Recently had thermocouple changed now problems with spitting gurgling pilot light

rrwitherspoon

Recently had burhnam boiler serviced yearly checkup. TECH recc projected thermocouple failure because unit just over 5 years old. WE agreed .In the process of cleaning heat exchanger tubes burned red wire on pilot assembly. Repaired with wire nut.Quite upset about this but agreed wire nut ok since tech did not have new wire. Now previously beautiful blue quiet standing pilot replaced with noisy gurgling pilot flame blue and yellow in character. SOUNDS COMING FroM PILOT NOT LIKE BEFORE. I wish I had left well enough alone. Concerned? WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

ww

you have to repair everything with the parts that are meant to be used. jury rigging not accepted for permanent solution. call them back to fix it right away.

the parts have to be replaced with the proper parts. after that is done then an evaluation can be made further if problem is not fixed. this problem may be caused by this temporary solution by the tech.

Tim McElwain

Changing a thermocouple should not affect the pilot operation. However if he removed the orifice from the pilot to clean it and he enlarged it or damaged it that would cause your pilot problem. I am not sure what the red wire was for perhaps a Piezzo igniter wire for lighting the pilot remotely/

Get them back to repair what ever they did!

rrwitherspoon

The boiler was having yearly maintanence. Before he changed thermocouple the Tech was cleaning off the long silver tubes in flue chamber. He removed and replace flue chamber cover in process after cleaning long burner tubes of dust and rust.
Chamber cover caught the red wire from transformer box. This wire connects transformer box to pilot gas valve controller. This wire tells pilot light to turn on pilot gas valve to ignite long burner tubes. The wire getting caught up in flue chamber cover was an error. The red wires insulation was burned in along segment as if it had been caught in edge of flue chamber. The wire was burned to a lesser extent. The insulation did protect it somewhat. The wire was released and cut and repaired with wire nut. I called the company back today and they do not want to pay for new wire that runs from transformer box to pilot valve igniter. I am quite upset about it. I called Burnham and they said that the repair with wire nut may go against factory
specifications and needs to be replaced with full new wire relay connection. It does not seem like a wire would be that costly.
I do not understand why Bruni and Campesi would be giving me such a hard time. They installed the boiler in 2008. Doug their one pipe steam estimator was so nice and knowledgeable. He calculated the boiler size I would need by looking at existing radiators etc. . I wish I had refused the new thermocouple installation. I did not have anything wrong with the furnace.

rrwitherspoon

The tech does not want to admit he burned the wire when he re- installed flue chamber cover. He was the only one who ever entered the flue chamber. No one else ever cleaned those burners before. He is being very defensive. I am trying to focus on remedy and not blame him but he is very defensive

rrwitherspoon

I wish I could find the part number for this wire. I could install myself if I knew part number. It is a gas fired Burnham Independence boiler model #SIN7LNC-LE2 serial number 64909517 . If anyone has access to parts manual would appreciate it








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Tim McElwain

If that is the wire sending 24 volts to the gas valve it will be fine if reconnected with a wire nut. Is everything else working now? Send a picture of the red wire showing both ends of its connection.

Tinman

The use of wire nuts is a common practice and nothing at all wrong with it if done properly. I've yet to see a boiler straight from the factory that doesn't have a wire nut or two on them. The guy made a mistake. We all do. If its an exposed wire, it has to be carrying low voltage 24 volts. Sounds to me like he corrected his mistake?
As far as the pilot noise, that should be looked at. You certainly shouldn't have a yellow flame after yearly maintenance.

rrwitherspoon

Well he was too defensive to even look or listen at noisy pilot. He was disagreeable at that point. Anything I said he would have disagreed with me at this point. US boiler customer service says any changes to wire can void warranty because of specification
violations. All wire nuts on my boiler are in boxes protected. This wire nut is not protected. I want a new wire like it was.

Tinman

I understand. If you were my customer, I would do just that because I like happy customers. I have the parts list for that boiler and the specific wire you're referring to is not listed...which is common. For wires to be a "replacement part", they usually would have to be an ignition wire, a sensor wire, or a wire for a Piezzo ignitor like Tim said. That said, it would be really easy for the contractor to put in a continuous length of new red wire with Sta-Kon connectors on each end.

rrwitherspoon

pic too dark. It is an ignition wire. It tells pilot light gas valve to give more gas to light burner tubes. It is standing pilot unit.

rrwitherspoon

The red wire connect to a ceramic seat with two wires coming in to it.

Tinman

No, that's not an ignition wire. It's carrying 24 volts through a fusible link rollout switch (the ceramic you're describing) to the gas valve.

rrwitherspoon

so is it ok to have wire nut on that wire and still be under warranty?

Tinman

I can't speak for any manufacturer but in 33 years in the business of heating, I've yet to hear of a warranty being voided due to a wire nut.

Jamie Hall

The only wires which cannot be repaired or connected with a wire not are thermocouple leads. If the guy made a mistake and damaged the wire, he should fix it. He did. Frankly, I can't see what the problem with that is.

The pilot light is another problem, though, and should be fixed -- but so long as the focus stays on the non-problem, I doubt that you will get very far.

rrwitherspoon

Ok i will take you advice

icesailor

A happy customer tells his circle of friends.

A unhappy customer will tell the whole world and not know it.

My old dead boss always said "Fix it. Whatever it takes to make them happy". "The good will is cheap at twice the price".

If it was working before you got there, and after you leave, it doesn't work properly, no amount of excuses will ever convince someone that you didn't do something wrong/Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. You now have an opportunity to find out what was wrong and if you caused it.

Or someone else will and blame you.

rrwitherspoon

Well they sent a different tech back this time. He said that the noise we hear is a bad gas valve. He recc installing new gas valve and while I am at it I should get a new electronic ignitor. Now that I have bought a new thermocouple which by the way is not needed with this new electronic ignition retrofit kit. This is additional lot of money wasted. I have read that these new electronic ignition kits can be additional headaches. So
I will get two more estimates and go from there. Oh by the way He recc I not use my boiler until it is repaired. Now we have to go without heat until gas valve repaired.

rrwitherspoon

Oh by the way ... He put on a new sta-kon end to the wire that was damaged by previous tech. So What does anyone feel about the new electronic ignitors retrofit kits as apposed to old standing pilot thermocouple setup. Any comments appreciated.

rrwitherspoon

Is there really a problem using boiler if it needs a new gas valve?
I makes a loud erh noise when there is a call for heat. It happens after damper opens and last for 5 seconds until burners light.

rrwitherspoon

Other HVAC did not find problem with gas valve.I wish I left the original thermocouple that was working fine.
I found out it was a long life nickel plated thermocouple. It was working fine. I will forever question and check
hvac recc service. There is no trust now.