Odd buzzing Weil McLane boiler control

kbuesseler

We have a 15 year old Weil McLane CGa Gold boiler to heat our house. When we turned it on this season, it is working fine, but with an odd "buzzing" sound when the control lights change to all on, after about a minute or two in to operation when the pilot lights and the burners turn on. This comes from the location of the controller/lights and lasts 30+ seconds and goes off. It came on a second time, but not every time the boiler lights over a period of several hours now. Should we be worried?

kbuesseler

Could it be related to the almost dead batteries in the thermostat upstairs? We replaced batteries in the thermostat and at least for the moment, are not getting the buzzing down at the boiler unit in the basement when it cycles on??

EdTheHeaterMan

Nothing to worry about

In America, our AC electric current is alternating at a rate of 60 cycles per second, or 60 Hertz. The bussing you hear is the low voltage transformer making 24 volts of AC from the 115 volts from the power company at a rate of 60 Hertz. This is a normal thing and it happens to almost every appliance in your home that is attached to the power company's AC electrical supply For the most part, you rarely hear it because it is so small a vibration that we can't hear it.

Every once in a while there is a relay or transformer that is attached to a sheet metal panel on the refrigerator, stove, air conditioner, or heater. That panel can act as an amplifier that makes the vibration audible to the human ear. It can be loud enough that it is actually annoying.

If you find the panel that is the culprit in this mystery, just do a "Fonzie" on it. Most of the time the noise will stop. Then you say "AAAhhhhhh!" and hold your hands out about waist high palms facing up.

If the noise is not annoying then just let it be, there is no problem that can come of it.

EdTheHeaterMan

Now if you said the heater was Humming, I would have told you the reason it was humming is because it forgot the words.

Bada, Bum *