Prestige Solo Problems

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

This is a 5 year old boiler which has been working fine until September when it started having problems. E02 error messages - failure to ignite. We have replaced:

- igniter
- igniter cable
- circuit board

The combustion numbers and gas pressures are all within spec; condensate drain is clear. The exhaust is ten feet long and clear, the air intake is two feet long and clear and the two daylight far away from each other. The inside of the boiler is pristine with no wear or leakage at the heat exchanger. Power to the boiler is good; dedicated circuit with a good ground.

Sometimes the boiler will lock out halfway through a heating cycle and you can't get it to start again; other times it will fire beautifully and you can't get it to lock out no matter how many times you try to fire it.

Has anyone had the same experience that can share a solution? My supplier told me that older Solos had refractories that were too close to the igniter and the spark would short to the refractory. That will be my next task, but the owners are fed up and want a new boiler. I want to find a solution.

Harvey Ramer

What about the flame sensor? Have you cleaned or replaced it? Have you checked the resistance of the ground wire harness from the flame sensor point to the power supply. Also the integrity of the power supply ground back to the electrical load center?

What is the boiler control reading for current sensing from the flame sensor? Is it a stable reading or does it degrade over time?

Zman

They had a run of bad ignitors about 5 years ago. The bad ones would turn a rust red color on the tip. They did exactly what you describe.
The newer ones have look a little different, the shafts have raised marks on them.
I am wondering if you ended up replacing the old style with another old one.

ednelson

I am in Triangle Tubes tech support department please give me a call 856 228 8881 ext 155 please have a manometer and combustion analyzer with you and I would be glad to help you figure out the problem
Thank you
Ed Nelson

Bob Bona_4

Nice to hear from you Ed. Will save your contact info.

Alan, the new ignitors have a shorter porcelain inside the chamber and one electrode is knurled, presumably to give more surface area/traction for spark. Cable is black, instead of red. In case you got NOS. I've have about 3 come in the last 2 yrs.

delta T

I just went through this, same exact thing. Replaced igniter, flame sensor, igniter cable, combustion was slightly off the first time (CO was at 125 on LP) leaned it out a little bit to proper specs), venting run was 10' just like yours, concentric termination, proper separation from corners etc....finally found the venturi to be degraded badly from re-circulation of combustion products. Turns out the vent cap on the concentric kit was not seated 100% and allowed a small amount of re-circulation over the course of 4 years it ate the venturi. Worth a check, I've got nothing else for you though...

Dan Foley

Alan, check the ground wire where it clips to the ignitor. They have a tendency to burn up right where it connects to the ignitor. I cut back a few inches to good wire and crimp a new spade clip to the wire.

I don't know why they do this but I see it a lot.


- DF

Bob Bona_4

Funny you say that Dan, I've noticed iffy gripping power by the spade on my calls.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Thanks, guys for all your input!
Harvey Ramer, Zman & Bob Bona: All good suggestions and I will check to verify.
Delta T: I checked the venturi and it was fine. Kind of like a prostate exam.
Dan: The grounding clip is very firmly in place. I had a tough time getting it off.
And Ed: I will call you in the morning!

delta T

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes said:

Delta T: I checked the venturi and it was fine. Kind of like a prostate exam.

delta T

That just made my day, thanks Alan!

Harvey Ramer

Find the problem?

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Hi Harvey:

Nothing yet. Surprisingly, the boiler has been behaving and I need an unhappy boiler to figure out what's wrong. I'm OK with that because we are busy into the new year.

Harvey Ramer

Truth!

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Returned yesterday ("no heat" call on a Sunday), flushed out the HX, replaced the refractory, gas valve and gas valve cable.

Time will tell.

lchmb

Just curious...you said sometimes it will lock out and you cannot get it to start again. Did you mean it won't try at all or it trys and fails?

kcopp

Just looked at a Prestige Excellence today.... Got there to see it was locked out on E02. Had spark, had fuel... Venturi was rough and cracked. Part arrives in the morning.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Ichmb: I press the reset button and it tries to ignite three times and fails.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

So, it's been almost 2 weeks since we cleaned the HX, installed the new HX insulation and changed out the gas valve and we haven't heard from the owner and I think I would have heard from them if the boiler locked out.
If the problem is fixed, I don't know what took care of it. The HX wasn't that dirty, could have been the insulation although I doubt it, could have been the gas valve.

j a_2

Just curious, is this a high or low gas pressure area you live in....What were your readings static and dynamic on your monometer....Used to see it very very frequently in the low gas pressure areas code E02....Pulled out gas valve, the inlet screen would be dirty,a rust colored dust....Came from within the old gas piping in street....Gas company would come in and install a whole house filter, inline with the inside fit....The valves get very sensitive the higher the spool up demand....Sometimes the boiler worked just fine, till, for lack of words put a full load on it...Put it high fire then back down. Repeatedly.....Fan speed issues were not that common....

j a_2

So Alen wondering how it worked out... Hopefully it went well..

Robert O'Brien

Had the same issue,it was the refractory.

rick in Alaska

I had issues also and found the refractory was the issue. Seems that the electrode was too close to the refractory and "shorting"out. The cure was a new refractory that is tapered out further to give it a little more clearance. Haven't had an issue since it was replaced.
Rick

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Yes, we also installed a new refractory even though the factory said that the PS models weren't effected, only the PA's.

j a: The manometer readings were fine and only dropped ½" when the unit fired. I have the old gas valve and checked the inlet screen; it was clean. Thanks for your input! It all helps.

I checked with the owners and the unit is still working fine. The problems have always happened when they're about to go away on a trip and they are leaving Jan. 1st, so they are biting their nails.

j a_2

Well now a wifi t stat is in order...
You to can monitor it ..

j a_2

I am back and forth to the Carolinas now enjoying grandson...And another one coming in January...Thank god they don't look like me... I miss some of the aspects of plumbing and heating but getting used to it....Hay it was a good run..
...Watching some of my old high school plumbing and heating students enjoying success in the industry...I visit some of there job sites....We had a fully framed house in our old school...We actually piped up a complete steam boiler and system had it up and running....Also a few mod cons.... The kids really learned...Still remember the day I chased down a classic science teacher for telling my plumbing students that it was a waste of time to take plumbing....Funny thing kids in his science class new nothing about real science....Just how to look at bugs and butterflies..Under the microscope...

BobC

It was a sad day when they took the wrecking ball to the Vo-Tech, very short sighted in my opinion.

Bob