No Heat-Boiler won't start-Getting cold in the house
#1
12-11-19, 10:59 AM
No Heat-Boiler won't start-Getting cold in the house
Single pipe steam system
Boiler
Oil
Entire system only about 3 years old
Boiler also heats hot water
Boiler was serviced this September and oil filter changed. Oil tank is inside the house in the basement and the basement it no where near freezing, maybe about 44 degrees as usual.
Boiler was working earlier today. Came home from work and the house is 52 degrees. Oil delivered yesterday but I was not out of oil prior; I had 1/4 tank. Have plenty of water in the boiler so not the low water shut off.
Two pictures attached
No hot water either.
I turned the thermostat up in the living room (only one zone in this small house) and nothing happened. Went down stairs and saw the red light on the unit was blinking. Pressed and held the red light button and the boiler kicked on for a short time and then went off again. Now the red light is on steady.
I tried bleeding it thinking there may be air in the fuel line but the oil just drips out of the bleeder I guess because the motor has to be running to bleed the line.
Lucky I have in almost all rooms an electric wall heater. I use them mainly in the early spring and early fall when it is not cold enough to run the boiler but need heat in the house.
I have no insulation in the attic so the heat escapes fast in the house. Have the fix the roof from leaking before I put insulation in the attic though.
Any help would be appreciated
Boiler
Oil
Entire system only about 3 years old
Boiler also heats hot water
Boiler was serviced this September and oil filter changed. Oil tank is inside the house in the basement and the basement it no where near freezing, maybe about 44 degrees as usual.
Boiler was working earlier today. Came home from work and the house is 52 degrees. Oil delivered yesterday but I was not out of oil prior; I had 1/4 tank. Have plenty of water in the boiler so not the low water shut off.
Two pictures attached
No hot water either.
I turned the thermostat up in the living room (only one zone in this small house) and nothing happened. Went down stairs and saw the red light on the unit was blinking. Pressed and held the red light button and the boiler kicked on for a short time and then went off again. Now the red light is on steady.
I tried bleeding it thinking there may be air in the fuel line but the oil just drips out of the bleeder I guess because the motor has to be running to bleed the line.
Lucky I have in almost all rooms an electric wall heater. I use them mainly in the early spring and early fall when it is not cold enough to run the boiler but need heat in the house.
I have no insulation in the attic so the heat escapes fast in the house. Have the fix the roof from leaking before I put insulation in the attic though.
Any help would be appreciated
#2
12-11-19, 12:47 PM
First off you are right when you say the motor must be running to bleed the oil line. You can reset your boiler again with the bleeder open and see what you get.
Your burner obviously is not igniting and that happens for only 2 basic reasons. No oil or no ignition. You know you have oil but you don't know if it's getting to the nozzle. You can find that out and eliminate the pump and air in the line by properly bleeding it and see how the oil comes out.
Your pump might be fine but you may have a clogged pump screen which should have been checked when you had it serviced.
The next thing is your ignition which could be your transformer or ignitor as they are now called but are the same thing. That is your black thing on top of the burner that is attached by 2 clips and lifts up for service. If that checks out then it could be the electrodes that the transformer sits on that sparks to ignite the oil which also should have checked when serviced.
Since you just had it serviced what I would do if it's not air in the oil line is to call them back to see if they missed something.
Below is a site and your primary control where you can get all the info on how it operates. Scroll down and click on user guide to read about the different functions and how they work. These new type controls do not allow you to continuously reset your burner. After a couple of times it goes into a hard lockout and you must hold the reset for 15 seconds to make it operational again. All this is explained on that sight.
https://www.supplyhouse.com/Beckett-...29f3b947385547
Hope this helps a little.
Your burner obviously is not igniting and that happens for only 2 basic reasons. No oil or no ignition. You know you have oil but you don't know if it's getting to the nozzle. You can find that out and eliminate the pump and air in the line by properly bleeding it and see how the oil comes out.
Your pump might be fine but you may have a clogged pump screen which should have been checked when you had it serviced.
The next thing is your ignition which could be your transformer or ignitor as they are now called but are the same thing. That is your black thing on top of the burner that is attached by 2 clips and lifts up for service. If that checks out then it could be the electrodes that the transformer sits on that sparks to ignite the oil which also should have checked when serviced.
Since you just had it serviced what I would do if it's not air in the oil line is to call them back to see if they missed something.
Below is a site and your primary control where you can get all the info on how it operates. Scroll down and click on user guide to read about the different functions and how they work. These new type controls do not allow you to continuously reset your burner. After a couple of times it goes into a hard lockout and you must hold the reset for 15 seconds to make it operational again. All this is explained on that sight.
https://www.supplyhouse.com/Beckett-...29f3b947385547
Hope this helps a little.
Last edited by spott; 12-11-19 at 01:07 PM.
#3
12-11-19, 01:22 PM
Problem solved!!
spott: I appreciate your advice and help. Thank you!!
Technician just left. My friend happened to know a reasonably priced guy and he only charged me $80 for the emergency call with parts. Honestly I didn't think anyone I called would get here so fast.
It was a plugged nozzle. Well worth the money. My normal company would have charged me $170 or so from past experience.
Thanks again for your time spott
spott: I appreciate your advice and help. Thank you!!
Technician just left. My friend happened to know a reasonably priced guy and he only charged me $80 for the emergency call with parts. Honestly I didn't think anyone I called would get here so fast.
It was a plugged nozzle. Well worth the money. My normal company would have charged me $170 or so from past experience.
Thanks again for your time spott
#4
12-11-19, 03:42 PM
Thanks for the update and it's good that's all it was but that should have been changed when your boiler was serviced. Generally most guys, even if they do nothing else the nozzle and filter are automatic.
#5
12-12-19, 02:30 AM
spott believe it or not when the guy was here in September I happened to be in the basement with him talking while he was doing the filter and changing the nozzle. Odd timing. I saw him pull a new nozzle out of his case along with a new filter. When I called the company for the service call I specifically told them I wanted the filter changed this round.
But still the price of $80 for an emergency call and the fact that he got here in about 75 minutes from my initial call is quite nice!!
But still the price of $80 for an emergency call and the fact that he got here in about 75 minutes from my initial call is quite nice!!
