Boiler not firing up

[DIYfan]

Hi, I've got a problem with my boiler I was hoping someone might know what it could be (apologies for me explaining in very simple terms), we've been away for 10 days and have just returned and when I switched it on it's not firing up and there's no flame visible through the hole. It's a Glow worm 40ff, 18 yr old conventional boiler. It had the pcb replaced about 6 months ago and the engineer said it should have a few more years left.

When I tried to boot it up for hot water or heating it won't automatically click and kick in and light the flame, it makes one loud click which it always used to do then it used to do another click or double click and boot up igniting the flame but isn't doing that now. It sounds like it's trying and the fan is running.

I've switched it off and on at the wall a few times and turned the knob on the boiler itself off and on, high and low but no joy.
I'm going to call my regular boiler engineer out tomorrow unless there's anything that can be suggested here, thanks.

 

[ruston]

Obvious thing may be lack of gas , did you leave it on when you went away? Is it prepayment?

 

[DIYfan]

Obvious thing may be lack of gas , did you leave it on when you went away? Is it prepayment?

Thanks for the reply, gas supply hasn't been cut off, it's on DD and the cooker's working. I left it turned off but not off at the wall

 

[ruston]

All I can suggest is to let it strike a few times to see if the pilot light lights up . If not it is time for professional help

 

[DIYfan]

Thanks, that's all I can really do, I'm not tinkering with gas at all

 

[ruston]

Good.
It may take a few attempts , I suspect you have already tried though.

 

[DIYfan]

Good.
It may take a few attempts , I suspect you have already tried though.

Yes I've tried, I'll try again in the morning then call my engineer, I'm reading elsewhere this is maybe a failed thermocouple

 

[ruston]

Would usually light but not maintain the flame . The thermocouple needs heat to sustain the flame and keep gas valve open.

 

[Toneyz]

Sometimes when the system has not been used for a while valves stick closed this happens a lot with heating valves after the summer when the heating has not been used however you can hear it clicking to light up it could be something similar inside the boiler time to call a boiler engineer

 

[DIYfan]

Sometimes when the system has not been used for a while valves stick closed this happens a lot with heating valves after the summer when the heating has not been used however you can hear it clicking to light up it could be something similar inside the boiler time to call a boiler engineer

That makes sense, thanks

 

[Corbs]

pump working / on ?

 

[DIYfan]

pump working / on ?

How do I know if it's working or not?

 

[Toneyz]

pump working / on ?

Does it not light then the boiler shuts off if that happens?

 

[Corbs]

Does it not light then the boiler shuts off if that happens?

if the pump isnt running its a calling issue eg not calling for heat so prog or room stat if no hot water as well prog

but if the pump is running either overheat or internal boiler fault (somthings holding it off eg no pilot light on the older ones)

under the front cover any lights on op?

 

[ruston]

It is an old boiler , 15 years old.

 

[Corbs]

It is an old boiler , 15 years old.

still no pilot light elec ignition eg sparker

 

[DIYfan]

if the pump isnt running its a calling issue eg not calling for heat so prog or room stat if no hot water as well prog

but if the pump is running either overheat or internal boiler fault (somthings holding it off eg no pilot light on the older ones)

under the front cover any lights on op?

The boiler itself doesn't have any lights to light up, it's controlled by a drayton lifestyle lp522 programmer which is all lit up as normal

 

[DIYfan]

It is an old boiler , 15 years old.

Yes it's 18yrs old

 

[Corbs]

so ultimate version

the front panel should pull off (no screws) there a red button right of the dial press this in if its out

 

[ruston]

Yes it's 18yrs old

Sorry my mistake

 

[DIYfan]

so ultimate version

the front panel should pull off (no screws) there a red button right of the dial press this in if its out

This is a photo, should I switch it on and press the red button to the right of the dial?

 

[Corbs]

you should be able to press the red button in if its overheated / faulted out if not check is your pump running

 

[DIYfan]

you should be able to press the red button in if its overheated / faulted out if not check is your pump running

It's solid, won't push in

 

[Corbs]

It's solid, won't push in

so hasnt overheated good

no is the pump running? airing cupboard normally when you turn the prog on

 

[DIYfan]

The pump is in the airing cupboard next to the hot water cylinder, how do I know if the pump is running/working?

 

[Corbs]

yes you should be able to feel it should be making a vibration / light on

 

[DIYfan]

yes you should be able to feel it should be making a vibration / light on

Yes it was vibrating lightly and I could hear water running through it and it was slightly warm, I did heat the tank with the immersion heater earlier, not sure if that matters

 

[Corbs]

so its definitely a boiler fault and not a controls issue time to call the gas safe engy out

 

[DIYfan]

so its definitely a boiler fault and not a controls issue time to call the gas safe engy out

I'll call him out tomorrow, I appreciate the help, thanks

 

[Corbs]

I'll call him out tomorrow, I appreciate the help, thanks

more than welcome if you wouldnt mind coming back with what was wrong also that would be ace

 

[DIYfan]

Will do, cheers

 

[Pete999]

Thermocouple Goosed

 

[Corbs]

Thermocouple Goosed

no thermocouple

ff = fan flued so no thermo or permanent pilot

 

[Pete999]

no thermocouple

ff = fan flued so no thermo or permanent pilot

What controls the Gas flow then?

 

[Corbs]

What controls the Gas flow then?

what for ignition

call
fan runs
gas valve opens
pilot lights
main burner lights

missed a few steps for safety but you get the idea

 

[tony clark]

carbon dust on ht lead can course this it course it to track out to the casing

 

[Pete999]

what for ignition

call
fan runs
gas valve opens
pilot lights
main burner lights

missed a few steps for safety but you get the idea

What senses the gas when the pilot ignites to allow the main burner igniting, that was / is my concern.

 

[tony clark]

you get flame recognition across the electrodes ac currant coming from the pcb when rectified across the electrodes go back to pcb dc currant

 

[buzzlightyear]

answer the jets are blocked on this .

 

[tony clark]

had that quite a few times can of air duster and a bit of wd40 usally sorts it out

 

[Pete999]

you get flame recognition across the electrodes ac currant coming from the pcb when rectified across the electrodes go back to pcb dc currant

Sultanas!!

 

[telectrix]

what for ignition

call
fan runs
gas valve opens
pilot lights
main burner lights
gas safe engineer runs for cover.

missed a few steps for safety but you get the idea

corrected that for you.

 

[buzzlightyear]

what for ignition

call the boiler a t&&T
fans runs wild
a fart of gas the valve opens from behind
pilot lights a smoke
main burner lights are on nobody at home

missed a few steps for safety but you get the idea

corrected that for him.lol.

 

[Corbs]

corrected that for you.

naa never unless your hot boiling to get the gravity hot water working

 

[DIYfan]

Hi, just an update, I waited until my regular boiler repair man came back from holiday so he's just been this morning.

It was a blocked injector which he's cleaned up and got it working again, he's also serviced it as it was due one.

Great price too, barely more than he charges for a normal service

 

[PEG]

Just on the subject of flame rectification...i got to talking about this process,with a heating engineer pal,and he said the boiler manufacturer he was accredited for,just had a simple set of tests,to identify a rectification issue - then they replace the assembly.
He wanted to know the method of it's operation,and if each step could be tested.
I did this with him,and on the strength of it,he has purchased an AVO 410 Megger multimeter,which is what i used,in the demo

 

[DIYfan]

Just bumping this one again.

The boiler broke down again, had my regular repair guy out, it was the thermostat that had gone, he came yesterday and fitted a new one.

All working fine though now it keeps firing up a lot more like every couple of minutes. I spoke to the repair guy who basically said it was nothing to do with the new thermostat, see how it goes, it's a 20 year old boiler etc, wasn't really bothered as it's working.

Any ideas why it would be doing this? thanks