BS: Central heating bust - am freezing

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: Rasener
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 05:30 PM

And whats more Rhiannon you got to achieve the wonderful accolade of posting the 100th Post :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 08:00 PM

Well, I spoke too soon. The damn furnace shut down in my house two hours ago while I was whiling my time away on Mudcat! It's a brand new system too. I managed to get the installer over an hour ago and it's running again. Apparently, the oil tank filter gets tempermental when the temperature in the oil tank room falls below 40 degrees F. Well, neither of us had noticed that note in the instructions and now we're beaming an infrared lamp on the oil filtering unit until we can install an in-line heater. It's either that or move the tank inside the furnace room from the bulkhead entryway.

I hope the furnace dosn't stall out again tonight. It's about zero F outside and tomorrow we're expecting at least 12 inches of snow. Two cats are insufficient to keep us from freezing.

Warm regards,
Landlady's Daughter

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 08:40 PM

"Put one of those in the smallest room in the house and you'll sleep toasty. "

If you want to sit up all night and have a numb bum in the morning!

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: wysiwyg
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 12:04 AM

Thanks for the update, Pat. Glad you got warmed up!

I really think if we didn't hear from you every once in awhile we might have to come over there. :~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: Partridge
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 01:48 AM

Thanks again for your posts. I hope your boiler doesn't play up anymore Charlie and Rhiannon.

John, its a potterton kingfisher. First the pump stopped working, but the system still fired up and heated the water and the kitchen where it is located . Then it stopped doing any thing - no interesting noises to report. Its in a safe condition - my corgi friend checked that out for me cos I was worried about gas leaking from the pilot light.

Susan, your very welcome to visit, but I would wait until the warmer months :-)

Wishing you all warm thoughts on this fine valentines day

love

Pat x

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 03:43 AM

I am not a gas engineer.

This information is for discussion purposes only.

Use it for debate with your Corgi friend. Do not try it yourself unless you are SURE what you are doing, and at your own risk.

Usually a pumped system (as distinct from a gravity or semi-gravity system) will not run without the pump for one of two reasons. First the absence of circulation results in localised overheating and an internal overtemperature sensor turns it off. If that overtemperature switch did not work you MAY have burned holes in the firebox walls and the boiler is dangerous to use and dead unless you know a really good welder who is not going to charge you, and it's a sod of a job to remove the firebox for welding and put it all back again. Assuming that is NOT the problem and the overtemperature switch is just feeling grumpy, you can SOMETIMES re-light by using a reset button. Second, some cleverer systems have a circulation sensor. No circulation, no light of main firebed.

Gas boilers need electrical mains to run their electronic controls. Have you checked that there is electricity where there ought to be?

However, it looks as if your pilot light is off. Pilot light re-lighting usually requires the holding down of a control valve or button while pushing a piezo igniter. Piezo igniters can be little devils. If there is safe access for a taper to where the pilot ought to be, it MAY be worth holding down that control valve and putting a taper to the pilot and seeing if the pilot light lights. Hold the valve down for DOUBLE the period the instructions say. This is because near the flame of the pilot light should be a little temperature probe that shuts off the gas to the main firebed unless the pilot is alight, and it needs to get hot. Then slowly release the valve. In case of failure repeat with larger flame on taper. This is what I have to do usually to get my caravan gas fire alight!

My old swimming pool boiler (I sold that house since and downsized) would let you use a more dangerous trick. If you put a BIG flame on where the pilot light ought to be, you could while holding that flame there, gradually turn the control valve and light the main bed with a big thud. Once the main bed was alight it would often create enough background heat to keep the gas on even though the pilot was dodgy. Once the thermostat (or any other of the controls or safeties) turned the main bed off however, it all cooled down again so it was repeat trick to re-light.

If the pump is dead (you should be able to test that by connecting the pump to a source of mains electricity and feeling for a faint vibration: no vibration, pump is not going round. Simplest way to check mains is to take the connection cover off and check for mains on the pump motor with a voltmeter) it may just be stuck. You should be able to get at a slot in the end of the motor shaft (usually up the same end as the bleed screw sometimes the opposite) with a screwdriver to turn the shaft. You may need to do it with the power ON. That maybe enough to get the pump motor running. If not there should be shutoff valves and screw threaded insert points that make the changing of the pump only half an hour's work. Put a kitchen pan underneath to catch the cupful or so of water that will come out when you loosen the threaded instert points. A pump is about £15 to £20 at a plumber's or builder's merchant. It maybe worth paying a bit more for a Grundfoss Gold.

But didn't your Corgi friend know/do all this anyway?

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 11:18 AM

I am 'cooking' once more!

Heat is nice, esp. when it's February in Alaska!

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: Partridge
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 01:24 PM

Corgi friend spent about two hours trying various things, I didn't think to ask many technical questions. I did ask if there was a cheap option or a bandage option that would keep it running. The answer unfortunately was no. He tried a new thermostat and some other part I forget the name of. I can't fault him as he did not charge me for either the parts or his time (a good friend)

I've known for some time that I'd need a new boiler.

Hope you have all had a nice valentines day, I have.

love

Pat x

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: John J
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 06:29 PM

Could the word you can't remember be 'thermocouple'?

The Potterton Kingfisher is a conventional boiler and therefore fairly simple in operation.

You don't mention if the pilot light is 'on'. A blue-ish flame should be visible from the small window at the front of the boiler.

If the pilot light is on, and your Corgi man has replaced both thermostat and thermocouple, it may be that a) the gas control valve has failed or b) one of the fail-safe thermal cut-outs has tripped or failed in 'safe' state.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Central heating bust - am freezing
From: Partridge
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 01:55 PM

I just received a lovely warm shawl. Thank you very much Jacqui.

I will pass on the kindness(not the shawl - I'm keeping that!)when I have the opportunity, and I will do it soon.

The world just got a little better, even my cat hasn't bitten me for a week or so(touch wood)

love

Pat xxxxxx

PS new boiler arriving in the next few weeks