Gas wall heater: intermittent wiring
#1
01-04-16, 05:36 PM
Gas wall heater: intermittent wiring
I hear the thermostat clicking to tell the heater to turn on. The heater sometimes turns on. Mostly at night it stops turning on and we wake to a cold house. The pilot light is on and blue, so I didn't think this needs cleaning. The heater turns off when it reaches the temperature the thermostat is set to (and sometimes it does turn on and off to the temperature as it is suppose to). The instructions on the panel says there is a reset button, but I took off the cover and there is no reset button.
Attached is the instructions it has on the panel door (again, it says it has a reset button but I didn't find one under the cover) and a picture of the wires that when I take them apart and put them back together the heater turns on fine.
Sometimes I have to play with touching them together until the heater fires up. If I pull them apart (once the heater fires) the heater turns off.
I had the wiring that goes up to the top of the heater replaced last year, as the heater was not turning on.-I didn't play with it last time-just called the tech. He says the wire has to be replaced after many years. The heater is about 20 years old. But, I think the new wire should last more than a year?
There has been a few nights where the heater turned on and off all night as it is suppose to.
Attached is the instructions it has on the panel door (again, it says it has a reset button but I didn't find one under the cover) and a picture of the wires that when I take them apart and put them back together the heater turns on fine.
Sometimes I have to play with touching them together until the heater fires up. If I pull them apart (once the heater fires) the heater turns off.
I had the wiring that goes up to the top of the heater replaced last year, as the heater was not turning on.-I didn't play with it last time-just called the tech. He says the wire has to be replaced after many years. The heater is about 20 years old. But, I think the new wire should last more than a year?
There has been a few nights where the heater turned on and off all night as it is suppose to.
#3
01-04-16, 06:34 PM
Group Moderator
The wiring may be a problem but is probably not THE problem. This pilot generates the voltage needed to open the gas valve. If it's not burning correctly..... not enough voltage is produced and the burner lights intermittently. Since the pilot generator can only generate a finite amount of voltage.... every bit needs to delivered to the gas valve. Any intermittent, loose or corroded wiring can cause issues.
The pilot needs to be firm and bushy. You should see the pilot generator sitting in the flame. It needs to be completely in the flame and engulfed.
The pilot needs to be firm and bushy. You should see the pilot generator sitting in the flame. It needs to be completely in the flame and engulfed.
#4
01-05-16, 02:35 PM
Pulpo,
Thank you for answering. "there has to be a bad connection somewhere, in that circuit." 1. it is not a boiler-it is a gas wall heater. 2. Circuit?
Can you clarify what you are talking about please.
Thank you for answering. "there has to be a bad connection somewhere, in that circuit." 1. it is not a boiler-it is a gas wall heater. 2. Circuit?
Can you clarify what you are talking about please.
#5
01-05-16, 02:42 PM
PJMax,
Thanks for the suggestion. I will take off the cover tonight and make sure it is "sitting in the flame". The two wires that are held together by the orange twist-on wire connector is the two wires that if I take the cap off, separate the wires, touch them together again (sometimes I have to touch them several times) the heater fires up. I tried cutting them back and re-stripping and twisting them together, but that only worked for a little while again.
Thanks for the suggestion. I will take off the cover tonight and make sure it is "sitting in the flame". The two wires that are held together by the orange twist-on wire connector is the two wires that if I take the cap off, separate the wires, touch them together again (sometimes I have to touch them several times) the heater fires up. I tried cutting them back and re-stripping and twisting them together, but that only worked for a little while again.
#6
01-05-16, 04:19 PM
Group Moderator
You should try to locate the gas valve and make sure the screws are tight where the wires connect.
If cleaning up the wiring doesn't help then you'll need a multimeter to check the voltage output from the pilot generator.
If cleaning up the wiring doesn't help then you'll need a multimeter to check the voltage output from the pilot generator.
#7
01-05-16, 04:38 PM
1) In electronics, a circuit is a path between two or more points along which an electrical current can be carried. (A circuit breaker is a device that interrupts the path when necessary to protect other devices attached to the circuit - for example, in case of a power surge.)
My suggestion was that there was a break or loose connection, in the circuit, that included those wires. It doesn't matter if it is a boiler or a heater. A circuit is a circuit no matter where it is.
My suggestion was that there was a break or loose connection, in the circuit, that included those wires. It doesn't matter if it is a boiler or a heater. A circuit is a circuit no matter where it is.
