Help! Boiler won't fire without constantly flipping power switch

Jim Franklin

Are there any controls with a blinking LED?

It maybe producing a trouble code and your resetting the system.

Is this boiler coming up to thermostat set temperature or pressure before going off?

Am I wrong in assuming you only have this serviced when something happens?

I think it's time to have a proper service done, by someone who understands steam systems.

By the way, you can have someone come out, but there usually is an after hours charge.

Good luck

Sundeep Amrute

Help! Boiler won't fire without constantly flipping power switch

Very strange problem with Burnham gas-fired furnace running 1-pipe steam system:

If I toggle the emergency power switch (the red box), it fires, the damper opens, and it eventually gets up to around 2psi, after which it cuts off as expected based on pressuretrol settings. However the burner never fires up again, unless I again toggle the power switch, after which it fires up immediately.

No changes have been made recently. The water is kind of dirty, but I can't see why the boiler would fire up after flipping the power switch off and on.

Any help would be appreciated - can't get anyone in until Monday and it's gonna be cold tonight...

David Nadle

Manual reset

Some pressuretrols have a manual reset configuration, as do some low water cutoffs. It's possible that with the cold weather your cycle is long enough now that one or the other device is cutting out and requiring a manual reset. Can you post the model numbers of the pressuretrol and the LWCO?

nicholas bonham-carter

constant need for reset

your pressure is to high for optimum steam comfort and economy. best to reduce it as low as possible to below 16 ounces of pressure. 2 psi will prevent some steam vents from working.this may be caused by the pigtail or syphon being blocked with debris, suddenly unable to "feel" the pressure.

google the pressuretrol mfg's website for instructions as to how this should be readjusted to the ideal pressure. there should be an additional pressuretrol which shuts the system down when the maximum pressure allowable has been reached and this probably the cause of you problem. do you have the manuals for the boiler? look in the index under "pressure".--nbc

Ross_7

Pigtail clogged

Maybe the steam syphon (pigtail) for the pressuretrol is clogged full of mud & rust, tricking the boiler into thinking it's out on pressure.

Mark Eatherton

Bad damper...

I've seen scenarios whereby the end switch on the damper doesn't make every time. There is a bypass switch on the damper to keep it open in an emergency.

ME

TonyBal_2

RESOLVED: Boiler wont fire without flipping power switch

The suggestion to flip the damper bypass switch seemed to do the trick and the boiler now fires regularly. The boiler does seem to be short cycling however, so the other ideas about the clogged pigtail / pressuretrol are probably worth me having a pro look into.

I'm always amazed by how fast people respond with good suggestions on this site. Thanks to everyone who responded.

Unknown

Make sure you do not

leave that damper in the service position as a permanent fix. Get someone to service the system.