What are these? (Answer: flame rollout switches)

ethicalpaul

Hey gang! What are these? And if they are floodwater-sensing cutoffs, why are they 8” off the floor? 😅

The one image is the view from the floor of the bottom of one that is sort of wedged next to the boiler panel and the other one I’m holding is just hanging

Thanks!

Ironman

Take the pics from farther back.

It looks like a broken flame roll out switch.

ethicalpaul

Thanks, I think you are right. They both look like they were added by a knucklehead, probably the previous owner by the way it matches the rest of his electrical work I have seen, or his possible bumbling plumber brother-in-law. Neither one looks like it is in a useful place

The one is attached to a bracket, but the bracket is just jammed behind the starter unit’s binding post.

JohnNY

What the heck!

ratio

One wonders what problem was 'fixed' by adding rollout switches in odd locations...

ethicalpaul

Trust me guys, I could show you some stuff in this house. Mostly electrical and layers upon layers of bad flooring and wall covering

ethicalpaul

I looked again at these and they are wired in parallel across the 24v supply to the ignition module thing. That doesn’t seem right!

Ironman

Safeties have to wired in series to function. Unless a control board provides separate terminals for each.

Neither one is mounted in a position where it would function.

HVACNUT

Looks like you need a qualified tech there to wire everything according to the diagram using wire and controls rated per the manufacturer.
Maybe convert from a draft hood to a regulator with spill switch while there.

ethicalpaul

I wonder if they are part of this

ethicalpaul

I found where the one switch came from. I reaffixed it there and it faults after about 5 minutes into a burn. So now I know why someone broke it off.

I see no flame there but it is getting hot there. Maybe the draft isn’t sufficient. The previous owner did have to reline the chimney when I bought it. I’ll have it checked by a pro. No CO detected in living area, I just put a detector in the boiler room after discovering this.

unclejohn

Everyone knows that when a flame roll out switch opens you move it farther away from the flame. Heres the problem Clem this dang thing gets to hot, mover behind that pipe. Just kidding. The boiler needs to be cleaned and right quick.

ethicalpaul

I agree. But also I think they riveted it in a bad spot. It’s like straight above the edge of the burner area and that area just gets hot. I think it’s just ambient heat tripping it...no flame

(I don’t think the manufacturer put it there is what I mean)