work on a boiler unless you are correctly 'certified', so my 17 years of keeping mine going & saving many many hundreds of pounds has had to stop. |
chippie
Frequent Contributor
Username: chippie
Post Number: 271
Registered: 11-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 10:34 pm: |
|
'Beware guys - it is now illegal to work on a boiler unless you are correctly 'certified', so my 17 years of keeping mine going & saving many many hundreds of pounds has had to stop.'
Could you explain?
Why is it illegal?
eccentric millionaire financed by 'er indoors
|
hamar
Regular Contributor
Username: hamar
Post Number: 23
Registered: 05-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 10:48 pm: |
|
Cos the Government said so, presumably to stop houses being blown up when people who don't know what they are doing unbolt the gas feed while having a fag. Incidentally, much the same applies to domestic wiring modifications too. |
hamar
Regular Contributor
Username: hamar
Post Number: 24
Registered: 05-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 10:54 pm: |
|
http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/gas_law.htm |
johnmosborneuk
Regular Contributor
Username: johnmosborneuk
Post Number: 31
Registered: 06-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 11:09 pm: |
|
Thats a gray area of law:
The law states that anyone "Anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be a Gas Safe Registered engineer".
That is anyone being paid in cash or otherwise to work on Gas appliances must be on the list, when working on your own appliance in a home which you own the law only specifys that you must be "competent", they do not specify what "competent" is.
Of course if you do work on your own appliance and the worst does happen then that would clearly prove that you wern't competent to carry out the work and thus broke the law! |
hamar
Regular Contributor
Username: hamar
Post Number: 25
Registered: 05-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, 30 January, 2010 - 11:45 pm: |
|
I think, when you're ringing your home insurance company standing on a pile of smoking bricks, they might have a different idea of "Competent",
I,ve spent 17 years replacing heat exchangers, diverter valves, circuit boards, ignition components etc and feel more than "competent" about working on my own boiler. However, I've recently found a registered engineer who charges less than I'd earn for the same time (& effort - 2hr trip to fetch a part typically).
I'ts just not worth the worry, work some overtime.
PS What became of fluid logic elements, they seem ideal for use in boilers? |
chippie
Frequent Contributor
Username: chippie
Post Number: 272
Registered: 11-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, 31 January, 2010 - 09:27 am: |
|
Without attempting to divert the theme of this thread....
Competenty can be demonstrated readily...
Having worked on high pressure gas plants for over 25 years both in an intrument and operations technical capacity, I know the dangers and hazards from working with equipment of this nature.
As for fluid logic, I wouldnt thank you for it...Nothing but problematic in my experience..
eccentric millionaire financed by 'er indoors
|
alec_t
Frequent Contributor
Username: alec_t
Post Number: 170
Registered: 03-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, 31 January, 2010 - 11:02 am: |
|
.... and I can see the fluid logic being "a perfect trap for any fluff,hairs,dust and other airborne guff" as mentioned above!!
Regards, Alec |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page
