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Posted by Yodaddy on January 17, 2004 at 15:44:58:
In Reply to: Intermittant Fault -- Boiler won't fire posted by Ridge Kennedy on January 17, 2004 at 11:56:22:
I understand you are experiencing super cold weather right now and you need your boiler operating properly, but don't let that drive you to attempting something that could destroy your house and maybe kill you in the process.
Your boiler's gas train and burner control system is a complex and safety-critical system. You really should allow only qualified repair concerns to touch it. Help them by observing it's operation and provide them that information, but don't let your unqualified suggestions become 'orders' that the repair man then performs.
Take care not to be heard this way, "I think it's the (fill in the blank) and I want it replaced"...He will do exactly that and then pack up his tools and hand you a bill. If you then leave this forum with a few ideas and attemp a fix yourself, you are only deeper in trouble and no closer to a solution.
Keep observing the unit, take suggestion from here about other things to look for and then go look for them. Call your contractor back out and provide him with that information, and then step back out of the way.
Stop fiddling with components he has installed. You can blow yourself real easy.
To help you solve your problem, I'll volunteer this much. I sounds signifigant that you said the pilot flame went out and then the control system continued to try to light the boiler.
Well, in a properly operating system the boiler should not fire if the pilot is not lit. Your boiler has one of two possible pilot systems. It either has a 'standing' pilot or one that is lited shortly before main burner. In either case the pilot is essential and must be established before the main gas valve is allowed to open. The gas train contains components that determine if the pilot is established and only then will allow main flame ignition.
So if you go in there and tinker around to where you get the main gas valve to open with out pilot, and then fire the burner, you are very likely to blow yourself up. Even qualified techs manage to do this now n then.