Steam Boiler is not turning on

mcp1

I recently gutted my foyer where my Honeywell RTH230B thermostat was located. I removed the thermostat prior to the renovation & put it back when it was completed. I also did a quick service of my New Yorker steam boiler. I just cleaned out the pigtail and flushed the system (when it was still warm out). Now I turn on my thermostat & it doesn't seem to be sending a signal to the boiler to fire up. I hear some clicking in the boiler, but no flame. Does anyone have an idea of what could be going on? The thermostat is wired correctly.

mcp1

The pilot light is not lit and there doesn't seem to be a way to manually light the pilot light. Does any know how to manually light a pilot light for a boiler with an electronic ignition system?

Ironman

Too many possibilities with the little info given.

Any time that someone tells me it worked before I did such and such, my response is that logic dictates you’ve probably done something to cause the problem. I’d suggest that you retrace everything you’ve done and confirm that it’s correct.

You really need a Digital Multi Meter and the understanding of how to use it in order to diagnose circuitry.

A couple of things to look at, assuming you have gas and power to the boiler:

1. Try temporarily jumping the wires together that are connected to the “R” and “W” terminals on the thermostat subbase. If the boiler fires, then the problem is the thermostat. If not, find where the same two wires connect to the boiler and jump them there. If it fires, then the cable between the boiler and the thermostat is bad.
2. Check the wires and the connections on the pressuretrol. Jump the two wires there with the thermostat calling and after you’ve done #1 above. If the boiler fires, then the issue is there.
3. You could have shorted the thermostat wires when the thermostat was removed and blow the control circuit fuse or transformer. A DMM would confirm this.

Ironman

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1816659#Comment_1816659

You cannot manually light it. And that’s not the problem.

If the ignition control doesn’t have power AND a call from the thermostat AND the boiler’s controls, it will not attempt to light the pilot.

mcp1

Thank you for the response. I tried jumping the R & W wires on the thermostat, it didn't fire the boiler, just made a clicking sound. When I jumped the wires on the pressuretrol, that fired up the boiler, but it shut back down after I reconnected the wires to the pressuretrol. What could this mean again?

Ironman

The pressuretrol is the issue. Are you sure that you reconnected the wires to the correct terminals when you cleaned the pigtail?

Please post a pic of it.

JUGHNE

Show us the pressuretrol settings. Have you cleaned the pigtail?

EBEBRATT-Ed

Sounds like the pressure control. Possibly the screw backed out too far and disconnected the inside mechanism.

mcp1

Pressuretrol.pdf

I'm almost positive I reconnected the wires back correctly. The pigtail was cleaned

mcp1

The picture of the pressuretrol is in the PDF link above

Jamie Hall

Try reducing the differential setting of the pressuretrol to 0.5

Ironman

You need to connect the wires to the “R” and “B” terminals .

STEAM DOCTOR

Main and differential settings seem to be too close to each other.

mcp1

Thank very much guys, it's back up and running. I appreciate all your help

JUGHNE

So which was it…..wire connections or differential settings?

Ironman

Here’s a suggestion: whenever I take wiring apart on controls, I take a picture of it first, even though I’m very good with controls.

mcp1

It was the connections, I'm a nitwit and wired it wrong. I thought I took a picture of it before I took it apart, but apparently I didn't.