gas valve problem

robert griggs

I had this problem the other day, and was wondering if anyone knows why this was happening. The landlord called me out because his Utica steam boiler kept filling after he shut the valve off. By the time I got there, he had gotten the valve off and drained the excess water out. He said the water was squirting out of the main vent above the boiler onto the top of the boiler. Everything was working fine, except whenever the burner came on it smelled like gas on one side of the boiler. I soap tested the gas valve and the tube going into the burners, but could not find anything. I changed the gas valve and the smell went away. I was just wondering what may have caused this gas smell only when the burners kicked on. I had just cleaned and serviced this boiler 3-4 weeks prior to this happening. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

Unknown

What is the make and

numbers on the valve? It is possible that this valve has a bleed on it that got disconnected. It will allow gas to escape on a call for heat as the gas bleeds off the top of the diaphragm valve. It should normally be connected by a small piece of tubing going from the gas valve to the pilot to allow that gas to burn off at the pilot when the valve is energized.

The other thing may be that the old valve was not opening fully and this would cause a poor light off.

robert griggs

I don't remember the model numbers

on the gas valve, nor did I notice any tubing that was disconnected. The thing that got me was that this landlord had purchased the house only one month prior, yet there was a brand new gas valve sitting in the corner near the boiler. It was still in the box and the seal on the box was not broken. The model number was the same as the one in the boiler. I guess this must have been an on-going problem.

Unknown

I would also do some testing to make sure

you do not have a pressurization problem in the house causing a reverse flue condition. I would do a combustion test and check draft with a draft guage. Check your CO in the flue.

Is the flame stable on the burners and not lifting or floating around? Either one of those can cause you to get a smell of gas.

It would help to know the valve make and model number. There have been some valves with problems.

peter desens

Gas smell

Without confirming where the actual leak was coming from, we are only assuming it was the valve, rather that perhaps the threads, or pilot tubing connection.

I would be interested to know what the incoming gas pressure is. It is unlikely that it is high enough to cause damage to the valve, but w/o checking we can not eliminate it as a posssibility.

If you continue to have the same problem w/this boiler, or would like to discuss this topic further, please do not hesitate to contact our technical service department at 1-800-325-5479.

Peter Desens
Technical Services Manager
Utica BOilers.

robert griggs

I did not test the gas pressure at this house,

> Without confirming where the actual leak was

> coming from, we are only assuming it was the

> valve, rather that perhaps the threads, or pilot

> tubing connection.

>

> I would be interested to

> know what the incoming gas pressure is. It is

> unlikely that it is high enough to cause damage

> to the valve, but w/o checking we can not

> eliminate it as a posssibility.

>

> If you

> continue to have the same problem w/this boiler,

> or would like to discuss this topic further,

> please do not hesitate to contact our technical

> service department at 1-800-325-5479.

>

> Peter

> Desens Technical Services Manager Utica

> BOilers.

robert griggs

I did not test the gas pressure at this house,

but I have done a lot of work in this neighborhood, and the pressure at other houses are typically around one-quarter PSI.