boiler FLASH OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown

the gas pressure ahead of the gas valve should not bother the burner operation. The regulator ahead of the valve or on more modern valves that is built into the valve will control pressure to the burners pretty much regardless of the inlet pressure to the valve.

When you determined the usage on the boiler I assume you clocked the burner at the meter??? If so was any other equipment running? Usually two rotations of the half foot dial giving say 20 second for two rotations then divided into 3600 (# of seconds in an hour) will give cubic feet (180 in this case) then multiply that times the BTU content of your local gas usually around 1025 to 1050 BTU's per cubic foot. With the 180 X's say 1025 that would = 184,500 BTU's. Then match that up to the input rating of your equipment.

By the way having that valve not fully opened allows gas to escape into the chamber but at a reduced rate until it builds up and reaches the right gas air mix at the pilot and then BOOM!!!. A burner under 400,000 BTU's should ignite in 4 seconds of less.

I agree have a heating professional come in and look at the system and while he is at it have him do a combustion analysis to see if your are operating at full rated input of the equipment.

john_181

I have an older GE boiler that I do not fire up too often unless the temp in my vacant building drops too low. Well this morning......I got the you know what scared out of me. I lit the pilot and fired the boiler up. I noticed by the sound of the gas that it did not seem to be right. Well, I noticed the gas valve was half shut. I opened her up and the damn thing blew out the front and back burner doors and out under the exhaust hood. Any ideas on what happened here?

Norm Harvey

Call a professional. Do not attempt to tinker with this equipment.

Mitch_4

sounds like

an explosion..

Likely from delayed ignition, gas was allowed to accumulate, then it hit the pilot and


KABOOM (not the cleaner hocked by billy mays)

Could be from a lot of things, plugged orifice, crossovers, gas pressure (maybe the knob 1/2 closed causing the gas to trickle out instead of going where it supposed to.
Get a pro in to reassemble and see if it is safe.

rebuilding is not a DIY project

john_181

I had the entire system cleaned this fall and it worked fine when it was serviced but I guess the gas valve must have been bumped to be half closed. After I opened the valve full and re-lit the boiler it ran fine. I figured the regulator was wide open and when I opened the valve full it did not regulate the gas right away (delayed). I have to check the gas pressure - the meter does not have a regulator on the line - just one in the boiler. I feel it uses way too much gas. It uses 5 feet of gas in 45 seconds! the BTU rating is 223,000.

Mitch_4

IF that rating

of 5 cu.ft in 45 seconds was done on the test dial, you are firing at 400,000...a tad higher than the rating of 223,000.

Get that "pro" back

or maybe find another....

john_181

I am also going to have the gas company check the pressure.