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Chris M_2
Chris M_2 Member Posts: 67
in Strictly Steam
All,

I have a burner that won't come on.  Burnham Megasteam boiler/Beckett AFG burner.  I heard the heat running fine and then shut off before I got up this morning, but after I got up, I turned up the thermostat a bit to raise the temp, but the burner never came on. There are no outward signs of problems (no red lights, etc). I pressed the reset button, and that did nothing. Shut off power from the emergency switch, turned on again, still nothing.  I ruled out the thermostat by jumping the two wires (the only two wires) together, and still nothing.  What else should I be doing to troubleshoot this?   I have no contract with a service company at the moment, and don't want to get hosed by an out of contract service call if I can avoid it.  If a part on the burner can be replaced, I'd like to do that myself if I could, but I don't know what the next thing is that I should be looking at on this AFG. Any advice would be appreciated.  I have a pellet stove providing heat to the main living areas, and the weather is expected to warm slightly over the next few days (Northern Westchester, NY), so I'd like to avoid a house call if I could get the right advice here. Then again, if you're a tech in my area and willing to give me a deal, I'm all ears as well.  Thanks in advance for your replies.

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,518
    Burners...

    which don't light off after one push on the reset button are reserved for technicians who know exactly what they are doing.  I, for example, am a somewhat knowledgeable building super, and frankly I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.  It's just too easy to make very very loud and expensive noises (that is, bangs followed by sirens).



    In other words, if you hit that button once and there's still no joy, and it's not simply that you are out of fuel (you did check that?), it's tech. time.  Sorry about that...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578
    non-starter

    i presume that there is fuel in the tank, and that the reset button is on the burner. there could be 2 other buttons to try: the lwco, and the secondary pressuretrol reset.

    in addition to that, there are safeties to ensure against a plugged flue, and improper flame quality, so for those you will need a qualified, and well trained technician who is equipped with proper [expensive] equipment. if the tech attempts repair without this knowledge and/or tools/analysers, then you are getting "hosed" and he should be shown the door. see if there is a steam man near you by using the find a contractor area here, but search by state--not by zip code. he may be able to show you how to perform some of the maintenance yourself.--nbc
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,495
    non starter

    Was the reset tripped or did you just push it to be sure it was not tripped? If you did reset it and it popped back off don't mess with it.



    If that reset was not tripped you could have a loose connection anyplace in the safety chain or the 24vac circuit. Pressuretrols have been known to get hung up.There should be a diagram in the install manual, get out a meter and see if you can figure out where the voltage stops.



    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • AaronH
    AaronH Member Posts: 59
    Check for power...

    Check the circuit breaker!



    Do you have a 'non contact' voltage tester? See if it beeps on the wire going to the burner. If you're not getting 120v to the burner, it's not a burner service call.

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • Chris M_2
    Chris M_2 Member Posts: 67
    Pigtail

    Thanks all, for your replies.  As I said, there were no outward signs of trouble in the way of red/blinking lights. The oil tank is full.  I did notice the pressure gauge was hitting nearly 5 lbs before the boiler cut out,  did a bit of reading and decided to try troubleshooting the pressuretrol. Turns out the pigtail was clogged; I could hardly blow more than a bar-drink stirrer's volume of air through it. So, I used a plastic zip-tie and some ground wire to snake the crud out, and then gave it a good rush of water to rinse through.  I put it all back together, and that seems to have fixed the problem. Heat's been running when called for by the thermostat, and the pressuretrol cuts in and out about as good as a pressuretrol could (1lb/.5).  I suppose I'll be looking into a brass pigtail and a vaporstat soon, as I now know they're better able to handle lower pressures more accurately. Thanks again for the replies.
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