i always get the calls on Sunday.
"We aint got no heat."
Honeywell Boiler about 30 years old....
Typically I re-light the pilot. Today I when to check and the pilot was fine. the water pump was running. but the burners were not bruning. the water temp was about 65F.
- What is the most obvious cause of the gas valve not opening to the burners?

 

Check temp control on the boiler?? Should be a aquastat can be immersion or surface. Gas valve ok?? the transformer for 24 volt power to the valve ok???

ED

 

Hello: Steve

I am not the boiler professional but would like to provide some help to you, if possible, until the professional can provide more help.

If the pilot is one and inpinging on the safety element and the flame is not yellowed, the safety element may be defective. Some heating systems allow the pilot to remain on even if the safety element is defective while other types do not allow the pilot to remain on.

If the pilot is on, there may be a reset button to activate somehow. Usually the device has a push in or pull out button or some other like method. There may or may not be current flowing to the gas control valve. Which may indicate defective wiring, thermostat(s) or the failed safety device.

Some safety devices interupt the flow of current from the T-Stat(s) to the gas control vales when the safety device is defective or the safety element is defective. Current must flow between both or one of the devices to allow the burners to turn on.

Check for current at the control, valve using a multimeter when the heating is set to demand mode. May be a faulty T-Stat. Disconnect T-Stat and connect only the heating wires at the T-Stat together and note the results.

 

Thank you for the fast reply.
I sure have not seen any rest buttons..But will dust off the parts and double check.
by passing the safty drvice sure would be nice if I knew how. at least for a while to give the people some relief.
Aometime I just have to bite the bullet and pay the pros. but the last time I spent $500.. when i had water coming out of the over flow. The pro s replaced the overflow vale, stuck in a temp guage and a pressure gauge, adjusted the air pressure in the tank... and i ended up fixing it myself replacing the expansion tank. If I could just pay $100. or so for the box that hangs on the side of the Boiler I would start there.

 

Hi: Steve

Sure glad you do not know how to bypass a safety device. Doing so is a potential major hazard to all the tenants and the property. Including any structurers nearby.

A boiler can become a huge bomb when internal pressures are exceeded and or safety devices fail, etc. Seen one such explosion of a boiler myself.

Totally devastated the muti unit house it was installed in and severly damaged both complexes on either side of it. One would have thought a bomb was dropped onto the center building.

Cause of the explosion was determined to be a bypassed burner safety device, done by the building complex owner. A failed attempt to save money cost lives and plenty of money in lawsuites, etc.

Hire a pro. Paying a pro, also pays for what they know.

 

Do you have power here?????? This is what should tell the burner to turn on and make hot water. Do you have 24 volts at the gas valve???? The tstat in the home is what should turn the pump on.

ED

 

If I could manually turn on the gas burner,, I'd run it for a while to heat up the water then turn it off manually. thats all. I just got back from buying Kerosine. My old kerosine heater has not been used for 10 years but its burning tonight.

2) ED.
I have not checked to see if it has power. I have to learn what does what and what the names of the parts are. I am thinking perhaps this control box could be known as an aquastat..?..
So it could be..
A) the thermostate in that box. I tapped it and dialed it up and down. No diff.
B) - could be the gas valve. I tapped that a few times too. No diff.

I am in the learning stage. Did a bunch of surfing and looked at Ebay pictures of Aquastats. Didnt find any that looked like mine.
thanks for the input. Last week I installed a crankshaft position sensor in my truck learning about it on the Web., never even heard of one before mine went bad. saved $150. by doing it myself. sure would like to save on this repair.

 

Id say if you want to work on it .Get a meter, have to know where power is or isnt. if you have power to what will tell you what dont work

ED

 

I bought a digital meter today and have 24 volts going out of what I call the control box. ,,thru a fuse box down to what I call an actuator.
I took off this actuator that goes into the gas valve ,but not anyone in our city had one.
I found that it is sold as a unit. Gas valve and all.
In addition, I figured the valve was stuck...I banged on it enough with a hammer to get it to open maybe 10% based on the size of the flame.

- - Next I need to study up on gas valves. Thanks for the info..with the 24V test recommendation..I eliminated some parts.

 

sdanville,

I know that we provide advice for diy projects but I get very nervous when the advice given can affect more than the diy'er or his/her immediate family.

You are in a commercial situation where your tenants safety is at risk.

Although the cost for profesional service may seem high, they would be presumably trained and can get you going with little risk to yourself or tenants. It may also be unlawful to perform the repairs you are attempting.

Getting going in an emergency situation is one thing, but the focus on now saving money on a professional repair is not doing the right thing in my opinion.

Do the right thing and call a pro.

 

Thanks to help on this web I was able to focus on my problem as being the Gas Valve. Last night I banged on the valve gently with a hammer and was able to get it to burn at about 10% its normal flame height. This noon when I checked it was 100%. My guess is..the valve did not move for 3 months (summer) . So it stuck, now it is opening and shutting. I imagine there is a tad bit of lubercating value in the natural gas and I will have a successful heating season. I am all ears if my thinking is off base.
Steve

 

Dont know why .But have had gas valve's that GUM up inside and not work right. I would replace it now for sure.

ED

 

Lite the pilot light today. Now its 2007.
just a trickle of gas would go to the burners.
After an hour of tapping the valve it didnt improve.

I am going to see if I can post a photo here of my set up.
( Honeywell pilot and gas valve set up ).

A friend explained he thinks it is old worn out, works on a magnet pulling a plunger to open the gas valve.

I want to know what I can do ( remove- replace) before I find gas.


I just tried copy and paste. No luck. Not savvy enough to use this incert feature here.

 

I think the advice you get this year will be the same that you got in '04 ... call a pro ... yer the landlord, your tenants need heat, don't 'cheap out' on them, do the right thing.

 

The valve is bad and needs to be replaced as soon as possible.

You are experiencing a bad valve that occasionally works and have either not yet experienced the valve when it opens too slowly or you have but not told us about it.
What a slow opening valve causes is delayed ignition which can cause an explosion.

Because you are renting your property you have a legal responsibility to your tenants.

If for example you have a fire or explosion caused by your furnace and someone got hurt or killed and it could be proven you were warned, there is a good chance you could go to jail for negligence.

I know this is a diy forum but you really need to call a licensed repairman now!

 

You have had three years to learn everything about this installation. You could have gone to trade school and learned how to properly maintain this system.

You obviously did not.

Get a pro to take care of this system.

 

The majority here on the do it yourself forums suggest I hire a professional.
I should have gone to trade school, but a few more taps with the hammer opened the valve up again. It's working swimmingly.


I will likely write again next here October of 2008. Sudo thanks for the replies.

Sincerely Yours..
Landlord, do it yourselfer,,stubborn German out of here.

PS - Last year I hired a pro to put in a control box. $275. parts and labor.

 

I once lernt a valuable lesson from an admirable actor who said:

" A man's got to know his limitations "

You sir have obviously not lernt yours yet.

From one stubborn German to another...

good luck dude, hope you don't kill someone.

 

Steve,

It shows how after receiving repeated advice on the dangers of striking a gas valve that the costs associated with proper repair seem to far outweigh the safety of those who pay rent and expect to be safe in their beds.

The smugness and disregard for others you exhibit in your posts could very well get someone seriously hurt or killed and I hope for their sake it doesn't..........But maybe this is a test and you are joking..............right?

One last bit of info you should have regarding this comment:
Just to let you know these heaters are not permitted in some jurisdictions because they are a hazard.
In areas where they are permitted the manufacturers instructions must be followed.
A recommendation that is common to most of them is that you provide a fresh air opening in the room they are in, that they are not to be used unattended (in the same room all the time) and that the mfr's instructions be followed as to maintenance of the heater.

I strongly suspect that you would not want to intentionally hurt anyone but rather are glib because of your luck so far and the fact that the calamities we speak of have not happened close to you........yet.
Unfortunately myself and likely others that work in the industry hear more often about tragedies in similar circumstances to yours.

I hope we are wrong and wish you and your tenants all the best.

Greg

 

Brutal Cold January here in Michigan. The old Honeywell gas valve has been working perfectly all winter since I got it going.
Good thing too, I would hate to fire up my kerosene heater as I had no Idea they were so Dangerous. All those years I used it at my cottage during deer camp..and at my house in the 1980's when they were so popular to save on the natural gas bill and then more recently in my ( well ventilated ) furnace/ laundry room at my apartment building.

Tomorrow is February.. I am half way through another heating season. Just wanted to check in. My tenants are warm and alive.

 

You have been told that there is a risk in not replacing your gas valve but you obviously do not agree.

Since we can offer no more I am closing this thread.